If you’ve ever wondered what the difference between “tight writing” and “wordiness” is (besides the criminal overuse of adverbs), it’s often the use of redundant modifiers.

Tight writing doesn’t waste words. It certainly doesn’t throw all caution to the wind and chuck in extra description where none is needed, just to make up the word count.

Redundant modifiers are words you absolutely, positively think are driving home your point, when in fact they are driving your readers to distraction. They are words or phrases that mean the same thing and deceive you into believing you’re writing descriptively, when in fact you are just filling up your narrative with useless words.

A few examples of redundant modifiers:

• basic fundamentals
• consensus of opinion
• hesitate for a moment
• actual facts
• past memories
• really glad
• honest truth
• end result
• terrible tragedy
• free gift
• separate out
• personal beliefs
• final outcome
• start over again
• symmetrical in form
• future plans
• narrow down
• seldom or ever
• each and every
• full and complete
• first and foremost
• various and sundry
• true and accurate
• questions and problems
• any and all
• completely finish
• future goals
• each individual
• anticipate in advance
• past history
• ultimate outcome
• continue on
• revolve around
• split apart
• large in size
• heavy weight
• bright in colour
• period of time
• short in stature
• shiny in appearance
• various differences
• accurate in alignment

Now… go back and find out how many of these you are guilty of in your writing and get rid of them.

Be strong. You can do this.

Yes Ma'am

Perhaps you should send this to political speech writers

Just curious, I figured out long ago that I have no self discipline and can't write, does that include dialog? A lot of those phrases are things I might actually say, wrong as that might be.

Sean! Then they would have absolutely no vocabuary. :)

Love this, Jenny. Why aren't you teaching at uni, is what I want to know.

It depends on the character, Mullane. The thing to remember is that dialogue - when it's written - is deceptive. You think you're writing exactly what people might say, but you never are. Check a transcript of an actual interview if you want to see what I mean. They are always full of ums and ahs and incomplete sentences.

Good dialogue needs to be just as tight as narrative and although it has to look right, it's not always what you'd say in real life.

Got ya! Thanks :)

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