Removing those Pesky Extra Characters

I spent the last six weeks knee deep in grant deadlines, although sometimes it feels like I spend more time counting and cutting characters than I do actually writing!

I actually love the gamesmanship of trying to take out words or characters to make something fit – when I have time and not fighting a deadline – and have learned a few tricks along the way.

In this order, I will review the text and:

1.     Change passive voice to active. Passive voice uses version of the verb “to be” which not only weakens your writing and message but often takes more characters! Compare for yourself:

This project is going to help people be more self-sufficient: Passive voice: 60 characters

This project teaches people self-sufficiency: Active voice: 44 characters

2.     Get rid of extra spaces after the period at the end of the paragraph. I think the Word gremlins add those in when you cut and paste from Word into the online grant program but those are easy ways to gain a few spaces.

3.     Eliminate redundant words. “In order to” easily becomes “to”; “as soon as” becomes “when.” If you use Microsoft Word, the automatic grammar checker actually does a pretty good job at pointing out places where you can say something more simply or with fewer words.

4.     Take out adverbs and adjectives. Do you need to say “very needy” or will “needy” suffice? (Do you need to say that “the automatic grammar checker actually does a pretty good job” or can you just stay “grammar checker does a good job”!)

5.     Get rid of the oxford comma. I know that English majors and strict grammarians will revolt over this one, but no one will miss the last comma in a series of you really need an extra space or two.

6.     Take out the final period. As a last-ditch effort when I can find nothing else to replace, I will take out the final period of the last paragraph. No one will miss it. They have begun reading the next question or thinking about how they will score your brilliantly written answer. When I find myself truly desperate, sometimes I take out the last period of preceding paragraphs as well, but I think I have only done that once or twice.

While I will use these tricks to eliminate characters, I will never abbreviate which includes (especially) the name of your organization. Abbreviations slow the reader down as they have to translate what you abbreviated in their head. You want them to understand your materials quickly. You also never know if they have a different way that they use the abbreviation you just listed which could confuse them.

And you want to keep your name in front of them, so they remember who wrote the application so never, never abbreviate your name. Sometimes I will shorten it if the community knows you by a shorter name (“Ambrose” rather than “St. Ambrose University”) but again as a last attempt.

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