5 simple ways to tighten your writing

Needless phrases and filler words muck up your message. Hone your verbal scalpel, and excise the excess.

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Writing is hard.

You have to make your point succinctly and persuasively, while following a bunch of rules and journalistic standards. Writing is part of a communications professional’s livelihood, and whether it’s a press release, blog post, or LinkedIn update, strong writing can set you—or your clients—apart.

As with any skill, there are lots of little things that can make the difference. Adding certain phrases, eliminating others, and adjusting sentence structures here and there can add up to significant improvements in your writing.

Luckily for me, a former AP reporter and a former Boston Globe editor sit within 20 feet of my desk, so I’ve picked up scraps of wisdom from them and our other talented writers and applied them to my writing. This isn’t a flashback to high school English class; it’s more about refining little things that add up.

Here are examples to help tighten your writing:

1. Remove “that is,” “that are,” “which is” and “which are.”

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