Today in the Life Writers Vlog, we look at Bite #165, called “Tighten Up,” from my book, Eating an Elephant: Write Your Life One Bite at a Time.

Extra, unnecessary words can weigh down our sentences, even when we don’t notice they’re there.

We can easily get into the habit of using phrases such as due to the fact that, at the present time, or in the near future. Sometimes, we think those words make our sentences sound more important. They don’t. They only weigh them down.

In this vlog, I give you three questions to ask as you go through your stories, sentence by sentence, making sure every word earns its place.

Do you naturally keep your sentences tight and clean, or do you have a process for eliminating excess words? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

But whether your sentences are loose and saggy or tight and clean, always remember, the only way to do this wrong is to not do it at all!

Until next time, happy writing, everybody.