An ebook that shows people how to tighten up their writing.

1. How to
Kill
A Word
by Patrick E. McLean
g o o d w o r d s r i g h t o r d e r. c o m

2. How to
Kill
A Word
by Patrick E. McLean
g o o d w o r d s r i g h t o r d e r. c o m

3. How to
Kill
A Word
by Patrick E. McLean
g o o d w o r d s r i g h t o r d e r. c o m

4. Ernest Hemingway, editing in Cuba circa 1940.

5. “ The first draft
of anything
”
is shit.
Ernest Hemingway

6. “If you catch
an adjective,
kill it.”
Mark Twain

7. “If you catch
an adjective,
kill it.”
“ Revising down to the
bare essentials is
Mark Twain
always a little like
murdering children,
but it must be done.”
Stephen King

8. Why do all these writers
hate words so much?

9. The businessadjective, kill it.”
of writing,
“If you catch an
rightly understood, is largely
a matter of killing words.

10. The businessadjective, kill it.”
of writing,
“If you catch an
rightly understood, is largely
a matter of killing words.

11. The businessadjective, kill it.”
of writing,
“If you catch an
rightly understood, is largely
a matter of killing words.

12. It’s a sad fact of modern
existence that nobody has
enough attention. In fact, it.”
“If you catch an adjective, kill
some thought leaders are
referring to this as the age of
distraction.

13. It’s a sad fact of modern
existence that nobody has
enough attention. In fact, it.”
“If you catch an adjective, kill
some thought leaders are
referring to this as the age of
distraction.

14. It’s a sad fact of modern
existence that nobody has
enough attention. In fact, it.”
“If you catch an adjective, kill
some thought leaders are
referring to this as the age of
distraction.

15. Each additional word you use demands
more of a reader’s attention. While
transitionscatch an adjective, kill it.”nice,
“If you and style tricks are often
they involve a ruthless and unforgiving
trade-off. Beyond a point, additional words
make it harder to get to your point.
Assuming you have one to begin with.

16. Each additional word you use demands
more of a reader’s attention. While
transitionscatch an adjective, kill it.”nice,
“If you and style tricks are often
they involve a ruthless and unforgiving
trade-off. Beyond a point, additional words
make it harder to get to your point.
Assuming you have one to begin with.

17. Each additional word you use demands
more of a reader’s attention. While
transitionscatch an adjective, kill it.”nice,
“If you and style tricks are often
they involve a ruthless and unforgiving
trade-off. Beyond a point, additional words
make it harder to get to your point.
Assuming you have one to begin with.

18. Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins
I ask them to take a poem I want them to waterski
and hold it up to the light across the surface of a poem
like a color slide waving at the author's name on the
shore.
or press an ear against its hive.
But all they want to do
I say drop a mouse into a poem
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and watch him probe his way out,
and torture a confession out of it.
or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch. They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.

19. If you are writing
anything other than
poetry...

20. Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins
I ask them to take a poem I want them to waterski
and hold it up to the light across the surface of a poem
like a color slide waving at the author's name on the
shore.
or press an ear against its hive.
But all they want to do
I say drop a mouse into a poem
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and watch him probe his way out,
and torture a confession out of it.
or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch. They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.

21. I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the
shore.
But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.
They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.

22. When you edit, you want
to interrogate each word.

23. When you edit, you want
to interrogate each word.

24. When you edit, you want
to interrogate each word.

25. If you find one that is
unclear, mumbles, or
otherwise doesn’t have
its story straight...

26. If you find one that is
unclear, mumbles, or
otherwise doesn’t have
its story straight...

27. If you find one that is
unclear,

28. Delete it with extreme prejudice.

29. Delete it with extreme prejudice.

30. Delete it without further ado.

31. Delete it without further ado.

32. Kill it.

33. Like this:

34. However, some chairs are more
comfortable than others. In fact,
some chairs are downright
uncomfortable. Some have itchy
fabrics, uncomfortable seat
bottoms, and awkward side arms.
ey can be excessively big or
obnoxiously small.

35. However, some chairs are more
comfortable than others. In fact,
some chairs are downright
uncomfortable. Some have itchy
fabrics, uncomfortable seat
bottoms, and awkward side arms.
ey can be excessively big or
obnoxiously small.

36. However, some chairs are more
comfortable than others. In fact,
some chairs are downright
uncomfortable. Some have itchy
fabrics, uncomfortable seat
bottoms, and awkward side arms.
ey can be excessively big or
obnoxiously small.

37. Some chairs are downright
uncomfortable. ey can have itchy
fabric, uncomfortable seat bottoms
or awkward side arms. ey can be
too big or too small.

38. That’s still not great
prose. But it’s stronger,
faster, better.

39. That’s still not great
prose. But it’s stronger,
faster, better.

40. That’s still not great
prose. But it’s stronger,
faster, better.

41. ere is much conversation in dog
circles about why the American Pit Bull
Terrier is only recognized by the United
Kennel Club and not the AKC and why
some dogs are dual registered in both
kennel clubs.

42. ere is much conversation in dog
circles about why the American Pit Bull
Terrier is only recognized by the United
Kennel Club and not the AKC and why
some dogs are dual registered in both
kennel clubs.

43. ere is much conversation in dog
circles about why the American Pit Bull
Terrier is only recognized by the United
Kennel Club and not the AKC and why
some dogs are dual registered in both
kennel clubs.

44. Why is the American Pit Bull Terrier
recognized by the United Kennel Club
but not the American Kennel Club?

45. Any other questions or
nuances of breed
classification go in
additional sentences.
This question seems to
be a better way to begin
the paragraph.

46. Any other questions or
nuances of breed
classification go in
additional sentences.
This question seems to
be a better way to begin
the paragraph.

47. Any other questions or
nuances of breed
classification go in
additional sentences.
This question seems to
be a better way to begin
the paragraph.

48. Any other questions or
nuances of breed
classification go in
additional sentences.
This question is seems to
be a better way to begin
the paragraph.

49. When looking at your model week and
your sales process, you have to ask
yourself how that activity is going to
contribute to bringing you closer to
your goals. A good sales manager would
keep you from rationalizing. ey would
keep you honest and prevent you from
putting more emphasis on activities that
you like over activities that actually
generate the right outcomes.

50. When looking at your model week and
your sales process, you have to ask
yourself how that activity is going to
contribute to bringing you closer to
your goals. A good sales manager would
keep you from rationalizing. ey would
keep you honest and prevent you from
putting more emphasis on activities that
you like over activities that actually
generate the right outcomes.

51. When looking at your model week and
your sales process, you have to ask
yourself how that activity is going to
contribute to bringing you closer to
your goals. A good sales manager would
keep you from rationalizing. ey would
keep you honest and prevent you from
putting more emphasis on activities that
you like over activities that actually
generate the right outcomes.

52. Still too damn long.

53. Still too damn long.

54. Still too damn long.

55. Still too damn long.

56. Still too damn long.
Still too (I’ll keep working.) long.

57. When looking at your model week and
your sales process, you have to ask
yourself how that activity is going to
contribute to bringing you closer to
your goals. A good sales manager would
keep you from rationalizing. ey would
keep you honest and prevent you from
putting more emphasis on activities that
you like over activities that actually
generate the right outcomes.

58. When looking at your model week and
your sales process, you have to ask
yourself how each activity will
contribute to move you closer to your
goals. A good sales manager would keep
you from rationalizing. ey would keep
you honest and prevent you from
wasting time on activities that won’t get
you where you need to go.

59. When looking at your model week, ask
how each activity will move you closer
to your goals. A good sales manager
would prevent you from wasting time on
activities that won’t get you where you
need to go.

60. And there’s still more
that could be done.

61. And there’s still more
that could be done.

62. And there’s still more
that could be done.

63. It’s not always so
“If you catch an adjective, kill it.”
complicated.

64. You can instantly and dramatically
improve your blog writing skills and
immediately explode your profits and
skyrocket your online success by
following the spectacular, simple, and
practical tips found in this
groundbreaking new free blog post.

65. You can instantly and dramatically
improve your blog writing skills and
immediately explode your profits and
skyrocket your online success by
following the spectacular, simple, and
practical tips found in this
groundbreaking new free blog post.

66. Sometimes you get to
“If you catch an adjective, kill it.”
kill all the words.

67. “If you catch an adjective, kill it.”
:-)

68. How to Start the Slaughter
1. Read it catch an adjective, kill it.”
“If you out loud.
2. Cross out all the adjectives and adverbs.
3. Read it out loud again.
4. Rewrite so it makes sense.

69. “I am more suspicious
of adjectives than at
any other time in all
my born days.”
Carl Sandburg, aged 81

70. Omit Needless Words
Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no
unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences,
for the same reason that a drawing should have no
unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.
is requires not that the writer make all his sentences
short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only
in outline, but that every word tell.
William Strunk and E.B. White

71. Omit Needless Words
Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no
unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences,
for the same reason that a drawing should have no
unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.
is requires not that the writer make all his sentences
short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only
in outline, but that every word tell.
William Strunk and E.B. White

72. Omit Needless Words
Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no
unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences,
for the same reason that a drawing should have no
unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.
is requires not that the writer make all his sentences
short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only
in outline, but that every word tell.
William Strunk and E.B. White

73. “ There’s no sentence that’s too
short in the eyes of God.”
William Zinnser

74. “Be precise in use of words,
and expect precision of
others.
Watch for error,
even in Holy Scripture”
Pierre Abelard

75. Please direct all questions, comments, rude
“If you catchaboutadjective, comma, and
remarks, rants an the serial kill it.”
requests for speaking, group classes, individual
coaching or command performances to:
patrick@goodwordsrightorder.com

76. If you liked this e-book –
“If you catch an adjective, with it.”
more importantly, if you agreed kill it –
please share it with everybody you know
and a few people you don’t.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

77. If you liked this e-book
“If you catch an adjective, with it.”
more importantly, if you agreed kill it –
please share it with everybody you know
and a few people you don’t.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

78. If you liked this e-book
“If youimportantly, adjective, kill it.” –
– more catch an if you agreed with it
please share it with everybody you know
and a few people you don’t.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

79. “If you catch an adjective, kill it.”