I’ve always believed that the best writers can say the most using the fewest words. That being said, every writer has a different voice and style, and not all of those styles value a minimalist approach. Some writing styles are wordy, descriptive, and very much the embodiment of maximalism. And that’s okay, too.
What every writer must remember, though, is the difference between descriptive wording and unnecessary jargon. Regardless of your voice or your writing style, here are 4 words every writer needs to permanently (alright, semi-permanently) eliminate in order to make their writing more effective.
That
I’m sure you remember your high school teacher crossing out “that” in bright red pen on all your essays. Unless you’re using it as an adverb (I would not go that far), a pronoun (that’s my lunch), or a determiner (remember that funny story I told you), don’t. In other words, try to avoid using “that” as a conjunction (I told you that I wasn’t hungry). Once in awhile, it’s a tolerable word, but many writers have this idea that the more words in a sentence, the smarter they’ll sound. And that is absolutely not true. Trying to meet a word count by throwing “that” in as many times as possible will not in any way improve your writing.
Felt
One of the biggest disservices you can do to your writing is tell the reader how a character feels. The one query I’m consistently leaving on my clients’ work, especially in fiction, is “show us, don’t tell us.” I don’t want to know that your main character felt sad. I don’t care how they feel, really. What I care about is how they’re standing, if their voice is shaky or their hands are trembling; what exactly demonstrates their sadness.
Like in real life, if someone tells you they’re mad, sure, you might wonder why, but it’s not until their face turns red and their eyes bulge and their breathing gets heavy that you start to feel their anger.
There
Writers have a tendency to use the word there as the subject of their sentences, and generally, this just makes your writing sound weak. As an adverb it’s fine—use it ‘till the cows come home. But please, please stop using it as what’s referred to as a “dummy subject.” For example, “There’s this store I really like in the city.” There means absolutely nothing in this sentence. Instead, say “I really like this store in the city.”
It’s not wrong to begin your sentences with there, per se, but if you notice yourself doing it often, consider whether there’s a more effective way to start your sentences—perhaps with the actual subject of the sentence.
Remember
Telling the reader “I remember” is like introducing a fact with “I know.” Obviously you know something if you’re saying it, and obviously you remember the story you’re about to tell. Unless the fact that you or your character are remembering something is relevant, i.e., “She suddenly remembered where she had seen him,” it’s not important.
Every writer’s style is different, and while some writers may thrive on simplicity, others may thrive on complexity. But complexity is not the same as wordiness. Whatever your style, and whatever words you choose to use to convey your point, these 4 words can usually be cut, and should be used sparingly, in order to increase the impact of your message.