Now that's quite drastic, and it loses something (it doesn't sound like me for starts!). But try cutting back to the bone, then you can add back for voice/style/telling details.Well,practicewould be the best way
Take a piece of yours(say a few paras)and see what words could you cutand it still makes sense and (depending on what sort of section it is) you still get a sense of place/character.
Set yourself a writing assignment -- something inconsequential, like a paragraph describing everything on your desk, what you can see out your window, or why you love your favorite writer -- and give yourself a limit on sentence word lengths.
I think it takes *more* courage to write *fewer* words.
I found this, from Faulkner -- is it the quote you meant? Gorgeous, either way, though in fact I think I like your version better!
“I'm a failed poet. Maybe every novelist wants to write poetry first, finds he can't and then tries the short story which is the most demanding form after poetry. And failing at that, only then does he take up novel writing.”
On top of what's already been suggested, try this: every time you use two adverbs together, flip through a thesaurus and see if you can find one word that combines them or comes close.
Read some good style books, like "Elements of style", "Keys to Great Writing", "On Writing Well", "The Book on Writing", etc. Any one of these can teach you how to write tight and clear prose (and they are tight and clearly written themselves and actually a lot of fun to read). Some of them have included exercises.
Apply the principles to your WIP: cut the adverbs, use precise active verbs, make cleaner sentences by cutting unnecessary words, etc. You'll be amazed how quickly your writing improves.
Good luck.
Please, no.
Please, don't do that. Use the right word.
I'd say that if there's always a single right word when you're a developing writer, you're either the biggest prodigy ever or writing something you aren't enjoying.
Now there's an example of the right word!Actually I'm pretty confuzzled.
Also, it's always a good idea to read what you want to write. Most of us do that so far as genre is concerned; but style is important, too. Hemingway, Steinbeck, and Hammett are incredibly terse -- read writers like them and see how they manage to convey information in such a tight fashion. Read the first chapter of Pride and Prejudice and count how many characters she manages to introduce in just a few pages without overwhelming the reader.
If you're into how-to books, Sol Stein's Solutions For Writers (a.k.a. Stein on Writing) has a chapter titled Liposuctioning Flab that provides pretty good advice for writing tighter prose. It's a good resource for a whole bunch of other reasons, too, so it probably wouldn't be a waste of your money.Is something I struggle with. How can I get better at it? Are there exercises I could do?
Is something I struggle with. How can I get better at it? Are there exercises I could do?