136  Being Concise

Take-home Message

Concise writing is short and helps focus the meaning of text. Concise writing happens in the editing phase and is primarily concerned with deleting unnecessary words and phrases.

Concise

There are no unnecessary words or phrases obscuring the real content.

Many words and phrases can be deleted without changing the meaning of your text. Unnecessary phrases are often referred to as writing zeros. However, it is more accurate to call them reading zeros. Although they impede reading flow, they can aid writing momentum. If writing these words helps you put pen to paper, then go for it! Just remember to remove them when doing revisions!