It doesn’t matter if you write fiction or non-fiction, sooner or later an editor will ask you to cut words from your manuscript or article. It could be because of space limitations (as in a newspaper or magazine) or simply because the prose is bloated.
Often, particularly in fiction, it’s not about the numbers: suggested edits have more to do with improving the narrative language than reducing the word count.
So how can you reduce the length without changing the meaning (or art) of your words?
Consider cutting the following from your manuscript:
1. Words that add nothing significant.
“That”, “only”, and “very” can almost always be removed from your work. You can argue that a woman is “very pretty”, but I will tell you that she is beautiful. See the difference?
Mark Twain suggests that writers: “Substitute ‘damn’ whenever you feel inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be as it should be.”
Some common words to consider deleting are: about, actually, almost, nearly, seems, about, basically, close to, even, eventually, exactly, finally, generally, just, at that time, almost, practically, really, seems, just, somehow, a little, something like, suddenly, totally, truly, completely, very, were
(Also: do you realize how imprecise these words are?)
two. redundant expressions.
Redundant expressions are groups of words (usually a pair) in which at least one word can be omitted and the meaning remains the same.
Some examples include: forever and ever (just say: forever), commute (just say: commute), exact duplicate (just say: duplicate), or classmates (just say: classmates).
3. pleonasms.
Pleonasms are a subset of redundancy, specifically referring to the use of too many words to get the point across.
Examples include: putting down a glass or sitting down (skip), entered the room (skip in), ink pen (skip ink), or extra props (skip extra).
Four. Snapshots.
Clichés are worn-out expressions, once bright and shiny, that due to overuse (particularly in conversation) have lost their shine. Most people use them in discussions because their meaning is easy to understand. It is efficient to make a point using expressions known to many.
However, some editors feel that a reliance on clichés signals a “lazy” writer. Avoiding them could mean the difference in getting published.
Some common clichés are: for all intents and purposes, fit to be tied down, beyond the call of duty, makeshift, ugly as sin, on top of the world.
5. Overexplanation.
Unless you’re writing a news or white paper where an explanation is required, skip it. For fiction, this means leaving out unnecessary backstory.
6. Phrases that are not to the point.
Do not use: “began”, “prepared for”, “began” or any similar construction. “I ran” is more precise and shorter than “I started to run”.
7. passive voice.
The passive voice is denoted by any form of the verb “to be” together with a past participle, implying that something has been done to the subject rather than the action itself.
Passive: The ball was thrown by the girl.
Active: The girl threw the ball.
8. Adverbs (especially those that end in “ly”) and adjectives.
Adverbs ending in ‘ly’ are usually unnecessary. Adjectives are often overused. It is not uncommon to find two or three adjectives where one (or none) is better.
9. Purple prose and exaggerated angst
Remove or cut passages that are too descriptive, including narrative that describes a character’s thoughts and/or feelings in too much detail, i.e. too much internal dialogue.
10 Narrative that tells the reader what they already know.
Following even a few of these examples will strengthen your prose considerably. But remember, no matter how many words you cut out, your editor will probably find more!
