A little phrase that can cripple a piece of writing

I have been reading Stephen King on Writing. This fascinating book has brought attention to my overuse of certain phrases.  Mr. King suggested the use of William Strunk Jr's and E.B.White’s The Elements of Style. I owned a copy when I attended college twenty-seven years ago, but I gave it away thinking it would be superfluous after graduation.

Yesterday, traveling through Georgetown, Colorado, my kids and I stumbled upon a book sale at the Georgetown Library.  Being huge book fanatics, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to browse. My plan was to simply browse and resist the urge to buy. We left the library an hour later with a new collection of 40 used books.  Depositing our treasure in the car, we continued on our way to Denver. It was a long 13 hours before we were back home and able to browse through our collective trove. My prize, of the 13 books I purchased, was a third edition The Elements of Style. I devoured the 85 pages in two hours.  I read and reread sections.  I took mental notes.  I revised my manuscript, Lost Among the Trees. What I discovered was a dreadful overuse of the term “a little”. 

“Slow down a little!”

“…that made navigating a little easier.”

“I had a little more breathing room.”

“…closed in a little tighter.”

“Uneven steps made climbing a little more difficult.”

“This dream was a little different from her usual…”

To be more concise I revised each sentence.

“Slow down!”

“…that made navigating easier.”

“…closed in tighter.”

“Uneven steps made climbing more difficult.”

“This dream was different from her usual…”

The revisions are more concise and direct. I am far from completing the revision process. I am even further from completing the manuscript, but I'm loving the process.

I love the progress I am making in my writing. Thank you, Mr. King, William Strunk Jr., and E.B. White. A refresher in elements of style will continue to strengthen my writing.