Dear name,
I am writing to inform you that I’m going to be giving a workshop on…
BLECH!
No, I’m not giving a workshop on blech – that introductory sentence is blech.
Why? The entire first part of it is redundant.
Why not just say I’m giving a workshop and save your readers from tripping over the other 11 words?
The secret to compelling writing isn’t writing – it’s editing.
The next time you write a post, email, or web page, review every sentence and phrase and ask yourself:
- Does my reader need to know this?
- Can I say this in fewer words?
- Could I use a better verb?
Here’s a pro tip:
Search for any verbs ending in ing. If any version of to be, to do, or to have precedes that verb, you can likely tighten things up.
For example:
I am going to be giving becomes I am giving.
I have been sharing becomes I shared.
If you want to be buying becomes If you want to buy.
The magic of masterful writing is in what you put in but what you leave out.