How to Write Tight
An article by Kay Hedges Tuesday, September 20th, 2011
Tight and concise wording is an important element to master whether you are just starting on a writing career or are a seasoned veteran. The choice of words in a document is vital to its impact on the reader. This is known in the writing community as writing tight. It often means the difference between the reader’s interest and his lack of interest.
A concise document delivers your message in the clearest terms. It has nothing to do with the fact that we live in an electronic age where everyone wants their information in the microwave version. Succinct writing makes its point and delivers the information openly with little or no distractions. It is its own reward derived from the satisfaction of creating a crisp document. Concise writing shows your respect for the reader’s time.
Writing tight is about wisely using your words to make the best impact. It is not always short writing, and short writing is not always tight writing. You avoid anything that would hinder the reader from absorbing your ideas.
Tight writing carries the reader with efficiency and competence. It prunes out the elements of misunderstanding to allow the essence of your message to show through. It helps if you think of this process in four steps. Each step has it own set of sub-steps which, if followed logically, will help you improve the clarity of your document.
You will want to carefully look for those words and sentences that distract from the main idea of your document. Tight writing eliminates those phrases that confuse the reader. Things like obscure phrasing, incomplete instructions, and witty side remarks often cause distractions in the flow of information. When you cause a reader to reread a paragraph or pause for a moment to clarify a remark, you disrupt his thought processes and inhibit his understanding.
Constant references to other publications will cause delays and road blocks. Sometimes it is necessary to include these items in order to validate your point. Try to limit them or include them in a list at the end.
Anything that slows the flow of words and sentences should be reworded so as to clearly make your point. Tight writing allows the reader to be carried along for understanding of your message.
Your writing should add value to the reader through one or more of several different ways. You can impart information in the form of step-by-step instructions or informal advice. You can write purely to entertain the reader. You can write an analysis of some concept and how it affects the reader. You can give your opinion and back it up with reference points. Whatever your assignment, check to make sure that you stay on topic and make the writing tight.
Each publication that allows you to submit an article has a different focus. You are writing to that focus, to that readership, and to that editor. The value received by each of those factors will vary and must be addressed and refined.
If there is nothing for the reader, they won’t finish the article. To determine the value of your writing, put yourself as the reader and see what you take away. Is the focus new and different or just another recycled old topic? Did you offer new insights, new characters, or new twists to old stories? The value of your writing rests on what the reader takes away when he has read your document.
You will never go wrong in your writing if you continually refine and hone your document. You want your reader to feel like he hasn’t wasted his time. A tight document can deliver a lot of information without all the showy words that only serve to fill up space and meet your quota. With careful attention to detail and an organized plan, your writing career will grow over the years. New opportunities are opening every day for writers with fresh insight and writing styles. Each manuscript that you create is a new opportunity for you to perfect your talent.
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