Your Story Has Too Many Words
Improve Your Writing to Keep Readers Coming Back
In 1782, Emperor Joseph the 2nd is said to have commented “too many notes” to Mozart after listening to his opera “The Abduction from the Seraglio.” Mozart stated he had “just enough notes.” Writers need to have just enough words.
Note: The title of this story is “Your Story Has Too Many Words.” It is not “Your Story Is Too Long.” A 3-minute read can have too many words. A 12-minute read may not have enough words.
In my past career as a professional editor, I’ve removed thousands of words. I often wonder how we learned to write so many words. Didn’t our English and composition teachers know better?
There was/There are
Of all the words I’ve removed most often, “there was,” “there are,” “there is,” “there were” top the list. These words NEVER add anything to a sentence. The “there” words mean nothing. Please stop starting sentences with nothing.
Compare “There were lots of dogs in the park.” to “Ten Dogs frolicked in Washington Park this afternoon.” Or “barked” or “pooped” or “ran loose” or whatever they did.
While you’re getting rid of “there were,” include a few specific details: the name of the park, time of day, the number of dogs, and what they…
