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I admit, I tend to overwrite. In every form of writing (except syllable-controlled poetry forms). So when I write flash fiction, I need to do a lot of cutting.
Word choice: First, I look for words and phrases that readers might not understand or might throw them out of the story.
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slang
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dialect
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idioms
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difficult-to-read names
Dialogue: Next, I look for wasted words in dialogue. Flash fiction tends to use very little dialogue so I cut a lot here and turn the rest to summaries of conversation.
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unneeded interruptions
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repetition
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dialogue tags
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adjectives and adverbs
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correcting another person
Narrative: Finally, I look at the bulk of the story.
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trivial details
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modifiers
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long sentences
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anything not in POV
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flashbacks and memories
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words that could become contractions
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