Writers and butchers have something in common – the ability to recognize what's juicy red meat and what's greasy, gristly fat. Wise writers always scrutinize what they've put on the page, and they do so with a sharp cleaver in hand and a willingness to trim the fat.
When you spot words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs that clutter, that could leave the reader chewing and chewing but not swallowing, mercilessly hack this rubbery excess away. That means ridding your writing of meaningless intensifiers like "very" and "really," as in, "The Sprockets B-12 widget-maker is a very effective machine. Your production staff will really like it."
Use your butcher's eye to slice away clichés, too. And watch for bloated sentences like, "With an eye toward boosting our exposure, at least initially, the timing of our outreach to the public, which should be led with a news release and ad campaign initialization, is essential, particularly as it relates to the introduction of the new product line." Instead, try the meatier, "Let's make sure our publicity and ad campaigns are prepared before the new product line is ready to launch."
Make every word count. Don't let your message get lost amid the tasteless word-fat and gristle. Think lean.
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