Quick Tip: Chop Off 10% Every Time

Written By Jackie Heinze

Cut it out!

Cut 10% of your story’s total word count. Follow Stephen King’s 10% Rule: 2nd draft = 1st draft - 10%. With a hatchet and a scalpel, go into your work and cut single words, sentences, and even whole paragraphs until you’ve removed 10% of your writing. The result: Your work is more focused and concise. 

Jackie Heinze
Previous

Reading Rec: Broken Country
Next

Quick Tip: Cutting the Smallest Words Makes a Big Impact