If you want writing jobs, learn how to say more with less verbiage. Writers love using language, but sometimes they go on a very circuitous journey to reach conclusions. Being able to get straight to the point is better. Learning how and why you should say more with less will improve your writing.
Cut the Deadwood
Go ahead and write your assignment as you normally would, but then edit it to remove excess wording. Some call this cutting the deadwood or removing fluff. You will not benefit from adding non-essential words just to achieve a higher word count; it may anger the client.
Beautifully written prose with lovely adjectives is a thing of beauty and a creative art. When you go overboard, however, it gets weighty, interferes with the basic point and can distract readers. Take time to proofread more than once for clarity and to eliminate unnecessary wording. If you need more words to reach a required count, add something else that is truly important.
Tighten Up the Message
The days of long paragraphs and detailed messages are over for the general public. Your audience today is used to receiving information in short, concise clips. Anything lengthy may just turn them off to the entire message. Using concise writing is a great way to grab attention and gain readership loyalty. The reader may want information right now. Being concise gives them what they want.
The other thing modern readers do is short scanning for information of interest. This helps them find what they want quickly, or discard what they don’t want equally fast. This also means the writer must covey more information using less language. Keep paragraphs and sentences short, sweet and to the point. Do not use eight sentences to provide three lines of information. Use paragraph headings, sub-headings and bullet points to break up longer articles and to offer important points faster.
Points to Remember
- Clarity counts – you still need to provide understandable information
- Cut the clutter – eliminate excess wording
- Write scan-friendly copy – lay out your article to be visually inviting
- Vary your sentences – they do not all have to be simple and short, but all must be concise
A Final Tip
One final tip to remember is to read your piece aloud. Let your sense of hearing help you determine if it is clear, concise and completely understandable. If something sounds strange, go back and fix it until it sounds right.
Make More Money
Learning how to say more with less may also allows you to write more articles for more clients in the same time it would take to write fewer longer ones. In addition, as response should be enhanced by these techniques, clients will be more satisfied with your work.
Freelance writing can be interesting and fun. You can use your creativity to the max, and you are paid for enjoying your writing career. Artisan Talent clients have listed hundreds of jobs in creative writing for freelance writers. Contact us today to learn more.
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