When we talk about wordiness in writing, we’re basically saying how to write concisely. Imagine you’re telling a story, but instead of getting straight to the point, you keep adding extra details that don’t serve a purpose or advance the narrative.

This can make the writing confusing because there are too many words making something more complicated and drawn out. It can also make a piece of writing less interesting for the reader because they have to work harder to understand what’s going on.

So, when we talk about reducing wordiness, we’re simplifying the writing process so it’s concise, to the point, and easy to understand. I remember when I first started my writing journey, my writing was very wordy. Because I was doing a direct translation of how I spoke. As we know, when you listen to someone speak, they don’t sound so wordy.

If you know the communication frame, 7% of communication is the actual words, and another 93% is the gestures and tonality. So, if you’re writing that way, then your writing is going to be quite wordy. One of the telltale signs is an overuse of nouns.

For example; in, like, can, can’t, and how. These are short words and short nouns that you can reduce and be less wordy. Less is often best. I encourage you to be concise with your writing.

Now, here are my tips on how to reduce wordiness in your writing:

1.      Get to the point

It helps if you know what you’re going to write about. Because if you’ve got a plan, a blueprint, and a mind map, it makes a huge difference to your wordiness. Also, if you can get to the point, you will have absolute clarity on what you’re writing, why you are writing it, the purpose behind it, and where you are going to take the readers. Not to mention your message, the key takeaway points, and where you want the readers emotionally. Those things will help you to choose the right words. It’s better to have one word that replaces a whole sentence. So, getting to the point is one of the best ways to reduce wordiness.

2.      Avoid using too many nouns

As I mentioned earlier, you must avoid using too many nouns because they will clog up a sentence. A first draft is often wordy. Then, it’s just a matter of refining it and making it more concise. The number of nouns in each sentence is a red flag.

In a lot of cases, I like to go through and write out the first draft and then go back over it and look for things like wordiness. If you cannot spot it yourself, I recommend using an editing software like Writing Pro or Grammarly Premium. Either one of those is fantastic. You can program it to flag wordiness, and then it highlights all the words that, if you eliminate them, will reduce your wordiness. It’s helpful to have software like Writing Pro or Grammarly Premium.

• Shorter Sentences

If you use the same words twice in a sentence, that’s a telltale sign you’ve probably got run-on sentences as well. When you’re first starting, shorter sentences are better because you’re more likely to get to the point. It’s easy to understand and comprehend.

So, shorter sentences are better than a big long paragraph. Sometimes, if you haven’t got a specific point, then it is a little bit hard to make a clear statement. Then, most likely, you’re going to have longer sentences. When you’re starting out, you want to have shorter sentences and avoid run-on sentences with repeating words. So having that twice in a sentence, or the nouns that are doubled up, by reducing them, you will also reduce your wordiness.

4.      Use active voice

Using active voice in your writing can make your sentences shorter, clearer, and more engaging. When you write in an active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action, which helps to keep your writing focused and to the point. On the other hand, passive voice constructions often lead to convoluted sentences that require more words to convey the same message.

Let’s delve a bit deeper into this. Imagine you’re telling a story about a baseball game. If you say, “The ball was caught by Sarah,” the focus is on the ball being caught, but it’s not immediately clear who caught it. However, if you say, “Sarah caught the ball,” it’s crystal clear that Sarah is the one doing the action.

Now, let’s look at a few more examples to see how active voice can simplify your writing:

Passive voice: “The book was read by Tom.” Active voice: “Tom read the book.”

Passive voice: “The decision was made by the committee.” Active voice: “The committee made the decision.”

Passive voice: “The house was built by the construction workers.” Active voice: “The construction workers built the house.”

In each of these examples, the active voice version is more direct and concise. It puts the focus on the person or thing performing the action, which makes the sentence easier to understand and more engaging for the reader.

So, when you write, remember to use the active voice to make your writing clearer and more concise. This will keep your reader’s attention and deliver your message with maximum impact.

5.      Eliminate unnecessary modifiers

Another effective strategy for reducing wordiness is to eliminate unnecessary modifiers. These are words or phrases that add little to no meaning to your sentence and can be removed without altering the overall message.

When you’re writing, it’s essential to choose your words wisely to ensure that each one contributes meaningfully to your message. Unnecessary modifiers, such as “very,” “extremely,” “quite,” and “really,” often add little value to your sentences and can make them sound bloated and less engaging. Consider the following examples:

Unnecessary modifier: “The movie was very good.” Revised sentence: “The movie was excellent.”

In this example, “very” doesn’t provide any additional information. “Good” already conveys a positive sentiment, but “excellent” is more precise and impactful.

Unnecessary modifier: “She was quite surprised by the news.” Revised sentence: “She was surprised by the news.”

Here, “quite” doesn’t enhance the meaning of “surprised.” Removing it maintains the clarity of the sentence while eliminating unnecessary wordiness.

Unnecessary modifier: “The cake was really delicious.” Revised sentence: “The cake was delicious.”

“Really” doesn’t add any new information to the description of the cake’s taste.

“Delicious” stands on its own to convey the desired meaning.

By removing unnecessary modifiers, you streamline your writing and ensure that every word serves a purpose. This not only makes your writing more concise but also keeps your reader’s attention focused on the essential points you’re trying to convey.

Moreover, eliminating unnecessary modifiers can help you develop a more confident and authoritative writing style. Instead of relying on vague or overused modifiers, you’ll learn to choose stronger, more descriptive words that paint a vivid picture for your readers.

So, the next time you’re editing your writing, keep an eye out for those unnecessary modifiers. Challenge yourself to find stronger, more precise alternatives that will make your writing clearer, more engaging, and ultimately more impactful.

In the end, learning to write clearly and concisely is important for making your words powerful and easy to understand. As you work on improving your writing, remember that each tip here is a tool to help you improve your writing.

Don’t be afraid to try them out and see what works best for you. It might take some practice, but every step you take will bring you closer to becoming a stronger writer. Even small improvements are worth celebrating! With time and effort, you’ll get better and better at writing in a way that connects with your readers.

Keep going, and keep writing!

Step by step anything is possible…