Why Yoda Was Right

Part 2 of “Words Our Writing Can Do Without”

My business development coach (who is neither green nor hundreds of years old, but is at least as wise as the Star Wars character) likes to say, “There is no try.”

Here’s her rationale: Too many times, when people fall short of achieving their goals, they excuse themselves with the words, “Well, I tried.” Unfortunately, in most cases, that really isn’t good enough.

If I miss deadlines and tell my editors, “Well, I tried to make the deadline, I really did,”… first of all, I’m using a comma splice. (We’ll get to that later.) More importantly, it’s a lame excuse. It may work a few times, but if it becomes a pattern, I’ll be looking for new clients.

Additionally, when we begin an endeavor with the philosophy that we’ll “try” it, we’re setting ourselves up for failure before we begin. If it doesn’t work out, we have that old excuse: “Well, I tried my best.”

How many times have you given someone advice they weren’t sure about, and they eventually relented, telling you, “I’ll try it.” Did you really believe it would work for them?

“Try” to Make Your Writing Tighter

After going through this particular chapter of her coaching, the word “try” makes me cringe. But that’s not the only reason to cut it from your writing. It’s not even a good reason — who cares what I think, after all? Need a real reason to cut the word? Stylistically, the word “try” is as detrimental to tight writing as words like “that,” “so,” “very” and forms of the verb “to be.”

Since “try” rarely stands alone, and is usually accompanied by “and” or “to,” when you cut it you’re getting a two-for-one special toward that ten percent you’re aiming to abolish. That’s why “try” is third on my list of “words our writing can do without.”

“Try” Runs Rampant

Now that I’m attuned to it, I see “try” published in magazines and on blogs everywhere, particularly in service-oriented articles and how-tos. Many writers feel it’s a polite way to make a suggestion to readers. I felt the same way until I started deleting it. My writing began to have more authority.

“To lose weight, try to walk 10,000 steps a day.”

But you know what? Just trying to walk isn’t going to help you melt off those pounds. (How exactly would anyone over the age of 2 “try” to walk, anyway? Move one foot in front of the other and sort of shuffle in one place?) You have to do it. I prefer the tighter:

“To lose weight, walk 10,000 steps a day.”

Not only is it more concise, it’s more authoritative. It’s not a mere suggestion — you’re a professional who knows what you’re talking about and if your readers follow your advice, they will see results. Who would you prefer to listen to? The wishy-washy writer who beseeches you to “try” their suggestions, or the expert who’s giving you answers to make improvements in your life?

You can be authoritative without sounding bossy; it all depends on the tone you choose for the article and the words surrounding your suggestions. Particularly if you’re writing with space constraints, searching for and deleting the word “try” can really help.

I admit, sometimes there’s no way around the word — that’s the case for all the words I’m covering in this series. You have to trust your ear. But next time you’re faced with the task of making your writing more concise, try to cut the word “try” and see if your article doesn’t read better. (I’m kidding of course — just do it!)