Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 26.

On 13/01/2016 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us for removing common redundancies and flabby expressions. Cease and desist: The lawyers seem to love this one, but writers of creative work would, I hope, resist the tautology. e.g. Cease and desist all contact with …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 25.

On 07/01/2016 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us for removing common redundancies and flabby expressions. Careful scrutiny: Scrutiny is the careful examination of something, so ‘careful’ is a tautology here. e.g. Susan read the contract with careful scrutiny. Try: Susan read the contract …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 24.

On 05/01/2016 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice2 Comments

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us for removing common redundancies and flabby expressions. Cameo appearance: In terms of performance, a cameo is a short appearance, so ‘appearance’ is redundant. e.g. Kaley’s cameo appearance caused a real stir in the theatre. Try: …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 23.

On 31/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

We writers like to share ideas to improve our craft. Here, with a slightly seasonal slant, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us for removing common redundancies and flabby expressions. At the present time: Empty words; avoid them. e.g. At the present time we all want to wish each other …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 22.

On 29/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

We writers tend to share ideas to improve our craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. At the end of the day: Along with many of its flabby cousins, this cliché has ceased to have the miniscule emphatic power it started …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 21.

On 24/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice2 Comments

Writers tend to share ideas to improve their craft. Here, with a seasonal slant, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. Different kinds: A ‘kind’ is a type of something; by definition it’s different from another kind. e.g. At Christmas, children expect different …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 20.

On 22/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice2 Comments

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. First of all: Whilst ‘of all’ may act as a qualifier, amplifying the phrase, it’s a wordy addition to your narrative and is probably better left out. E.g. …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 19.

On 17/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I look at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. As far as I’m concerned: Obviously, since you’re the one who’s making the statement. E.g. As far as I’m concerned, politicians always lie. Try: Politicians always lie. Surrounded …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 18.

On 15/12/201515/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice1 Comment

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. As being: Please say you’d never put this on paper. e.g. He is known as being the smartest guy in the office. Try: He is known as the …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 17

On 11/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice2 Comments

A brief apology for my absence: the house required me to attend to various things. A few more of those to do yet, but I discovered a spare moment lurking under the guise of sleep and decided to use it here. Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 16.

On 03/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice3 Comments

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. As a matter of fact: There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with this as an expression, but in narrative it’s wordy and unnecessary. e.g. As a matter of fact, the …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 15

On 27/11/201524/11/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions All things being equal: Avoid this empty phrase. e.g. All things being equal, he would have her in his bed by midnight. Try: If he had his way, …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 14.

On 24/11/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice1 Comment

Writers enjoy sharing ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and a few flabby expressions. Bald-headed: Baldness is generally related to the head, so, in most cases, ‘headed’ would be redundant. However, there are times when it may be necessary …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 13

On 20/11/201520/11/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice2 Comments

Sorry for the break: I’ve been otherwise engaged for reasons that may become clear later! Writers enjoy sharing ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and a few flabby expressions. Temper tantrum: You can only have a tantrum as a …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 12.

On 31/10/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Writers enjoy sharing ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll look at common redundancies and a few flabby expressions. Ask the question: Can you do anything else with a question but ‘ask’ it? Of course you can: pose a question, even post a …

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