Your "New" New Year’s Resolution: Write Less
And edit more
I bet you were going to make a New Year’s resolution to put more words on the page in 2026. It’s the same promise many writers make to themselves every year. But what if the real path to better writing is to write less? Here’s why writing fewer words, focusing on clarity, and editing more is a better resolution than just “writing more.”
In fiction, clarity builds immersion
Clarity is the difference between a book that moves quickly and a book you stumble through. Cluttered writing slows the pace and pulls readers out of the story. Sociologist and writer Amy Guptill emphasizes that clarity and concision prevent “bloated prose” from breaking the immersion. A single sharp verb can carry more weight than a paragraph of description. Instead of “She was very, very tired after walking for a long time,” write “She staggered.” The leaner sentence keeps readers inside the moment and heightens tension.
Precision strengthens authority in nonfiction
Successful nonfiction writing is precise and authoritative. When arguments are needlessly padded, credibility suffers. Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab stresses that concise writing uses “the most effective words” and eliminates weak or redundant phrasing. In memoirs or biographies, trim “throat-clearing” introductions and begin with vivid detail to demonstrate your knowledge and build trust with readers.
Economy creates poetic power
Poetry thrives on economy. Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences highlights Giuseppe Ungaretti’s two-line poem Mattina as evidence that sometimes “more words would only be subtraction by addition.” Carl Sandburg’s poem Fog demonstrates that a handful of words can evoke powerful images. Revision in poetry often means stripping away text, “killing your darlings,” until all that’s left is essential image and rhythm.
In all genres, omit needless words
Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style captures this best: “Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words…” Whether you’re editing a chapter in a novel or a sonnet, ask if each word carries its weight. If not, cut it.
Do you have any other writing resolutions you’d like tomake for 2026? Let us know in the comments!
Sources:
The Art of Grammar – The Power of Concise Writing
Proofed – The Benefits of Writing Concisely
Montana State University Writing Center – Concision
Harvard GSAS – A Practical Lesson in Concision
Amy Guptill – Clarity and Concision (accessed through https://open.oregonstate.education)
Strunk & White – The Elements of Style.