Well, you can start by eliminating unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. Also, look for repetitive phrases and cut them out.
To cut words from a novel, first analyze the plot and characters. Remove any descriptions or dialogues that don't contribute to the main story. Be ruthless in getting rid of filler words like 'very' and 'quite'. Another tip is to combine short sentences when possible to make the writing more concise.
The key to cutting words from a novel is to be concise. Focus on the core of the story and eliminate anything that doesn't move it forward. Trim long explanations and simplify complex language. For example, instead of saying 'in a very short period of time', just say 'quickly'.
You could start by eliminating unnecessary descriptions and details that don't contribute much to the plot or character development.
Well, to cut a novel, first, analyze the story structure. Identify any repetitive or overly descriptive parts that don't contribute much to the overall narrative. Also, look for scenes that might slow down the pace without adding much value. Cut them out to make the story more streamlined.
Common words to cut might be overly descriptive adjectives that don't add much to the story, like 'very' or 'extremely'. Also, redundant adverbs. For example, if you say 'He ran quickly' and the context already implies speed, 'quickly' could be cut.
One way is to eliminate unnecessary descriptions and repetitive phrases. Just focus on the key points and actions.
First, read the novel aloud. Words that make you stumble or that seem out of place when spoken are likely candidates for cutting. Second, analyze each sentence for its core meaning. Words that are added just for decoration but don't add to the essential meaning can be removed. For example, if a sentence is 'The beautiful, amazing, wonderful sunset filled the sky', you could cut 'beautiful', 'amazing' and 'wonderful' as the word'sunset' already gives the main idea. Also, look at the overall style of the novel. If it's a minimalist style, then more words may need to be cut compared to a more elaborate, descriptive style.
To identify words to cut from your novel, pay attention to redundancies. If you have two words that mean the same thing, like 'big' and 'large' used close together, one can go. Also, look for words that don't add value to the action or description. For instance, if you say 'She quickly ran' and 'quickly' doesn't really change the impact of 'ran', it could be removed. Additionally, words that are used too frequently can be identified and cut back on.
Words that can be cut from your novel include passive voice constructions when possible. For example, instead of 'The ball was thrown by John', you could say 'John threw the ball'. Another type is excessive prepositional phrases. Instead of 'He walked in the direction of the store', it could be 'He walked toward the store'. And words that state the obvious, like 'he sat down' (sitting usually implies down).
One way to cut word count is to look for repetitive phrases or ideas and consolidate them. Also, be ruthless in trimming overly long dialogues or scenes that don't advance the plot. Sometimes, simpler language can do the trick too.
Some common words to cut in a novel might be overly descriptive adverbs like'very', 'extremely', 'incredibly' as they can often be removed without losing much meaning. For example, instead of 'He was very tired', you could just say 'He was tired'. Also, redundant prepositions can be cut. For instance, 'up' in 'pick up' might not be necessary in some cases.
One way is to read the novel aloud. When you do this, you'll often notice words that seem to trip you up or that don't flow well. These are usually good candidates for cutting. For example, if you find yourself hesitating over a word like 'actually' in a sentence, it might not be needed.