Writing Less, Saying More

’If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.’

I’ve noticed this (alleged) Mark Twain aphorism on LinkedIn a lot lately. So often, in fact, that it got to the point where I needed to write about it.

Because while many writers know the truth of this phrase, practicing it is hard…

So, as writing is sometimes The Thing We All Want To Run Away From, I decided to google it to verify the source. Classic procrastinator move.

It isn’t Mark Twain, apparently – he wrote something similar, just less elegantly. Nor is it the dozen or so other luminaries whose names popped up in the search.

It is, in fact, Blaise Pascal, French mathematician and philosopher, who wrote a letter in 1657. Now I’m feeling vindicated in my procrastination.

The translation from the original is:

‘I have made this [letter] longer than usual because I have not had time to make it shorter.’

The struggle is real. Further back in time, various writers have expressed a similar sentiment. This is not a new problem.

So why is economy the Holy Grail of writing anyway?

Because nobody wants to read a slow, rambling passage when they could read a tight, well-paced one.?Nobody wants to get lost or confused when they could be enlightened instead.

When our writing isn’t edited, when flabby phrasing isn’t excised, when those darlings go unmurdered, readers are unhappy. Unhappy readers stop reading.

Look at the evidence: we humans love pithy one-liners. We seek out friends who regale us with punchy stories. Comedy clubs were born to serve this very purpose.

This doesn’t mean that you’re only supposed to write 2.5 sentences. It means that every sentence should serve its purpose – or go.

If we can’t beat ’em, let’s join ’em.

The flimsy takeaway: sharpen up your Scissors Skill.

• Cut what you’re writing in half – experiment at first. Save the original text under a new name. Now there’s nothing to lose. Look for sentences or phrases which repeat what you’ve already said. Choose the stronger phrasing. Delete the weaker. Continue until half of the text is gone.
• Go away and do something else.
• Come back and reread: has it improved? If not, why not? If yes, why? Be curious about what’s happening to your text. There is no set shape for your words. They will tell you the shape they want to be, if you let them.

How are you at doing this with your own work?

If you find it too painful / confusing / challenging, could you start with someone else’s writing? Sometimes having a bit of emotional distance helps with practicing the Scissors Skill.

Good luck. You’re in great company.

This article first appeared on www.proofingbypage.com on 31 July 2024

#AmEditing #AmWriting #WritingTips #WritingCommunity #non-fiction #ProofingByPage