5 Ways to Write Concisely

By Michelle TroutmanUncategorized

1.Plan ahead. This will help you decide how long your piece will be and how much information to include.

2. Write a “listicle.” Listicles are numbered lists just like this one. Your title usually covers the number of items in the article, and then you just need to elaborate slightly to flesh out those concepts.

3. Brevity. If your online piece is longer than 500 to 1,000 words, consider breaking it down into a series in your e-newsletter or in your blog posts. This will help you keep each article short.

4. Don’t use two words when one will do. Examples include qualifiers (“very,” “pretty,” etc.), redundancies (“oval in shape”) and words and phrases that merely repeat what has already been written (“tiny little bit”).

5. Set a total word count and keep it. If you want a 500-word piece, a short list is great, or you can cover just one or two key points in the piece overall.

Quotes

“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

“I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil.” ~ Truman Capote

Comments? Suggestions? Need help? Feel free to contact me.

Michelle Troutman
classywriting.com

By Michelle Troutman

For more than ten years, Michelle Troutman has crafted newsletters and other content for service providers. She has spent a decade creating attention-getting e-newsletters for law and economic development firms. Her marketing and business administration background and education enhance clear and persuasive copy.

Through features in publications like "Attorney at Work" and "Law Fuel," and her e-newsletter and YouTube channel, she inspires professionals to create engaging content. She enjoys helping businesses who serve others reach their marketing goals.

See all posts by Michelle Troutman

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