One reason that many beginning writers think they need to be so longwinded is because they were taught to do so. How many papers were we assigned in school with a minimum page or word count required? Almost all. And because we were graded not only on content but length, we learned to pad our sentences with fluff. It seems somehow counterintuitive now to omit those extraneous words. If it was good enough for our high school English teachers and college professors, shouldn’t it be good enough for publication? Unfortunately not. 

 

So, take a look at your sentences and trim the fat, so to speak. If the reader doesn’t need a word in order to understand then don’t use it. It will be difficult at first, but it will get easier the more you work at it, and will certainly make your writing more effectual. 

 

However, there is one caveat I would like to make in regards to this rule. Never, ever cut to the detriment of your voice. Some author’s voices are wordier than others—we can’t all write like Ernest Hemmingway, after all—so don’t assume your writing must fit a certain template. Keep an eye out for unnecessary adverbs and adjectives and needless prepositional phrases, but don’t make the mistake of thinking your sentences must be sparse. Always work to tighten your writing, but remember to keep that cadence and style that is unique to you. More than anything, agents and editors are looking for distinctive voices. If you squelch what makes your voice special in an effort to simplify your writing, you risk losing your audience entirely.