Writing 350- to 500-word articles for Emmy taught me to quickly convey the essence of a person or subject, but writing 50- to 100-word bios for Cablefax and Variety proved a crash course in concision.
Writing tight involves more than cutting extraneous words. It requires sharp focus and the ability to delete potentially fascinating details.
Even editors who praise my knack for writing tight occasionally find a few words to cut from my copy.
Why Write Tight?
People have short attention spans.
Print publications have limited space.
No one enjoys reading bloated prose.
Warning Signs
Faced with writing a 500-word essay, it’s tempting to pad it with transitional phrases like, “in order to,” “in other words,” or “in conclusion.” Some students use passive voice: “The explosion was caused by a gas leak,” instead of “A gas leak caused the explosion.” Passive voice, eight words. Active voice, six.
The worst offenders — “that” and “which” — aren’t always obvious.
Early in my career, an editor suggested highlighting every “that” and “which” on the page. It quickly illustrates how overused and useless those words can be.
The Art of Concision
Concise writing is important in long- and short-form writing. Even good writers might not notice the difference until viewing edited copy alongside their initial draft.
As a writing coach, I show students how to streamline their writing. As a freelance writer and editor, I help clients tell stories through clear, concise copy.
If you need help fitting a lot of information into a small space, contact me.