Totally NOT the "it" Girl!

As y'all know, I edit on the side between royalty checks. One of my pet peeves is the word "it"—IT drives me crazy! I'll show you what I mean:

Unlike the well-plotted veggie patch, however, this flower garden had no real pathways leading through it, and she was forced to step on many new blooms.

Get rid of the "it" and watch what happens:

Unlike the well-plotted veggie patch, however, no real pathways led through the flower garden and she was forced to step on many new blooms.

Now, get rid of the "padding" words and see what you get:

Unlike the well-plotted veggie patch, no real pathways led through the flower garden and she stepped on many new blooms.

If you love your editor, or want to make an editor very happy, cut the "it" as often as possible. Just restructuring to get the unnecessary "it" weeded out can really tighten your writing in a flash.

Okay, editing rant over—back to work!

Warmly,
Jenny:)