Prim and Trim

So lately I've been using a technique I call 'Prim and Trim' to edit my writing. Its purpose is to greatly enhance how vivid the work is.

How it works:

First, take a section of the book (1-3 chapters in length) and write down the word count.

Go through the section and find any place that is lacking detail. Flesh out the characters, the setting, the actions, and everything else. Make the reader FEEL what is happening. Do additional research on the setting and what is going on, just to make everything more authentic. Escalate tension. Show instead of tell. All that good stuff.

When you're done, look at the word count. Since you've been adding details, it's probably gone up. In my case, I usually end up adding 100-200 words.

Go back through the section and trim those extra words, WITHOUT just reverting back to the way it used to be. Get rid of any excess phrases that don't contribute to the story and to the description of the scene. Standard 'word-count-trimming' techniques. Don't look at how many words you've removed until you've gone through the whole section. If you didn't remove enough words, do it again until you reach (or go below) your previous word count.

In the end, you've enhanced your scenes without increasing the word count. You've removed the unnecessary words while adding more detail. In essence, you've 'concentrated' the vividness of your work. If you add wine to water, you'll get watered-down wine. But if you remove the water afterwards, you'll get something delicious.

This is also a necessary technique if you ever submit entries to sites which require a strict maximum word count. ;)