Too Lazy to Write Less?
by Kathy Seaton
Well then you’ve found the right blog entry. Coming from a person that frequently writes a dissertation, this is lesson is for both of us. It’s true that you can write less and say more. William Shakespeare once wrote, “Brevity is the Soul of Wit.”
We have something in common, we want to write less and read less. Hence the popularity of Twitter. There is too much information coming at us. Like endless emails and texts. I couldn’t read all of it if I tried. When I was in high school I couldn’t even get through CliffsNotes™.
So let’s cut to the chase. Here’s a few suggestions to reel in your writing style.
Write a Headline.
Think about a billboard. A terse headline should encompass the concept of your entire piece. This is the one thing that will bring people in. It needs to be bold and provocative. Then pay it off your thought when you write the first sentence of your text.
Don’t Bury The Lead.
If I were you, I wouldn’t have read anything so far. I would have skipped to this headline. So knowing that people skim, write your first paragraph with highlights, something funny or relevant, cite a few facts, and then move on.
Keep the Stakes Low.
You can’t write for everyone. Go ahead and assume that you’re going to offend someone. Don’t feel like you need to include every qualifier known to man in your piece by over-quoting and footnoting. Cutting the qualifiers makes for a more concise message.
Don’t Dumb it Down.
Don’t write for a three year old, but don’t write it for a Ph.D. either. There needs to be a nice balance between the context and content. You don’t need to over-explain concepts or recreate the history of your topic. Pay attention-to-detail, remember that people love stats, but don’t go over the top. Content is king, but it needs to be bundled in a nice, neat package.
Write with Cadence.
My dear friend always tells me that cadence is important in writing. The first time he told me that, I thought, “what the hell is he talking about?” So this is the deal. Cadence are words that have the same first letter in succession within a sentence or a series of sentences. Clear. Consistent. Creative. This creates better sentence structure, syntax, and synergy. Simple.
Keep it Real.
Write like in a conversational tone. Take out all of the unnecessary words. Keep it easy. This will help your readers understand your concept more easily and find the key take-aways.
Come Full Circle.
Your last thought is just as important as your first sentence. Sometimes I find it easier to write the summary first. So take your headline, your brief introduction, and bring it back around. This will help you round out your thoughts and create a well-defined, concise story for your readers.
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