A quick way to polish your writing is to cut the riffraff. In short, good writing is concise. Inspecting your writing with a critical eye for unnecessary verbiage is the only way to eliminate riffraff. Check out the common riffraff below and cut it from your writing.
• Slim down your sentences. If you can replace a phrase with a word, do it.
Riffraff: People who are experienced swimmers know better than to swim alone.
Concise: Experienced swimmers know better than to swim alone.
• Trim meaningless phrases.
Riffraff: At that time…For all intents and purposes…For the most part
Concise: Simply leave the chatter phrases out
• Repetitive terms. Repetition is insulting to readers. They’re smart enough to get it the first time.
Riffraff: He was short in stature and obese in size.
Concise: He was short and obese.
• Unnecessary pronouns. Forms of which is and who is are rarely needed in sentences.
Riffraff: John, who is her son, climbed Mission Peak, which is considered to be the highest peak in Fremont.
Concise: John, her son, climbed Mission Peak, considered the highest peak in Fremont.
• There is and there are. These two phrases are ineffective at the beginning of sentences.
Riffraff: There is a serious issue with which she must deal before she leaves.
Concise: She must deal with a serious issue before she leaves.
Riffraff adds nothing but useless words to your writing. Polish your writing by cutting it out.
Global Mysteries 
Great examples, NC. It’s a bit like packing for a trip . . . put out what you want to take, then cut it the pile in half.
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By: nrhatch on November 5, 2011
at 1:50 pm
Good analogy. And don’t we always pack too much?
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By: Nancy Curteman on November 6, 2011
at 8:16 pm
Good stuff, Nancy. Hard to so, sometimes, however.
Then comes the actual dialogue of your characters,, some of them may speak in ways you would not… eh?
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By: Richard W Scott on November 5, 2011
at 5:55 pm
Good point. The tips may not apply to all characters’ dialogue. Some are supposed to chatter away.
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By: Nancy Curteman on November 6, 2011
at 8:18 pm
More good tips. I especially need this list. Thanks.
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By: deepercolors on November 5, 2011
at 6:13 pm
What are you writing? Is it a mystery or literary?
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By: Nancy Curteman on November 6, 2011
at 8:19 pm
Thanks Nancy for your precise words. They are greatly appreciated.
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By: Larry on November 6, 2011
at 8:49 am
Thank you.
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By: Nancy Curteman on November 6, 2011
at 8:19 pm
Very good, and how true that we over-write sentences sometimes…
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By: Alannah Murphy on November 6, 2011
at 10:02 am
I guess that’s what rewriting is all about.
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By: Nancy Curteman on November 6, 2011
at 8:37 pm