November 14th, 2008
Write to the Point
I like to prop my words on other useless words. I like to fluff them up. Maybe if I fluff my words enough, nobody will notice that I’ve actually expressed an opinion. I find myself writing, “I just thought I’d write to let you know that…” and “I feel that perhaps we ought to consider…” a little too often. Comfortable, empty words don’t make your position stronger. Do, of course, be friendly and diplomatic — but remember that direct writing helps your readers. Their job is easier if they don’t have to sort through props and fluff.
Some phrases that can get in the way:
- I think that…
- as far as I’m concerned…
- the point I am trying to make is…
- at the end of the day…
For more help on cutting the clutter, check out Richard Nordquist’s list of common redundant phrases.
Tags: concise writing, editing