Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Do Not Overwrite


One of the main rules in writing is not to overwriteOverwriting is over explaining what you want to say. It is composed of unnecessary words, sentences and paragraphs.

It is over indulging to things that you want to tell. Here are some tips for you to prevent you from overwriting your composition or a post for a blog.

Write Simply

“Vigorous writing is concise,” as William Strunk J.R of Elements of Style emphasizes. It should be brief and must be easily understood by the reader. Never involve in colloquial terms and jargon languages. It should be written in plain English and as brief and simple as you can.
Image from p2p-place2play.blogspot.com

You also need not to exhibit flamboyance by including unfamiliar words. Many amateur writers do this just to merely show how bright and intelligent they are in terms of their vocabulary, but oftentimes end up misusing those unfamiliar words. Don’t indulge yourself on this unless you’re a seasoned writer who plans to write an entry for Pushcart, Pulitzer or Palanca awards.

Do Not Tell Everything

If you are narrating a story don’t tell everything in one sentence. Although you shouldn’t break one sentence into two, it is still redundant to tell what, where, when, why and how in one sentence. For example, don’t say, “Carlo settled himself comfortably in a big, red bamboo chair in front of the TV wedged high in their living room.” Instead simply say, “Carlo settled himself on a big chair in front of a TV.” You can say other details in another sentence or somewhere in the paragraphs as you go along with the story.

Stick to Your Goal

Focus on what you are trying to convey. Do not tell something that is not related to the subject or gist of your composition. I myself also have committed the same mistake. I did it without being aware due to some new thoughts or insights that pop into my mind and somehow want to continue running my fingers on the keyboard.

Never forget the general idea of your article or essay. If you notice some of those unnecessary statements on your work, omit them. Do not add anything in between sentences or paragraphs unless there are missing conjunctions, articles (a, an, the), pronouns, etc..., or unless it is really relevant or important to add them. Say what you want to say during the process of writing your first draft and omit needless words, sentences and paragraphs.

By doing these advices you can help yourself in refraining from overwriting. It is important to revise your work until you come up with a brief and simple composition.

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