“Punch Up and Unstuff Your Writing.”
She was very unhappy … vs
She was sad.
She was miserable.
It was a series of totally unfortunate events … vs
It was a series of unfortunate events.
The glass was filled completely with water … vs
The glass was filled to the brim with water.
He just couldn’t do it … vs
He couldn’t do it.
Short is the new black … Less is more … Fewer words often say more and are “chewier” for the reader.
Dump the “fillers” in your writing.


Dr. Judith Briles started writing notes to her classmates in first grade … and got into “disruptive trouble” from her teachers. She’s now the author of 48 books and counting, still being a disrupter. Her books have won over 57 book awards and been Amazon bestsellers. You can follow her professional side at www.TheBookShepherd.com where she works with writers to become published authors. Listen in to her weekly podcast: AuthorU: Your Guide to Book Publishing at https://bit.ly/AuthorUPodcast
©2026 Judith Briles – The Book Shepherd™ All Rights Reserved

