How to Avoid Overwriting and Wordiness

Are you prone to overwriting and wordiness? You’re not alone if you often find yourself using elaborate language or writing lengthy sentences to convey a simple message. Lots of new writers find it challenging to write straightforwardly. The good news is that you can take some simple steps to improve your writing and ensure it’s clear and concise.

In this blog post, we’ll explain what overwriting and wordiness are and how to avoid them by:

1. Planning your writing
2. Avoiding overly complex language and jargon
3. Losing excessive adjectives
4. Being wary of similes and metaphors
5. Avoiding repetition
6. Reviewing your work

What Is Overwriting?

Overwriting is when something is written in an excessive or overly ornate way. Overwritten text is more detailed than it needs to be. It often includes an excess of flowery language, literary devices like similes and metaphors, and paragraphs that are difficult to understand without multiple re-readings.

For example, if you were writing a blog post about books, an overwritten sentence might look like this:

While my passion for the written word is unparalleled, my quest for the most exceptional works of literature has led me to venture beyond the boundaries of the known universe, exploring every corner of the multiverse in pursuit of the most mind-boggling and heart-wrenching tales ever conceived by the human mind.

You may be tempted to show off your vocabulary, but don’t fall into the trap of overwriting. Overwriting hinders the clarity of your writing and may cause readers to lose interest or skim through the piece. Furthermore, it can come across as contrived or artificial.

What Is Wordiness?

Wordiness occurs when a sentence includes unnecessary words that could be removed (or replaced with shorter alternatives) without changing the intended message or impacting grammar.

Here is an example of a sentence that may be considered wordy:

In light of the fact that there is a substantial amount of evidence to support the notion that regular exercise is beneficial for overall health and well-being, it would be prudent for individuals to make a concerted effort to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines.

As a writer, you should always aim to create clear and concise content – try to be clear, not clever. You risk losing your audience if a sentence is too long or requires a dictionary to decipher.

Signs of Overwriting and Wordiness

There is often an overlap between overwriting and wordiness. Here are just a few of the telltale signs:

• Your writing lacks clarity and focus. You cover everything you know on a particular subject, but don’t make it clear how the information is relevant to your main point. You often go off on tangents.
• You always surpass word counts. The word count is there for a reason. Routinely long prose can be weary and lose readers’ interest.
• You use overly complex or technical language, when simpler language would be easier to understand.
• You overuse clichés and grease-slide phrases like “but wait… there’s more!”
• You use too many filler words like “basically,” “essentially,” and “at the end of the day.” At the end of the day, these basically add, well, nothing impactful to your writing.
• You include an excessive amount of adjectives and adverbs (otherwise known as purple prose). You use descriptive language to show off, rather than to illustrate your points.
• You underedit your work. If your long first draft gets even longer after editing, you’re going the wrong way!

How to Avoid Overwriting and Wordiness

There are a number of ways to tackle overwriting and wordiness in your writing.

1. Plan your writing

Before you start writing, create an outline for your piece. Decide what your main points will be and come up with a clear structure. If you go into something with a plan, you are less likely to lose focus and go off on tangents.

2. Don’t use overly complex language

You may think it’s impressive to use complex language or jargon in writing, but readers will lose focus or give up when they start to spend more time reading the dictionary than your post. Complex language is appropriate in some contexts – for example medical writing – but in most instances, plain English is the most effective way to communicate your message and ensure you are understood.

3. Lose excessive adjectives

When you use too many over-the-top adjectives and intensifiers like “really,” “very,” “amazing,” or “awesome,” you start to dilute your message. When used sparingly, a carefully chosen adjective can add impact and help you convey a more vivid image. When used excessively, adjectives can become a distraction and confuse the reader. When you include an adjective, try to think about what it is adding to your message. For example, instead of saying “X is really good,” try saying “X is dependable because it offers Y and Z.”

4. Be wary of similes and metaphors

It can be tempting to add similes and metaphors to try and illustrate an anecdote or explain a concept, but they can often lead to more confusion. Considering how subjective they can be, they might end up distracting from the message as people try to decode your message. For example, instead of saying, “Mental health is an intricate spider’s web that can unravel like an old tapestry,” you could simplify it by saying, “Mental health is a complex matter. Our well-being can be impacted by any number of factors…”

5. Avoid repetition

When writing, it’s crucial to avoid repetition. To keep your content engaging, every sentence should offer new information. It’s important to review your work carefully and eliminate possible redundancies; this will ensure your message is clear and concise. Trust that the reader will understand your point without you having to overexplain.

6. Review your work

Always proofread and edit your work. Leave yourself some time to step back from your writing, so you can come back to it with a fresh perspective. With distance, you’ll find it easier to spot errors and issues that need addressing. Plus, as the saying goes, practice makes perfect! The more you work on your writing, the better you’ll get.

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