Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

I find an old method of editing that I was using without knowing it.

I recently discovered the paramedic method of editing from UCLA professor Richard Lanham. I think I have been using this method for years without knowing it had a formal beginning and technique. I referred to what I was doing as trying to find the real verb in a sentence.

There are many places that describe the paramedic method. The one I like is here from The Center for Arts and Language. Their example shows breaking a bloated sentence into separate lines to highlight the problems. Once seen, it makes sense on how to remove needless words (from Stunk and White) and write intention instead of extra words.

In their example, the following junk becomes the following brief and clear sentence:

The point I wish to make is that perception is the process of extracting information from stimulation emanating from the objects, places, and events in the world around us.

Perception extracts information from objects, places, and events.

In my current day job, I write proposals attempting to win government contracts. Proposals have page limits. Writing something clearly while removing two-thirds of the pages is good. Therefore, I recommend the paramedic method.