And Is Your Enemy

Yes, you read that right: "And" is your enemy.

So too are "or", "but", and all those commaed lists half a mile in length. Anything that slows the pace of your story, get it out of there.

(Note that I myself just used an "and". Also commas. Insidious little devils, aren't they?)

As with all rules, this one needs to be kept in the proper perspective to be useful. The first thing about it is, it's an axiom for editing, not writing. Your first draft can, even should, be chock full of conjunctions, lists, and all those unpleasant constructions that slow down your story. That's where you create, after all; don't restrict yourself there. It's the appropriate place for when you can't decide which word to use, whether to add a lovely metaphor, or how much information the reader wants.

First drafts can — should — be info dumps. You'll be going back later to make the hard calls, to cut out the two words that didn't quite work and substitute a third that's perfect. Because of course you'd never submit a first draft, right? ...Right?

Once you've finished your initial edit, that's when you apply the rule. Go through your document line by line in search of extraneous "and"s. "Dave combed his hair and beard" -- sure he did. He probably also scratched his left nostril, but we don't really care, do we?

You see, the "and" slows us down. It interrupts what should be a fast, painless injection of information. Use it when absolutely essential, and nowhere else.

Example: Cut it out of that last sentence. "Use it when absolutely essential. Nowhere else." Hits just that little bit harder, doesn't it?

The shorter your piece, the harder you need to lean on this rule. For flash fiction, you've got a thousand words. Use them well.

One final note — When to break the rules: When you've mastered them, not before.

Happy self-editing, friends!