5 Tips for “Less Is More” Writing

Campers, it’s getting tough out there. More and more businesses are jumping on the content bandwagon, email inboxes and social feeds are busting at the seams, and attention spans are getting shorter by the millisecond.

But in this war for eyeballs and attention, you and I have a secret weapon that the other guys don’t know about, the one tool that belongs in every writer’s big red toolbox. It’s called brevity.

In these days when communication moves faster than vodka shooters at the Kimye wedding reception, the ability to get attention, get your message delivered, and get out again in as little time as possible isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s necessary for survival.

And with that, here are our 5 Tips for “Less Is More” Writing:

1. Omit unnecessary words.

Once you have a first draft written, edit your text without mercy. Imagine you’re paying $1 a word to deliver this message and start wielding that red pen with a vengeance. Be especially ruthless when it comes to empty phrases like “in order to,” “the fact that,” and “who/which is.”

2. Don’t over-explain.

If I had a nickel for every time I found myself over-explaining something, I’d have … a whompin’ lot of nickels. These days it’s a luxury we just can’t afford. Tell your audience what they need to know, nothing more. If you’re ever at a crossroads over whether an excerpt should stay or go, remember that all your readers (or viewers or listeners) have their internal radios tuned in to the same station: WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?). If the excerpt doesn’t speak to their self-interest, out it goes.

3. Write like you talk.

Imagine that every piece of content is an except of a conversation between you and your reader. Do you use phrases like “inasmuch as and “pursuant to” in your everyday water-cooler exchanges? I’m guessing no. So can’ em.

4. Reach for action verbs.

Action verbs (“doing verbs”) not only keep things tight — they give your content a sense of movement and keep the reader engaged. So instead of saying “this is to be avoided,” try “avoid this.”

5. Murder your darlings.

If you find yourself hopelessly in love with a particular word, phrase, or paragraph, your

affection is probably the only reason it’s there. I know it’s hard, buddy, but we’ve gotta save our creative flights of fancy for fiction class. So cut-and-paste those little gems your private journal and get back to the work of delivering your message.

OK, your turn: What are your favorite tricks for keeping your content right and

tight? Tell us about it in the Comments — we’d love to hear from you!

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