Using Fewer Words, to Make More Impact
Less is better with writing, as with so much else
Brevity is key when it comes to writing. I’ve seen a lot of online writers talking about atomic content and atomic newsletters recently. The terms imply you should keep your written content short and powerful, which is an excellent idea, though not a new one.
The Gettysburg address is 272 words long.
The Lord’s prayer is 66 words long.
Shakespeare’s sonnets are generally a little over 100 words long.
Some of the most impactful sentences you’ll ever say or hear are two words long.
I do.
Don’t go.
It’s over.
I’m leaving.
She’s gone.
I’ve written a whole article about how much of the valuable advice I’ve received in life consisted of exactly four words, and I’m a big fan of the general idea that less is better. Not always, but often.
There are, of course, times when a longer-form article is needed to cover a complex topic, but even then, shortening it before hitting publish rarely hurts.
Read it through. Cut it down. If you’ve used an unnecessary word or sentence, take it out. That’s your mission for today. Pull up a piece of writing you’re working on. Make it shorter.
Some thoughts from others I’ve been enjoying this week
No one knows what works, but doing stuff works by
My First 12 Months on Substack by
Are You A Writer Or A Content Creator? Fast Food or Fine Dining? by
How to Make a Great About Page by
Here Are the Best (and Worst) Places to Post Your Writing, in 2024 by
From $147 to $1.5M Writing Online | Interview with Ayodeji Awosika by
What else I’ve been up to this week
Reading: The Freelance Writer's Guide to Content Marketing by Natasha Khullar Relph (not for the first time - it’s one of the books in my Books For Writers storefront).
Watching: Bridgerton - Season 3. Part 2. All in one sitting. Not even sorry.
Enjoying: A new newsletter about newsletters (I know, it’s a bit of an obsession).
Not enjoying: My stressy, messy, overbooked schedule (working on that).
This week’s Medium post
(Friend link, of course, so you can read for free):
That’s all for this week. If you’re reading this online, feel free to subscribe to get future posts straight to your inbox.
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I WILL
is a very important bullet point in writing and in life !
Nice and short :) I like idea of sharing what's happening during your week