Ah... I know that feeling well. Before I published the final version of this piece I took the knife to it and cut around 150 words. Some of them I liked a lot! And, okay, I put a few of them back in. But it's tighter now and it still says what I wanted it to say, so I'll get over having to murder those lovely words. 😘
I struggle with this. It's a lot of work to get something concise, especially when explaining complex scientific issues. I'm getting better at making things tighter, but I also split my articles into 2 or 3 parts. I'm actually doing a series at the moment where my intention is to take a 3 part series and condense it into a single, concise article for a different audience.
I think splitting long, complex articles into a series of two or three or more is the perfect way to go if your format is a blog or a newsletter. You have a built-in captive audience! But doing the reverse--condensing that work into something shorter and more concise--has to be a real challenge. Wow! But it sounds like you know your subject, as well as your audience, so I know you can do it.
Some thoughts about tightening: change every passive phrase to active. You'll shorten the work considerably without losing any of the information. (Take out unnecessary words like 'considerably'.)
Look at every long sentence to see how you can shorten it. (Not 'if' but 'how'.)
If you've gone off on tangents, take them out and save them for another piece. It's all gold.
Short pieces are definitely more my style. I get annoyed with myself if my pieces end up going on and on! The pandemic pieces I did recently ended up being longer than I envisaged and I found it really difficult to cut as I was telling someone else's story - I didn't want to leave out parts they considered integral to the overall story. It's much easier to cut when the writing and the concept is my own! Difficulty I'm having now is what to do with some shorter pieces I'm working on - struggling to think who might want to read this stuff that really I'm writing for myself.
It is harder with someone else's story. You don't want to feel your shortchanging them, but here's the thing: You sound now like you're shortchanging yourself. Your stories are as important or at least as interesting as theirs.
I understand, though. I've been feeling the same myself. I've started a dozen or more drafts that haven't gone anywhere because I'm not happy with either the premise or the writing.
But I'll get there. As I've said, it's all gold, even the things we haven't published yet. It'll come.
Well, now you've got me curious. Why did you need to read this today? What's going on? Hmmm?
Ah... I know that feeling well. Before I published the final version of this piece I took the knife to it and cut around 150 words. Some of them I liked a lot! And, okay, I put a few of them back in. But it's tighter now and it still says what I wanted it to say, so I'll get over having to murder those lovely words. 😘
I find it easy to plod, but Oh my God, so hard to be nice and stay concise.
LOL. I think you just won the internet today!
Sounds like Dorothy Parker.
wit from the grave!
Aha! Plagiarist! 😆
haha!
I struggle with this. It's a lot of work to get something concise, especially when explaining complex scientific issues. I'm getting better at making things tighter, but I also split my articles into 2 or 3 parts. I'm actually doing a series at the moment where my intention is to take a 3 part series and condense it into a single, concise article for a different audience.
I think splitting long, complex articles into a series of two or three or more is the perfect way to go if your format is a blog or a newsletter. You have a built-in captive audience! But doing the reverse--condensing that work into something shorter and more concise--has to be a real challenge. Wow! But it sounds like you know your subject, as well as your audience, so I know you can do it.
Some thoughts about tightening: change every passive phrase to active. You'll shorten the work considerably without losing any of the information. (Take out unnecessary words like 'considerably'.)
Look at every long sentence to see how you can shorten it. (Not 'if' but 'how'.)
If you've gone off on tangents, take them out and save them for another piece. It's all gold.
Good luck!
Short pieces are definitely more my style. I get annoyed with myself if my pieces end up going on and on! The pandemic pieces I did recently ended up being longer than I envisaged and I found it really difficult to cut as I was telling someone else's story - I didn't want to leave out parts they considered integral to the overall story. It's much easier to cut when the writing and the concept is my own! Difficulty I'm having now is what to do with some shorter pieces I'm working on - struggling to think who might want to read this stuff that really I'm writing for myself.
It is harder with someone else's story. You don't want to feel your shortchanging them, but here's the thing: You sound now like you're shortchanging yourself. Your stories are as important or at least as interesting as theirs.
I understand, though. I've been feeling the same myself. I've started a dozen or more drafts that haven't gone anywhere because I'm not happy with either the premise or the writing.
But I'll get there. As I've said, it's all gold, even the things we haven't published yet. It'll come.
We have to have faith in ourselves.
*you're* shortchanging them. (Damn fingers. Damn 'your, you're'. Damn brain that misses the difference!)