Ethan Woodfill

Why less IS more!

The mantra less is more applies to many situations, but it is especially accurate when it comes to your writing!

In the digital age, people have an attention span of about eight seconds, according to a widely cited study from Microsoft. Some researchers have debunked this claim; however, we would probably agree that it is often difficult to make it through a long article online!

When you are working on a writing project, like an essay for school or a blog post for your company, you may feel that you need to explain every little detail so that your audience can fully understand where you are coming from. The truth is, though, that they will never fully understand you or where you are coming from! Your goal should not be for everyone to grasp everything you are conveying — rather — make it so they can grasp something.

May the Force be with you as you write.

You want that “something” to be memorable, too. That’s where quality over quantity comes into play. The best writing conveys the most in the least amount of time. Let’s state that again. The most efficient writing will achieve your goals in the fewest amount of words.

Think about slogans and movie one-liners — these short bursts of writing genius are so memorable that people can recite them all the time, even from only a few engagements!

How to write less to achieve more

We’re not here to help you write the best one-liner of all time, but, keep that in mind as you are working on a longer project.

How can you achieve efficient writing in practice?

Know your audience and your goals

The first and most important step in writing clear, engaging, and concise writing is to know your audience and just what you want to achieve with your piece! You are not writing the Constitution or The Great Gatsby. Your goals need to be realistic and specific.

Think…

–Why do I want to write this?

–Who do I want to find this and why will they engage with it?

–What do I want readers to come away with after reading this?

–How do I want my readers to feel after reading my piece?

Take these questions into consideration before you even get started.

Think of it like a news article

Even if you are not writing a news article, it can be useful to think about how a news article is organized.

The lede – this is the hook – or how you will bring your reader into the story. A good hook has a core news value (we will explore this in a different post) like human interest or drama.

One person in Bay Village is one million dollars richer this evening.

The lede leads the reader into learning more about the story. The sentence that typically follows the lede is the

Nut graf – this sentence explains the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the story

Timmy Jones, a cashier at Quick Stop, bought a $1 ticket and won tonight’s Mega Millions drawing.

People will continue to read if they are interested in further details, but the first two sentences of your piece should often give a summary and draw people in. See, less is more! Next week, we will explore how to replace unclear pronouns and reduce redundant adjectives.