Jan Venolia (Rewrite Right, Ten Speed Press, 1987) says, "Writers in general use too many words. Those who write with word processors are virtually certain to use too many words. One of the biggest jobs in editing is to prune out those extra words." In short, TRIM THE LARD by removing redundancies and padding. (See also Cut The Fat in Writer's Digest, Sept. 2001, page 15.)

Tightening windy expressions improve the likelihood that your writing will actually be read. Here are a few suggestions by Venolia for streamlining language by revising or deleting words:

In my lexicon there's a kind of padding that occurs in humorous and/or conversational writing. Here are examples from one of my short stories that was rejected by a magazine editor for its "interminable padding."

Now, like I said….
Well, another year rolled around….
The thing is….
To make a long story short….
So, that's the story, except that….
You see, Hank had….
It goes without saying that….
But, first off, there's….
As a matter of fact….
Needless to say….
Anyway, Jake wasn't dumb but he was what you'd call an easy going dreamer.

In Summary:
1. Removing surplus words may make you think about what you want to say.
2. Saying the same thing with fewer words is an effective way to make your story move faster.
3. Know your words, make them work for you.

Remember the caveat: don't lop off so many words that the ideas are unclear.

About The Author:   O. L. Voth, grew up in Kansas and earned degrees at Bethel College in Newton, Kansas and Oklahoma State University. Awarded a Research Fellowship by the National Heart Institute of the National Institutes of Health, he earned the Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Pennsylvania State University. He has held research positions with Illinois State Civil Service, West Virginia University and taught at Kansas Wesleyan and Bethel College.

Voth has published articles in biochemical research, higher education and administration. He has been a columnist for the Kansas Times, writing political commentaries on senior issues. His writing endeavor include a collection of short stores, a novel, Silent Force, and a recently finished second novel.

The author and his wife, Helen, live in Newton, Kansas. They have four daughters, six grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.