How to write – clearing the slugs out of your writing

Editing is a dirty word to some writers.  And not only creative ones but also…

Business writers suffer from word excess just as much as any other type of writer.

I think that’s often because they come to write without a clear focus.

Less is more.  That’s what one of my clients was saying to me today.  What she was talking about was delivering a presentation.  That you can be submerged in paperwork and lose the thread of what you’re saying.

It applies equally to writing.  At the very least you’ll help yourself if you jot down some headings/headlines for what you want to write.

Looking at a piece of text can be very disheartening for many readers, even if they don’t actually suffer from any form of word jumble or disorientation.  Too much text to work through is hard work.

I don’t know if you garden, but it’s coming the time of year when plants need a good haircut.  Gives them a rest from producing growth, gets rid of any pests they’re carrying and reveals the shape.

All text can have a shape and you can’t see the shape and structure if it’s obscured by too many adjectives and long sentences. (get rid of the slugs and snails hiding in your words)

Next time look at something you’ve written, see by how much you can pare it down.  Like Michaelagelo chip away till you find the beauty within.