8 Tips to Minimize Your Writing
Mustard blooming in a Sonoma Valley vineyard
My husband says I am going through a minimization “phase.” I guess a phase could last two years, but to me, this is more than a phase. I am attempting to categorically change the way I view the material things in my life.
It all clicked for me when I read about a woman whose children were grown, yet she had kept several large totes of their baby clothes in her basement storage room. One day, she met a mother who could not afford clothes for her baby, and she was convicted it was selfish for her to keep her children’s clothes in totes becoming musty, with no real purpose, when they could benefit others instead. She also realized she didn’t need any physical objects to help her remember when her children were small. Her memories were enough. So, she immediately gave away her totes of baby clothes to mothers who could use them.
The story convicted my heart, too. Since then I have given away hundreds of items, including some that were easy to hand over and some that were harder to see go. The clarinet I loved so much I named but last was played decades ago during my sophomore year of high school? Gone. Boxes of fancy Christmas ornaments for a tree I never put up? Gone. The tree, too. Wedding gifts only dusted but never used? Gone. I still have a lot more to sort through, but our house feels more and more clutter free, and it helps me focus on life instead of stuff.
It’s also changed how I think about new items I might purchase. I have made a rule that if I buy a new item of clothing, one of the items I currently own must be donated. If a gadget has only one purpose, I don’t need it. If an object is likely just to collect dust and I don’t absolutely see it as beautiful, I can find better ways to spend my time and money. It’s shifted my mindset, and I have found open space in both my home and my thoughts.
Minimization is a good concept to explore in writing as well. Oftentimes, the most complex ideas are fully capable of being communicated in an understandable, straightforward, and concise way. Here are eight tips to create impactful but simple writing.
Consider a Paragraph Break. Just like where I have found space in my home through minimization, visual space in writing helps us break thoughts into understandable chunks. Paragraph breaks are a chance for readers to pause and let the previous writing soak in.
Eliminate Filler Words. Words like “very,” “actually,” and “really” are usually unnecessary and clumsy words. If you must use them, it might mean you normally don’t tell the truth.
Choose Simple Words. “About” has the same meaning as “approximately. “Use” has the same meaning as “utilize.” You do not sound more intelligent by using longer, more complex words.
Choose Better Words. Before I publish content, I do a find/replace for words like “get,” “thing,” “put,” and “that.” There usually is a better, more precise word that will have a greater impact. Some “thats” are not necessary at all.
Use Declarative Sentences. Simply state the facts. Eliminate unnecessary phrases and clauses. Declarative sentences are powerful, direct ways to convey your point.
Replace “Ing” Verbs. Consider these sentences: “I am trying to tell you how to write better.” vs. “I tell you how to write better.” “I am feeling like I am getting a cold.” vs. “I feel like I have a cold.” “It is helping me to clear my head.” vs. “It helps me clear my head.” A shorter verb phrase is stronger language and reduces the number of words required.
Convince Someone to Be Your Editor. Everyone needs a good editor. Right now, that person for me is my poor husband. It’s always a good idea to have another person read your writing before you release it to the world. He or she will see the typo you have overlooked a hundred times and tell you when a certain idea isn’t quite as clear as you had hoped. If you don’t have an editor, read it outloud to yourself.
Publish Only When You Have Something to Say. This is especially true on social media. Some businesses and people have given themselves quotas for the number of times a day or week they need to post to social media or publish information. All this does is send information out to the world that no one needs. Social media posts that are not engaging and successful also can make subsequent, better posts reach a smaller audience. Writing is something you can work on and edit and improve over time, and spending time writing, even if you never publish it, is never wasted. However, if you are publishing just to meet a quota before your ideas are ready, walk away from the computer. Come back some other day when you are more inspired or have done some much-needed editing.
Bonus Tip: If you still add an extra space after a period, please stop. It hurts the eyes of all of humanity.
Keep in mind: Rules are made to be broken. Even I don’t follow these rules all the time. Sometimes a “really” really needs to be there. But I still do a find/replace on these words to make sure I do want them there before I hit “Publish.”
Minimization isn’t just a phase for me. It has too many benefits to let it phase out. I see it as a long journey, which may never quite reach any destination. The ultimate goal is to downsize our home, which these days is unheard of for two middle-aged people in the midst of their careers. To me, it would be a freeing move, and the work I have done to minimize our possessions will only prepare us for that day. Minimizing my writing is a long journey as well, and my goal is to keep learning. Thanks for being part of it.