Are you overwriting? Indulge in some self-editing

With our 100-word stories, no one’s ever accused us of overstaying our welcome. But, while it’s great to have the space to fill out a piece of content, there’s such a thing as overdoing it.

Whether it’s an email, white paper or novel, it’s easy to overwrite and bombard readers with details. Try some self-editing:

• Focus on your subject, cutting out tangents.

• Literary devices effectively convey a point, but use them sparingly. Otherwise, they feel forced and showy.

• Trust readers to get your point the first time. Repetition is boring – or you’re trying to stretch your word count.

– Dan Stefano, WordWrite Communications