2025: When Less is More: The Art of Cutting in Writing
This post is a little different. I’m showing you my process — the raw, messy “before” draft and the tighter “after” version. Cutting is painful, but it’s how writing gets stronger.
✂️ The Final Version
Every writer has a secret weapon.
Mine isn’t a fancy pen or endless imagination — it’s the ability to cut.
Cutting words is as essential to my craft as choosing the right ones in the first place. In fact, I’d argue it’s even more critical. Anyone can pour words onto a page. The artistry lies in sculpting those words into a cohesive, compelling story.
Why Cutting Hurts
The hardest thing for a writer to do is cut.
We pour our hearts into every sentence, so the idea of deleting whole paragraphs or even chapters feels like betrayal. But less really can be more.
When I’m drafting, I let the words flow freely. No censoring, no second-guessing. I write, baby, write.
Then comes the real work — poring over that first draft and ruthlessly trimming the fat.
The Questions I Ask
When editing, I put each line to the test:
- Does this sentence advance the plot?
- Is this word the absolute best choice?
- Am I repeating myself somewhere?
If the answer is “no,” it has to go. No exceptions.
Why Cutting Feels Good
Cutting is painful, but it’s also exhilarating. With each unnecessary word gone, the story becomes sharper, the characters more vibrant, and the stakes higher.
My writing transforms from a meandering stream into a spear — straight, powerful, and impossible to ignore.
Conclusion
Cutting isn’t about destroying. It’s about refining. Each edit takes a good story and makes it great.
- Focus on brevity and clarity.
- Keep only what serves the reader.
- Remove the rest without mercy.
A true word wizard knows this secret weapon: the magic often lies in what’s left unsaid.
🗑️ The Rough Draft (Before)
This is how this post looked before it went live. Yeah, it had to change A LOT!
When to cut, cut, cut…
Cutting words is as essential to a writer as thinking and using the right words.
The hardest thing for a writer to do is to cut words, sentences, paragraphs, or even whole chapters from their stories (novels).
When Less is More: The Art of Cutting in Writing
Introduction:
I’m a word wizard, spinning sentences that captivate readers and transport them to new worlds. But the real magic happens when I wield my sharpest tool – the ability to cut.
Cutting words is as essential to my craft as thinking and using the right words in the first place.
I’d argue it’s even more critical. After all, anyone can vomit words onto a page. The true artistry lies in sculpting those words into a cohesive, compelling story.
The hardest thing for a writer to do is to cut.
We pour our hearts and souls into every word, so the idea of deleting entire sentences, paragraphs, or even chapters feels like betrayal. It’s like killing our firstborn child. Luckily, I never had kids, so I find it relatively easy. *evil grin*
But I’ve learned that sometimes, less really is more.
When I’m drafting, I let the words flow freely. I don’t censor myself or overthink things.
I write, baby, write.
But then comes the real work – poring over that initial draft, ruthlessly trimming the fat.
I ask myself tough questions:
- Does this sentence advance the plot?
- Is this word the absolute best choice?
- Am I repeating myself somewhere?
- If the answer is no, it has to go. No exceptions.
Cutting is painful, but it’s also exhilarating.
With each unnecessary word I eliminate, the story becomes tighter, the characters more vibrant, and the stakes higher.
My writing transforms from a meandering stream to a razor-sharp spear, piercing the reader’s heart and mind.
So the next time you agonize over which darlings to kill, remember – you’re not destroying, you’re refining. You’re taking a good story and making it great.
After all, a true word wizard knows that magic lies in what’s left unsaid.
Conclusion:
Conclusion on cutting words in short:
– Focus on brevity and clarity.
– Emphasize essential information.
– Remove redundant or unnecessary terms.
– Enhance overall communication effectiveness.
