How to write concisely
Whether you’re writing to a set word count or simply trying to keep your reader’s attention, brevity truly is the soul of wit. Particularly when writing about complex subject matter, it’s worth having some tricks up your sleeve to help you keep your prose from rambling along.
Understand why you’re writing
Many writers start going wrong as soon as they begin to write. Here, planning is essential. Before you write anything at all, figure out what you need to say. What is the purpose of your text? What do you need to cover, and why? Having a clear goal in mind allows you to focus and avoid the temptation to write just because you like the sound of your own sentences.
Plan and outline
As soon as you know what you’re writing, and why, start putting an outline together. An outline serves as the skeleton of your paper, keeping you organized and on track. As you write, refer to your outline to check that you’ve covered all your essential points. This methodical approach helps you keep an eye on your overall structure and makes it easier to spot and remove redundant sentences or paragraphs that don’t add to the overall message you’re trying to convey.
Keep it simple
Wherever possible, choose simple, everyday words over complex expressions or technical jargon. Simple language makes your writing accessible to a broader audience. This is true even for technical papers: when the subject matter is dense, readers benefit even more from straightforward, clear language. Choose use over utilize and start instead of commence.
Cut the fluff
Remove words and phrases that don’t add essential meaning to the text. These include filler words (very, really, actually), redundant pairs (each and every, first and foremost) and wordy expressions (in order to rather than to, due to the fact that instead of because).
Avoid passive voice
In general, the active voice is clearer and more direct than the passive voice, which can introduce ambiguity while bulking up your word count. There are some caveats, though: some fields require the passive voice as a way of foregrounding the research rather than the researcher, and sometimes you simply can’t, or don’t want to, identify the subject.
Passive: The report was written by Jane.
Active: Jane wrote the report.
Use strong verbs
Make every word count — if you can use a single strong word, prefer it to two or three weaker ones. Whenever you find yourself adding an adverb or an adjective, ask yourself whether there’s a single word that captures the exact sense you’re going for.
Weak: She quickly ran.
Strong: She sprinted.
Be specific
Specificity is crucial, especially in academic writing. Being as specific as possible in every statement paints a clear picture in the reader’s mind. Rather than using a vague phrase like “a long time ago,” specify the exact time frame: “in 1889”.
Avoid repetition
Once you’ve made a point, move on. Rehashing your ideas in slightly different words just adds more words, not more ideas.
Edit ruthlessly
Editing is the secret to concise writing. Blaise Pascal hinted at the truth when he said, “I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter.” It’s only when we return to our words — preferably after taking a break — that we see ways to condense our ideas.
Reread your work with the express purpose of cutting unnecessary words and remove anything that doesn’t add to your argument.
Need more help?
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Further reading
For more guidance, check out these useful resources on how to write concisely:
Writing Concisely | The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Writing Concisely and Avoiding Redundancy | Writing Commons