Copyright 2005 by Beth Mende Conny, ArtofSchmooze.com
All rights reserved in all media.

The content of this article may be forwarded in full without special permission provided it is used for not-for-profit purposes and full attribution and copyright notice are given. For other purposes, contact Beth Mende Conny at Beth@ArtofSchmooze.com

Want to be a lean, mean, writing machine? Then put your words on a diet. Here are some great suggestions for cutting flab, firming muscle and punching up your prose.

(BTW, these tips apply to conversation, for how we write often mirrors how we schmooze. Face it, we are all long-winded at times and have a way of repeating ourselves. Our delivery can be dull as well as engaging. And heaven knows we use some words uncorrectly (incorrectly). Therefore, keep these things in mind as you read on.)

Learn to strip
Brilliant as your prose may be, you likely can toss a word or two ... or three or twenty. Be brutal. Strip away the extraneous until your sentences go buck-naked. They can then, like streakers, zip across your page.

Remember the "ifs"
If you can say it in one page instead of three—do so.
If you can say it in one paragraph instead of three—do so.
If you can say it in one sentence instead of three—do so.
If you can say it in one word instead of three—do so.
If you can say it in a one-syllable word instead of one with three—do so.

Avoid repetitions, redundancies, reiterations, restatements

• owns his own business = business owner
• a great number of times = many times
• red-colored train = red train
• broke both his legs = broke his legs
• during the winter months = during winter
• in the not-too-distant future = in the future
• at this point in time = presently/now
• postponed until later = postponed
• mutual cooperation = cooperation

Take action
In writing, as in life, you can't sit there like a blob. You've got to use the active voice. Before and after examples:

• The ballots were counted by him. = He counted the ballots.
• He was robbed by a knife-wielding teenager. = A knife-wielding teenager robbed him.
• There is much that today's parents have to worry about. = Today's parents have much to worry about.
• It has been shown by numerous studies that insulating your water heater saves energy. = Studies show you save energy by insulating your water heater.

Don't be dramatic
When possible, use the plainest words possible. For example, too often we use "exclaim", "declare" or "chime" when plain ole "said" would do. Said is a great word; it doesn't draw attention to itself. Readers skip over it and concentrate instead on what's being said. Other examples:

• meander/shuffle/saunter = walk
• odorous/malodorous/redolent = smelly
• mawkish/maudlin/bathetic = sentimental

For the record—Sometimes people don't just walk; they really do meander, shuffle and saunter. Allow them their style, but keep your words in check.

Mix it up
Good writing has flow. One sentence rolls into the other, creating an ebb and flow of words. Stop the flow and you get writing like this:

• I love chocolate. Chocolate is tasty. Chocolate cookies are my favorite. I like chocolate ice cream, too. I like chocolate milk.

An alternative:

Chocolate cookies, ice cream, milk—I love anything chocolate.

Don't worry about punctuation and grammar
Big deal if you don't know the difference between who and whom, or when (or when not) to use a colon. Most of us don't, which is why books on punctuation and grammar abound. Use the books as you need them, or better still, read a paragraph or two from them each day. It's a great way to accumulate knowledge and is less intimating.

Hot tip: Find three books written in a style even you understand. When you get stuck, say, on split infinitives, glance through all three for guidance. You'll find that three angles are better than one and almost always provide the guidance you need.

Oh, in case you're wondering: According to one of my grammar books, split infinitives are acceptable when writing informally. My other two books say no, no, no. Here, I defer to the minority.

Beth Mende Conny is the founder of ArtofSchmooze.com and the author of more than four dozen books and collections, including her latest books, The Confident Schmoozer and What to Say When Talking to Yourself. She is based in the Washington, D.C., area, where she conducts workshops and training sessions for corporations, associations and community organizations. She can be contacted at Beth@ArtofSchmooze.com.

Return to Articles

Ready to talk?
Give Beth a call today at 301.694.9921
or email Beth@ArtOfSchmooze.com.