Concise Writing - How to Write in a Minimalist Style

One of the most common problems that new, and even professional writers, struggle with from time to time is making their writing more concise. It’s easy to get carried away when talking about a subject, which results in articles being a lot more long-winded than they need to be, resulting in a bored reader.

In a world saturated with information, attention is a scarce currency. Your goal is to keep your reader interested by saying what you need to say in as few words as possible. Concise writing isn't about dumbing down your content; it is about respecting your reader's time.

Writing concisely is the sign of a true expert. It has been said that your work is finished not when there is nothing left to add, but when nothing else can be taken away. Today, we’re going to explore everything you need to know to make your writing more precise and straight to the point, allowing you to communicate your message clearly and in an easily digestible format.

10 Principles for Minimalist Writing

1. Stop Using ‘That’ Unnecessarily

   ‘That’ is potentially one of the most common words that new writers tend to use in their content when it is unnecessary to do so. It is often a "filler word" that clutters sentences without adding meaning.

   For example, consider the sentence: "I decided that I would go to the store." Now remove the word: "I decided I would go to the store." The meaning remains exactly the same, but the sentence flows faster.

   When you’re re-reading your content, keep an eye out for this specific word. Test the sentence without it. If the sentence still makes sense and retains its grammatical integrity, delete the word. Over the course of a long document, this small change can significantly improve readability.

2. Minimize Your Conversational Words in Dialogue

   A lot of writers like to show off their command of dialogue by using "conversational tags" or descriptive verbs after inserting quotes. They fear that using the word "said" is repetitive or boring, so they reach for the thesaurus.

   Some of these distracting tags include:

   • Exclaimed

   • Shouted

   • Chuckled

   • Opined

   • Screamed

   Using these tags often distracts the reader from the point you’re trying to make. In professional writing and modern fiction, these are often seen as amateurish because they tell the reader how to feel rather than showing them.

   Stick to using words like ‘said’, ‘asked’ and ‘says’. Your readers are used to seeing these words; they are effectively invisible. They function like punctuation, allowing the reader to focus entirely on the substance of the dialogue rather than the mechanics of the writing.

3. Use Smaller, Easier Language

   To show off your grasp of the English language, it can be tempting to use longer, more complex words to get your point across. This is often a holdover from academic writing, where complexity is sometimes mistaken for intelligence.

   However, in business and general communication, the more complex the language you’re using, the more likely you are to confuse your reader. Furthermore, multi-syllabic words naturally increase the length of your sentences, slowing down the reading pace.

   Always remember, your goal is clear and concise communication. You’re not William Shakespeare, so avoid unnecessarily flowery and poetic prose. Keep it simple and straightforward. Try to use smaller, simpler words where you possibly can. This allows you to share your message with the vast majority of readers, regardless of their reading level or whether English is their first language.

   Some examples of this, and the alternatives, include:

   • Utilization → Use

   • Upon → On

   • Remainder → Rest

   • Notification → Notice

   • Facilitate → Help

4. Write in the Active Voice, Not Passive

   Typically, using the passive voice means you’re going to be adding a lot more words to your sentences. It also makes your writing feel distant, bureaucratic, and weak.

   For example; saying ‘The pizza had been ordered by Tom’ (7 words), could easily be condensed into ‘Tom ordered pizza’ (3 words). The active version is stronger because it puts the "doer" of the action (Tom) right at the start.

   While this may not seem like a lot, throughout an entire piece of content, you can knock off a considerable number of words and make the text punchier. If you're looking for an easy way to convert passive voice to active voice, the Active Passive Voice Converter by Summarizer.org will help you do that. It simplifies the process with just a single click.

5. Condense Your Data

   If you’re talking about data in your content, it’s important to keep it all in one place. There are only so many times you can refer to statistics before the reader glazes over. Repeating data points means you’re only going to add to your total word count without adding value.

   For example, if you’ve included a graph in your article or post, don’t then write a long paragraph mentioning the same statistics over and over again. The reader can already see what you’re talking about. Let the data speak for itself. Use your text to provide insight or context into the data, rather than just describing what is visually obvious.

6. Abbreviate Where Possible

   This is a much easier process than you might think, provided you do it correctly. If you’re using names of people, or mentioning organizations, try to use the abbreviated form, especially if you’re using the same term repeatedly in your content.

   The standard rule is to write the name out in full the first time it appears, followed by the acronym in parentheses. From that point forward, use the acronym.

   For example: "The World Health Organization (WHO) released a report today. The WHO stated that..."

7. Minimize the Use of ‘Hedging’ Words

   Hedging words are added into content to soften the impact of a statement or to avoid committing to a definitive fact. While sometimes necessary for accuracy, in a lot of cases they will edge the reader towards doubting the quality of your work.

   This group of words includes examples like:

   • May

   • Possibly

   • Could

   • Sort of

   • Basically

   • I think

   If you’re not sure about a statement that you’re writing, then you probably shouldn’t use it. If you are sure, state it boldly. Instead of saying "I think this strategy might possibly help you win," say "This strategy will help you win."

8. Avoid Weak Adjectives and Adverbs

   No matter what you’re describing, it can be incredibly tempting to use extra words to add dramatic effect. We often try to prop up weak nouns with adjectives, or weak verbs with adverbs.

   For example, instead of saying "The man ran really quickly," say "The man sprinted."

   "Sprinted" contains the meaning of "ran quickly" within it, rendering the adverb unnecessary. This method decreases your overall word count drastically while making your writing more vivid and engaging. Strong verbs are always more effective than weak verbs supported by adverbs.

9. Cut Redundancies

   Redundancies are phrases where two words are used together that mean the same thing. We often use them out of habit, but in minimalist writing, they are wasted space.

   Common redundancies to watch out for include:

   • "Plan ahead" – All planning is done ahead of time. Just say "Plan."

   • "Added bonus" – A bonus is already something added. Just say "Bonus."

   • "Unexpected surprise" – If a surprise were expected, it wouldn't be a surprise.

   • "Past history" – History is always in the past.

   • "End result" – The result is always at the end.

   Scrubbing these tautologies from your writing makes you sound sharper and more professional.

10. The Art of Self-Editing

    The final, and perhaps most important, step in minimalist writing is editing and proofreading. No one writes concisely in the first draft. The first draft is for getting ideas down; the second draft is for cleaning them up.

    Try the "10% Rule." Once you have finished your draft, challenge yourself to cut the word count by 10% without losing any meaning. This forces you to look at every sentence critically.

    Another powerful technique is reading your work aloud. If you stumble over a sentence, or if you run out of breath, that sentence is likely too long or clunky. If it sounds awkward to your ear, it will read awkwardly to your audience.

Conclusion

You’ve probably become used to aiming for high word counts from going to school: trying to sneak in a few words wherever you can to finally reach that required word count for your English paper. But in the professional world, the reality is different: shorter is nearly always better.

Minimalist writing respects the reader. It delivers value quickly and clearly. By removing the fluff—the hedging, the passive voice, the redundancies—you make your writing more accessible and your point more impactful. Follow the guidelines above, and you will soon make concise writing a natural habit.