{"id":6561,"date":"2017-02-17T08:00:13","date_gmt":"2017-02-17T16:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constant-content.com\/blog\/?p=6561"},"modified":"2018-10-11T09:39:40","modified_gmt":"2018-10-11T16:39:40","slug":"how-to-keep-your-writing-concise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constant-content.com\/content-writing-service\/2017\/02\/how-to-keep-your-writing-concise\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Keep Your Writing Concise"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Concise writing means saying everything you need to in as few words as possible. It improves clarity and comprehension. It also makes readers want <\/em>to revisit your website and share your content.<\/p>\n

However, it doesn’t come naturally to everyone. To help you maintain focus and write without excess, here are a few tips.<\/p>\n

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Choose Words Carefully<\/span><\/h3>\n

Keep your language simple and your words small. It’s more direct, easier to read and you can’t always count on your audience knowing technical terms. Take this sentence: “It’s not difficult to ascertain how much RAM your computer is utilizing.” This is perfect if you want your readers to run for the hills.<\/p>\n

Here’s a better alternative: “It’s easy to find out how much memory your computer is using.”<\/p>\n

Use Fewer Words<\/span><\/h3>\n

William Strunk, famous for his advice on effective writing, said: “Omit needless words.” Why write “not very good” when you can write “atrocious”? Why say “actually quite interesting” when you can say “fascinating”?<\/p>\n

Weak verbs add clutter to writing. Often, one strong word can replace two weak ones. For example, replace “think up a plan” with “devise a plan.” Substitute “go around the country” with “travel the country.” Unnecessary adjectives are equally worthless. Why write “a severe problem” when you can say “a crisis”?<\/p>\n

The “if” clause is another way to kill clarity. For example: “If you want to write more concisely, get to the point.” Why not simply say: “To write more concisely, get to the point”? This is better, but what if we removed the verb “write”? We could then say: “Concise writing gets to the point.”<\/p>\n

Avoid Redundancy<\/span><\/h3>\n

Have you ever received a free gift? More importantly, have you ever received a gift that wasn’t free? By definition, a gift is <\/em>free, so “free gift” is a redundant phrase. Here are some more examples:<\/p>\n