Writer’s Workshop #3: Cut It Out!
By Hillary Wentworth, Writing Consultant
I admit it. I’m one of those people who delays cleaning just
to see the great pile of dust I can sweep up with my broom. I also compile long
to-do lists just to strike things off. It’s that satisfying swipe of getting
things done. Are you with me?
I approach my own writing with the same philosophy: write it
all out in glorious, long sentences, and then rip it to shreds. Some of us
write with such delicacy and heart that we become too close to the material. We
write a paragraph and it becomes our baby, our friend; we cannot see it any
other way. My suggestion, though, is to view the paper analytically, like a scientist.
In fact, pretend it’s someone else’s writing entirely.
To achieve this sense of detachment you might need to write
a paper and then forget about it for a day or two. Then, when you have your
scientist cap on, sit down at your desk and read. If you have access to a
printer, flip through the physical pages and grab a pen to cross out words. If
you don’t own a printer, read on the computer with the Track Changes button
engaged. When you delete a word, a strikethrough line will appear. See how many
extra words you can remove.
- The phrase Due to the fact that
- Simply because can suffice in this situation.
- The sentence structure There are / There is
- I originally had this phrase in the above paragraph: There are so many words we use in everyday life. Then I streamlined it to simply We use so many… See how it’s better now?
- Repetitive ideas, information, wording
- Example: At J. Ackerman Elementary School in Kansas, fifth-grade students must complete two final reading assessments to pass the fifth grade.
- Synonyms
- Example: People’s personality traits and characteristics contribute to their ability to perform research.
You might find that whole sentences will say
basically the same thing. Go ahead, then, cross out that second sentence. It
doesn’t have to be emotional.
And now: A Cutthroat Challenge!
Read through the following paragraph and see how many words
you can cut while retaining the author’s ideas. Then give the new word count in a comment so we can challenge each other. Good luck!
- Mooney (2009) defined emotional intelligence as the ability to understand the emotions of self and others and use that understanding to inspire others towards successful thinking and behavior. Traditional educators, theorists, and researchers have shied away from the thought of emotions due to the fact that emotions have long been associated with weakness and subjectivity towards research. However, Simpson and Vasquez (2010) stated that emotional intelligence helps to enhance cognitive intelligence by helping with reasoning. While many scholars believe that emotions are chaotic, frenzied, and irrational, emotions serve as important signals to the brain. There are many signals that emotions are linked with: stress, depression, and tiredness.
- Original word count: 107
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Hillary, this is a great strategy and I used it often. In my case ideas and inspiration to write does not come easy. I just start to write about a topic, like you said in long sentences without checking grammar or in a logic way. For me is more easy this way. Few hours later the review process feels more refresh because I'm not starting from scratch and ideas flow better.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree, Hector! I think it's important to get the words out first and sort of brainstorm as you go. Then you're not still left with a blank screen after 2 hours. I'm glad this process works for you!
ReplyDeleteI agree as well but have a faculty chair who wants copy paste and paraphrase of authors ideas in lieu of my own words. How do I write, write, write and revise when it's not even my words or ideas??? I am stuck, burned out and confused with my proposal and my lut review 😫
ReplyDeleteResearch-based writing can involve a lot of paraphrasing authors' ideas, however a paraphrase is not a "copy and paste." It is your own sentences and phrasing. For that reason, you should be able to clean up the prose in some of the ways Hilary suggests above. If are struggling with paraphrasing itself, start here: https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/evidence/paraphrase As you are working on a proposal and literature review, I suggest you also check in with the editors here: https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/formandstyle/intro for tips specific to those documents.
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