Comments on: Keeping It Short

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 17:57:48 +0000

I very seriously need to go out and buy Elements of Style. It’s been on my wishlist for over a year now. Okay okay, I’m cheap.

By: Louisa Nicholson

Louisa Nicholson — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:01:18 +0000

To be honest, I do hate being tied up into conversation at work or through e-mail. It causes me to lose time. Thanks for considering other people!

By: Jermayn Parker

Jermayn Parker — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 01:17:38 +0000

short and to the point, way i like it when reading articles/ blogs

By: deman

deman — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 23:29:01 +0000

Have a look on Oliver Strunk’s “Element of Style”.

He said “Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all sentences short or avoid all detail and treat subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.”

http://www.orwell.ru/library/others/style/e/ein_01.htm

By: Philip Wallage

Philip Wallage — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 22:54:02 +0000

Hahaha awesome really loved to read this short but very true point of notice.
I got some clients that suffer from this problem, but directing them to this
article wouldnt be a ’subtle/smart’ move.

Thanks !

By: Tim Wall

Tim Wall — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:29:48 +0000

Kristen, sorry for the lack of detail in the post, but that was intentional. Luyza, I definitely don’t think FSw is turning into a personal blog, but a little deviation from the norm is healthy, I think.

Since you asked, though, here are a few things I do to keep it short:

1) Remind myself to keep it short.
2) Be ok with not being perfect.
3) Remove unnecessary words, sentences, paragraphs, or in some case, just don’t write anything at all.
4) Summarize, don’t explain. Let people ask if they need more.

By: Carmen

Carmen — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:13:19 +0000

That’s true.
There is a saying in Spain that says:
“Lo bueno, si breve, dos veces bueno” meaning: The good stuff, if short, is good stuff twice (well, more or less, translating sayings is not easy )

By: Luyza

Luyza — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:41:41 +0000

So Freelance Switch is becoming a personal blog instead of resources for freelances? Bummer.

Now on topic, we would all love (I think ) if you shared the rest of the thoughts that are in your mind

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:31:42 +0000

There’s really two sides to this. I side more with the second of the two, but I see where you’re coming from.

Yes - being verbose is going to bore some and intimidate others. Some of the best writing in the world is exactly that–short and effective. Mark Twain was famous for writing his novels “stripped for fight”; all of the action without the endless description.

No - Text has a great advantage over video & audio. Readers can look at an entire post or article at a glance, pick out the valuable bits, skim over it, or devour the whole thing. Format it right, and you’ll have the maximum impact on your readers while being able to suit their appetites perfectly. The readers more-less choose what they want to get out of it if there is more content than the bare minimum.

By: Rob Schultz

Rob Schultz — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:27:32 +0000

I suffer from this as well…just read my latest post on my site. I could write a novel about my experiences.