Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Day 1,152, Quasi-Quarantine: "How To Write Short" Is A Digestible And Instructive Primer On Brevity

 

"A good short writer must be a disciplined cutter, not just of clutter, but of language that would be useful if she had more space. How, what, and when to cut in the interest of brevity, focus, and precision must preoccupy the mind of every good short writer."

Full of strong examples and better recommendations, "How to Write Short: Word Craft for Fast Times" is an essential read for writers seeking to hone their skills across a number of disciplines.

"Begin the story as close to the end as possible."

Defining short writing as 300 words or less, Roy Peter Clark favors short chapters with tasks at the end of each. In so doing, the author makes his work both accessible and actionable -- prized attributes in any writing resource.

"A time-starved culture bloated with information hungers for the lean, clean, simple, and direct."

No comments: