Most drafts contain meandering, repetitious, and clumsy phrasing.
Too often, writers repeat ideas by using just slightly different words for the same thing. Politicians say they will care for “each and every” voter. Business executives tell us that “first and foremost,” we have to cut costs. Advertisements offer a “free gift” for opening a bank account. We also hear people talk about future plans, end results, armed gunmen, unconfirmed rumors, living survivors, past history, actual experience, advanced planning, and natural instincts. Each of those expressions repeats a simple idea. So cut ’em!
Source: The Elements of Writing, Charles Euchner
If you have read The Police Report Formula or follow my classes or website, you will know I’m a proponent of writing efficiently. One of the ways this is achieved is by eliminating unnecessary or repetitive words. In the above paragraph, check out the phrase “armed gunman”…. A gunman is always armed. Or “living survivors”….survivors are living. By catching these types of unnecessary and repetitive phrases, your writing will become more efficient over time.
