Why, Yes, Every Word Does Count in Writing

Chao- Many of us enjoy reading a good fan fic whether it involves detailed scenery or greatly written action. But what defines good? What makes something you read capture your attention?

One way to have something special: Make every section count. Whether you're writing an introduction, a scenery, or a character's appearance, make every work count. It's important to cut down on wordiness and pointless repetition while focusing on powerful verbs and descriptive adjectives.

Why?: You may know what's going through your head and what your story will hold, but your readers won't. You want them to understand what you're writing. You want them to see an illustration, not a wall of text.

Chao- Honestly, how many of us skip through those large walls of text? (raises paw) Chao may like good description, but not something like The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne (same dude who wrote The Crucible).

Exercise 1: Take an index card and write a short story. You may use both sides. See how any words you chose fit into your compressed canvas.

Chao- This is a good exercise because it gives you a limited space to write. Limited space makes you think what words to use and what to say in your story. Now on a Word document you have much more space, but it is important to keep in mind your readers will grow bored if what you write isn't important, especially if you think so as well.

Ask yourself this: Do you enjoy lengthy descriptions of objects? If so, then write what you like. If not, then keep in mind what descriptions are important to the story.

Notes: One way to trim words is to use words that carry deep meaning. Many of us use a dictionary and/or a thesaurus whether it is through a document program, a published book, or online sources. Using new words don't need to be big and elegant. They just need to be used properly and replace what many words convey.

Example: Very big can be replaced with large, ample, or massive.

Chao-  If you look at your own work or a work you really like, keep an eye how a small portion is written. What has and has not been working for you? These are important questions as they will have you analyze your work and find new ways to express your story.