Less Is More

Less is often more in writing. Economy of words can sometimes be a writer's greatest asset. This is particularly so when writing description. It is natural to think that, when describing something, using lots of adjectives and adverbs will make the description better. However, the opposite is true. Description that is overladen with descriptors can be burdensome, clumsy, even confusing to readers. It's simply too much work for readers to plow through and trip over all those fancy, descriptive words. It is much better to describe with as few adjectives and adverbs as possible. This requires choosing descriptors with care, selecting the most precise words that pack the biggest punch. Writing in this way will result in cleaner, leaner descriptive passages that will be easier for readers to read through. It will also result in description that readers will find easier to visualize and relate to. Using sparse description to convey a powerful image is the mark of an effective writer. This is because, when a "less is more" writer describes, readers pay attention. They know that every word counts with this writer and nothing is left in that doesn't contribute in some critical way to the story. So readers hang on every word, as the saying goes. Writing more with less is the hallmark of writing talent and something every writer would do well to strive for.