The key to great writing?

Editing.

Here are 7 tips to improve your writing forever:

Language is a free way to be strategic.

The right words can make you warmer, more authoritative, and more effective.

The wrong words can make you seem negative, passive, or confrontational.

These are 7 words to start deleting today:

1. Fine

Saying fine sounds like you’re not fine. When writing, you only have cold hard text--you can’t use facial expressions to show warmth.

You need to amp up the positivity to compensate.

🚫 “I’m fine with that.”

✅ “Great, I’m on board.”

2. However

‘However’ is a melodramatic way to say ‘but.’ It’s too formal and bureaucratic.

🚫 “It should take an hour each day. However, you can do your work on your own schedule.”

✅ “It should take an hour each day. You can do most of your work on your own schedule.”

3. Unfortunately

Don’t make bad news seem heavier than it needs to be.

🚫 “Unfortunately we only offer the event on X dates, but recordings are sent the next day.”

✅ “Absolutely. Events are only scheduled on X dates & recordings are sent the next day.”

4. Double negatives

When you say “not,” your reader has to think of what is--then think of the opposite.

Make it easier for people to understand you: state things in the affirmative as your default.

🚫 “I could not be more proud to...”

✅ “I am incredibly proud to...”

5. Can’t until

Don’t state what you can’t do. State what you CAN do.

🚫 “I can’t meet until 2pm.”

✅ “I can meet at 2pm and anytime after.”

6. Honestly

Let’s assume your default is to tell the truth.

🚫 “To be honest, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

✅ “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

7. Very, truly, and really

These can sound generic. You’ll come across just as sincere (if not more so) without them.

🚫 “I really appreciate you and am truly glad to be part of the team.”

✅ “I appreciate you and am honored to be part of the team.”

“Writing is more like a sculpture where you remove, you eliminate in order to make the work visible.” - Elie Wiesel

Keep an eye out for these words--they’ll subconsciously creep into your writing. Luckily they’re easy to delete & will make your writing stronger right away.

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