Thursday, May 9, 2013

Succinct

Sometimes when I read I get lost. Sure, word follows word and punctuation is present. Hey, getting lost can be good, if I meant getting lost in a story such that I was entrenched in the world and lives of the characters. No, I’m talking about when I read a paragraph or — even worse — a sentence, that by the time I get to the end of it I can’t remember what I’d just read or what the point of it was. And this has happened to me during published works, although not as often as drafts.
What if words were the only way we could convey our feelings? I’m talking on a literal level, here. Neither symbolic speech nor non-verbal communication count. (This would be a different world.)
And what if those same words that you typed or write could not be taken back? They would be etched on the stone of eternity for all to see, or at least all who cared to look.
I know that I would think more carefully how I phrased my ideas, opinions, and thoughts in general.
In that world, whether or not you feel the inspiration of your writing flow, or the sludge barely moves from your tips, you would be stuck with it. Tough luck. Would you survive? If you were a writer, would your work see the light of day past your inner-circle?
But, we’re blessed to be able to edit, delete, and revise. Keep your style, sure, but try to be succinct. Losing your reader is the worst thing you as a writer can do.
-JK

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