Revision & Editing Vocabulary

be willing to cut even your favorite passages if they don't serve the work

“That beautiful sentence? If it doesn't fit, delete it.”

Origin: Attributed to Faulkner, Quiller-Couch, and others

convey through concrete detail rather than abstract statement

“Not 'she was sad' but 'her hands trembled as she set down the photograph.'”

Origin: Classic writing workshop advice

testing prose by speaking it to catch awkward rhythms

“If you stumble reading it aloud, readers will stumble reading silently.”

Origin: From the practice of oral testing

remove unnecessary words while preserving meaning

“First draft: 100 words. Tightened: 60 words. Same meaning, more power.”

Origin: From physically tightening, making compact

add detail, examples, or explanation where needed

“This point needs expansion—show me what you mean.”

Origin: Latin `expandere` (to spread out)

remove words, sentences, or sections that don't contribute

“When in doubt, cut it out.”

Origin: Old English `cyttan` (to make an incision)

editing at the sentence level for clarity and style

“Examining each sentence for wordiness, ambiguity, awkwardness.”

Origin: From editing line by line

editing for structure, argument, and overall organization

“Does the piece make sense as a whole? Are sections in the right order?”

Origin: From developing the overall structure