Eliminate Redundancy for Stronger Prose
Streamlining the Sentence
Write Clean, Write Clear
We regularly find editing issues in books, even ones from established publishers.
A few examples:
‘I thought to myself.’
‘In the past, I used to…’
‘He wanted to shout it out loud.’
‘She shrugged her shoulders.’
‘This unexpected surprise was thankfully received.’
‘It would appear that he overslept.’
I read the study relating to…’
‘He was in receipt of…’
‘The building was just a mere foot away.’
‘He exercises on a regular basis.’
‘In the course of his journey, he visited his relatives.’
The list is endless. The practice of cleaning up your writing and using stronger verbs matters.
‘He closed the door with a bang’ or ‘he slammed the door shut’ – see the difference?
That is why writers benefit from editors who respect and enhance their craft, turning manuscripts into books into moments.
A strong verb is espresso; repetition is lukewarm decaf. Choose wisely.
A sharp eye and a gentle hand – editing with empathy and edge.