It’s a dark art. Most of us learned it first as schoolchildren and then perfected it later as college freshmen. We did it because the teacher asked for a three-page paper, but we only had two pages worth of meaningful thoughts. So we blathered on about nothing, repeating ourselves…rambling…struggling to reach the bottom of page three. Along the way, we learned how to write extra words just to fill space. It got us through school. But it’s killing our business communications. And it raises a very important question….
If you’re not being paid by the word, why add extra ones?
Why use 50 words when five will do? You’ve probably done it for at least one of the following reasons. I’ve done it for all them.
- To impress the boss – or the client, or that guy in your department who’s gunning for your job. You think bigger documents make bigger impressions. But what happens when your reader realizes all the extra weight is fat and not muscle?
- To meet expectations – everyone is expecting a 10-page report, so that’s exactly what you give them. You figure it’s easier to grind out the 10 pages than explain why you only wrote seven.
- To hide a lack of knowledge – you’ve been asked to comment on something you don’t understand. You try to look intelligent and rabbit on about who-knows-what. Politicians have this down to a science. Don’t do it – especially in writing. It’s boring. It’s inauthentic. And it shows.
- To cover every eventuality – your readers don’t really need to know every conceivable detail that might possibly have something to do with your message. They simply want enough details to make an informed decision and take action.
- To quit work early – yes, it can be easier to write a long document than a short one. Shorter documents require more care and feeding. You have to craft and edit them more extensively. You face all those painful decisions about what to leave in and what to take out. But the effort is always worth it. The more work you put into writing your document, the less work it is for your readers.
But is shorter really better?
Absolutely. Here are three short reasons why.
- Shorter gets read first. A stack of documents land on your desk. Most are long. One is short. Which would you read first?
- Shorter gets read completely. Everyone gets the whole message. No one resents having to read it.
- Shorter gets a response. When all the overgrowth is cut back, the main message is easier to see. Your readers get your point and can act on it quickly.
Shorter is better. Just remember that shorter is also relative. A 45-page document is wonderfully short if it originally started life as a 70-pager.
Okay, but what about your team’s expectations?
You need to set the expectations yourself. Before you show up at tomorrow’s meeting with your newly slimmed-down document, make sure your team knows what to expect. Tell the boss that it’s going to be a crisper, shorter report this time. Warn fellow presenters that you’re cutting the PowerPoint from 40 dull slides to 20 sharp ones. Give the marketing department a heads-up that your next white paper will take less paper, but pack more punch.
So what does it take to write shorter documents?
All it really takes is courage. Stop stockpiling words. Buck up, be a hero, and cut your text. Do it now. Organize your thoughts and eliminate the fluff. Your readers will love you for it. And your English teacher will never know.
8 Comments
Question for Bronwyn (a top English teacher who follows our blog): I know you’re not the kind of teacher who lets students get away with writing fluff, so how do you keep them from padding out their essays? Do you have any tips on how the rest of us can spot the fluff in our own writing?
agreed. shorter is better in general, but i would add this thought: it’s not even so much the length of your work, but the quality of words and ideas. for example, a short article on better business processes in telecommunications can be either filled with industry jargon with recycled ideas, or a sharp, fresh, insightful and motivating insight or commentary. Short jargon isn’t any better than long-winded jargon. Underlying your point of shorter is better is the idea of quality over quantity. The more words you use the higher the chance of dilution of meaning and impact. In most cases, the quality of your work will speak for itself.
I tell my authors “Never use one word where ten are required, but never use ten where one will suffice.” On the other hand, beef up your vocabulary so you aren’t using the same words repeatedly.
English happened to be my favorite subject, and Mrs. Anderson was my favorite teacher. But, yes, you’re right. Less is more, no doubt. Succinct, tight writing is the key; it doesn’t have to be wordy to get your point across. As long as it has take away value, then you’re on the right track.
Dawn Herring
JournalWriter Freelance
Be Refreshed!
http://www.journalwriter.blogspot.com
Here are three specific strategies that help ensure a more concise and effective text:
1. Make a list, before you write, of the points that must be covered, and stick to it (like going grocery shopping on a budget – don’t get what you don’t need, even if it is lovely and on sale).
2. Ruthlessly eliminate adjectives and adverbs that are not critical to the meaning of your text. Use precise nouns and action verbs instead. A good thesaurus is a must.
3. Combine sentences wherever words or phrases are repeated. For example, compare the following:
A detailed financial plan is necessary for a family on a fixed income. This is especially true for families who would like to be able to take a vacation.
A budget is necessary for families on fixed incomes who would like to take a vacation.
Of course, these are not the only weapons in the arsenal of brevity, but they are easy to remember and employ.
Most people with a keyboard just don’t take the time to edit out the fluff. Cellphone texters are pretty good editors, but they don’t have anything worthwhile to say.
Terrific info here! In business writing classes, I always tell participants to “write to express, not impress.”
Bronwyn – your three specific strategies to ensure a more effective and concise text are brilliant: clear and methodical.
In business writing, smothered verbs are rampant and add much bloat. Here is illustration and correction for this: http://www.instructionalsolutions.com/newsletter/business-grammar-error-hunt-january-2009/
Mark Twain said it well – “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”
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[...] by Elizabeth Burton on 11.11.09 at 12:22 pm. Hi, Liza. Good start! I much appreciate your work. …What your English teacher never should have taught you.Elizabeth Burton. Posted September 10, 2009 at 3:44 pm | Permalink. I tell my authors Never use one [...]