An editor recently told me that when she suggests that a writer cut a manuscript, it often comes back longer. Another editor complained that sometimes there are more would-be writers than readers.
Look at the shelf of new books at your local bookstore. Notice how many massive books there are. Consider how few short novels there are. In fact, one of the few places where you can find shorter books is on the shelves of children’s literature.
Writing on a computer means it is very easy to cut, to edit. Why then, has the age of the computer meant longer books?
I suspect that in this Blog Age, this Selfie Age, we care too much for our own words. We love to speak (write) more than we care to listen (read). We live in a time when it’s harder to do less than to do more. Writing less—while saying more—takes time, effort, and a lot of skill.
Next time you edit your own work, count (via computer) how many words are in your text. Then, after editing, count your words again. If it’s not less, maybe you haven’t done your job.
1 thought on “Less, Not More”
Love this advice! The result is usually strength, simplicity, and elegance, much like poetry. Must be why so many think it’s easy. Who was it that apologized after writing a very long letter and said, “I would have written a shorter letter, but I simply didn’t have enough time.” So true!