The long and short of it
Have you ever noticed how writing long may be easier than writing short? Seems counter-intuitive, I know. You would think that if you had a short amount to write, you could get it done and move on.
Longer pieces often don't need that inner editor fussing about. There is a beginning, middle and end, which is missing from the short articles.
I wrote a short for a magazine and spent a lot of time crafting it--and re-crafting--because I had a word limit. I condensed a 15-page report into a handful of words.
I once tried out for a project to do such mental gymnastics with great literature. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to trim some of the plot twists and turns.
However, I enjoy exercising my brain in such a way. It forces me to think of other word choices. It trims out some of the laziness that I feel creeps into my writing sometimes.
Try dipping into a type of writing you don't normally do: poetry, SEO writing, song lyrics. Flex that part of your mind, even just a bit to keep your ideas fresh.
Your brain will thank you (and maybe a few editors, as well)!
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and a certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach. She writes about motherhood at Coastal Carolina Moms and creativity at TheWriteElizabeth. She's cutting this short. Right. About. Now.
Longer pieces often don't need that inner editor fussing about. There is a beginning, middle and end, which is missing from the short articles.
I wrote a short for a magazine and spent a lot of time crafting it--and re-crafting--because I had a word limit. I condensed a 15-page report into a handful of words.
I once tried out for a project to do such mental gymnastics with great literature. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to trim some of the plot twists and turns.
However, I enjoy exercising my brain in such a way. It forces me to think of other word choices. It trims out some of the laziness that I feel creeps into my writing sometimes.
Try dipping into a type of writing you don't normally do: poetry, SEO writing, song lyrics. Flex that part of your mind, even just a bit to keep your ideas fresh.
Your brain will thank you (and maybe a few editors, as well)!
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and a certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach. She writes about motherhood at Coastal Carolina Moms and creativity at TheWriteElizabeth. She's cutting this short. Right. About. Now.
3 Comments:
Saying more with less is a great writing exercise. I've found in my own editing that removing a phrase, a sentence, absolutely strengthens the message. I guess it goes back to the rule to make every single word count, every word moving the story forward.
I recently started a project in this vein: taking a too-long novel I wrote two years ago and rewriting the chapters as a series of prose poems. I love the effect I achieve by running straight at a telling image and am surprised by what I find myself cutting to get there. Excellent post, Elizabeth--thanks!
Thanks, Joanne and Tamm!
(I tried writing more, but I kept editing myself down to keep things brief...hope you understand!)
Elizabeth
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