My beta reader, RG, caught me using the verb "blurt out," when only blurt was needed. To confirm he was right, I looked up the definition of "blurt." Here's what I found: "say (something) suddenly and without careful consideration." "Out" wasn't needed at all to get across the meaning I intended.
In a local newspaper, I found the following: "Work is underway on fixing up the former Sleep Shop building…." "On" and "up" aren't needed. Doesn't "Work is underway fixing the former Sleep Shop building" sound better, more concise, clearer?
In a memoir I finished reading yesterday, I found this: "I shivered and wrapped myself up in the towel and made my way back to my room." See the opportunities for improvement? Again, "up" isn't needed, along with the first "and." With a little more revision, here's what this sentence could look like: "I shivered, wrapped myself in the towel, and returned to my room."
I realize I'm being picking, but, according to all the writing manuals, writing shouldn't contain even one more word than is necessary. Our responsibility, then, is to ensure our writing is lean, while still keeping our meaning clear. In most cases, eliminating unnecessary words has that exact result.
Something to think about when revising.
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