Lots of writers are prone to overwriting or creating wordy texts. So, you are definitely not alone if you often find yourself using long, elaborate language or writing flowery sentences to demonstrate a simple message or point. When you have so many ideas and thoughts, it can be hard to be concise. But being simple and understandable is what readers need in order to comprehend your piece. The good news is that there are steps you can take to ensure your writing is clear and brief and that you aren't overwriting. Continue reading for 5 important tips that will help you from wordiness.
Avoid Repetition
Repeating points is unnecessary and can contribute to overwriting. Therefore, avoiding repetition helps to keep your writing concise and focused on the main points, characters, or information. When you repeat the same topics, it can make your text appear redundant and wordy, which can lead to overwriting. You can keep your writing engaging and interesting by using different words and phrases to convey your ideas. This will help you not bore your readers with repetitive content and ensure your message is conveyed clearly and effectively.
Don't Use Many Adjectives
When writing, it's important to use descriptive language to paint a vivid picture in the reader's mind. However, at the same time, it is important to create a balance and avoid using too many adjectives. Using excessive adjectives can actually have the opposite effect, making your writing confusing and difficult to read. It can also make your writing come across as being immature or overly dramatic. Instead of relying on adjectives to convey the tone or mood of your writing, consider using strong verbs and nouns to create a more dynamic and engaging piece. By doing so, you can effectively create a clear and concise piece that is easy for your readers to follow and understand. So, the next time you're tempted to use a string of adjectives, take a step back and consider whether they're truly necessary. (Typically they're not needed!)
Be Simple
In most cases, simple language and writing are much more effective in delivering your ideas or plot points. When you use a lot of complex language or structures, it can distract your readers from the main message and make your writing difficult to understand. Writing using simple language helps to avoid confusion and it will ensure that your readers can follow your thoughts and ideas easily. This also helps to keep your writing focused on the main points, characters, or information, avoiding your temptation to add unnecessary details which can contribute to overwriting.
Watch the Body Language
You should always use body language in writing to emphasize what your character is feeling or doing and to highlight their emotions. But you need to consider how many times your characters “nod," "cross their arms," or “look to the sky”. You may feel that when you're describing all of these movements in explicit detail, you're being specific and detailed, but it can become super tedious to readers. Therefore, you shouldn't include so much body language that your story feels boring and the plot doesn't progress. Make sure your character movements are brief and concise, and omit any movements that aren’t necessary. As a result, you will watch your word count quickly decrease.
Don't Feel Bad About Deleting
Deleting your own work can be difficult, I mean your writing is your creation! But you need to know that sometimes scenes should be deleted. You shouldn't be afraid to delete your work, no matter how hard it is to press the delete button. When you are editing you will find sentences (and even scenes) that you need to delete. It is important to remember that by deleting redundant and unnecessary words or scenes, you are improving your novel, rather than making it worse. Readers don't want to read writing that feels unnecessary, so by deleting useless parts, you are improving your work. Your first and second drafts won't be flawless, they will need to be edited, so although it may feel hard it is okay to delete parts of your writing.
Overwriting is a common trait among writers and understandably. It's hard to be concise when there is so much you want to say. But with the 5 tips listed above, you are sure to have a good, basic understanding of the steps you can take to avoid overwriting and ensure fluidity.