Tips on Writing Concisely

Q: I have been told that my writing is quite verbose and I need to write more tightly. Any tips?

A: Write with economy in mind. Read your article or story and remove any extraneous words or details. Avoid the following:

1) including too much irrelevant information;
2) going off on a tangent (not sticking to the topic);
3) using too many words when fewer will do (less is more);
4) using too many adjectives
5) poor use of sentence construction or punctuation

Take your time to think about what you want to express. Aim to produce clear, concise writing that flows well. This attention to detail will help you create stronger pieces of writing and your chances of gaining a commission will increase.