Hi Barbara

It’s funny you should say this, because I was thinking about it. I have relatively short posts, and I spend a lot of time cutting them down - I was thinking it may look like I don’t spend much time on them, but it takes me ages!

Like you, I keep the trimmings - which I may or may not use (though it may get like cleaning out the fridge - they may have to go at some point!)

Robins last blog post..Is The World Getting Better Or Worse?

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Hi Barbara - I guess it depends what I’m writing about. I find some posts easier to cut than others. But, like you, I can often make two blog posts out of one.

Lately, some of my posts have been a bit long, so this is a really good reminder to cut back.

Cath Lawsons last blog post..Is Blogging Putting You at Risk?

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Hi Bamboo,

It sounds like you write similar to me. Mixing it up is a good idea.

Hi Robin,

I think you hit on something. Sometimes short posts are harder to write than long ones. We don’t want our readers to be bored, but yet we want them to have value. It’s a fine line.

I like your analogy comparing excess words/ideas as cleaning out the frig. Yes, sometimes they do get tossed, don’t they?

Hi Scott,

It’s that pruning process that takes time, but I like what you were told “….not a single word more”. That reminds me of how sometimes I will edit out one last word.

The quote from William Safire is funny.

Hi Catherine,

Don’t you just love it when you have that “bonus” post?

I don’t think you have to cut back unless you feel you can say the same thing with less words.

Hi Jay,

It’s not easy, is it? I lose count on how many times I preview. Like you, I’m editing until the very last minute. Sometimes I just have to say “enough” and hit “publish”.

We would confuse people if we started changing a published post. Their comments may sound rather bizarre if we changed it too much.

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Hi Dr. Cason,

You brought up a good point when you mentioned “flow”. That’s another thing that I consider too. Sometimes my posts sound choppy, so I start hacking and rewording.

I’m headed over to you post. I’ve been following along as you try to find an answer to Jakey’s health issues.

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Barbara, you just saved me 15 minutes if not more. This plugin works better than the one I had. I saw one more plugin I like (the footnote) that I plan to install and then I may be done with my plugins for now. Thanks and Hugs!

Naturals last blog post..Paper or Plastic?

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After setting up my tumblr on solo roleplaying, I chose the “silo” template. At first it looked cool: 9 small posts arranged 3×3 in one screen… but then I noticed they could display only so much content… which ended up letting me know I was way much too but really verbose
Miguel de Luiss last blog post..I used Mortal Coil to produce the Theme document.

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You have to be pretty ruthless when editing your own work. Sometimes I’ll look at a sentence and think: “Well, it’s a little off-topic, but it’s such a beautiful sentence.” At times brevity wins and I take the sentence out, at times the beauty of the sentence wins and I leave it in.

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I try not to spend too much time editing, because I’m prone to keep editing over and over and over. I do think it’s important to make at least one or two passes though. Very often I’ll remove a few words here and there to make it easier to read. On occasion I’ll split it into two posts. A post rarely comes out perfectly on the first try, but I don’t think it should. You have to get your ideas down in words to see how they’ll sound to a reader.

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My post are usually 600 or more word long
i some how feel the topic i discuss on my blog cant be explained in less words.

My blog is about How to Blog and 50% of my reader are new visitors so i cant expect them all to be well familiar about Blogging and several blogging terms.

so every term i mention in my post requires brief introduction so that my new reader(new to Blogging rather then new to my blog) dont feel like left out

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I never just “type and publish”, but I don’t worry too much about length. Sometimes I’m surprised by how long a post is when I preview it, but I don’t change it for that reason.

Barbara, I think brevity is appropriate for your blog - and I love the photo above!

Ann at One Bag Nations last blog post..Check it Out - I’m Swimming with the Sharks!

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Hi Barbara,

Somewhere online I read this advice and have applied it to my blog writing: Write fast, edit slow.

I always walk completely away from my draft(s) and then review them as many times as I feel are necessary before I hit “Publish.” Reading them aloud also makes it easier for me to find those stumbling blocks where the words don’t flow well and then I know it’s a sentence or paragraph I need to rework.

I don’t worry about length (not yet anyway). I have found that the longer posts make a great 2 or 3 part series however, and that’s nice! It’s like a bonus for my hard work.

I admire your short, to-the-point writing style and hope I can create more of those posts over time.

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I write most of my posts beforehand, usually offline at home. I then proofread them and save them. When it comes time to add a post to my blog, I check it again before hitting publish. I then proofread it again after I have published.

I think everyone can benefit from a little self-editing.

Chase Marchs last blog post..Story is the Nature of Reality

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Hi Natural,

Isn’t that amazing how editing takes so long? Who said blogging was easy?

You’re welcome and (((hugs))) to you, too.

Hi Tom,

I don’t mind a short list post, but if there are too many bullet points or links, I sometimes just bookmark it for later.

I haven’t had the puking response yet.

Hi Miguel,

Welcome to the BWAB community!

I’ve never seen 9 small posts in one screen, but I can see how it would be necessary to keep them extremely short.

Hi Evelyn,

I do know Steve Pavlina writes extremely long posts, and he does well with them. With that being said, when I read his blog, I know I have to have a lot of time set aside.

Have you thought of doing a long post in a series, or would that work?

Hi Marelisa,

I know what you mean about those “beauty” sentences, but sometimes they, too, have to go.

Hi Lance,

Yes, I do know how you write.

Like you, I enjoy some long posts. When the authors are eloquent, it’s an enjoyable read.

Hi Hunter,

Looking at our posts through the eyes of a reader is the key. We must learn to be objective, even about our own work.

Hi Davina,

Trying to keep up on all of the blogs we read does take time, doesn’t it? I would like to split up my reading time, but that usually doesn’t happen.

Today is typical of that. I’m in the middle of setting up for a garage sale, and haven’t been able to visit too many blogs. I’ll be looking forward to that when this is all behind me.

Hi Hyrcan

Being able to find great on-the-go photos is a great way to share your work. Often a picture is worth a thousand words, and makes for an enjoyable “read/look”

Hi Ann,

Thank you. Since I’m doing “lessons”, I don’t want my visitors to have to read too much before getting to the assignment, as often I know they’ll be sharing a lengthy answer.

Hi Vered,

Ah ha, the first yes to that question.

If we could all write exactly as we feel, that would be such a time saver, however, for me, my thoughts are often all over the place.

Hi Linda Abbit,

I like that, “write fast, edit slow”.

You’re right, walking away from our posts is a huge help. We come back and can look at with different eyes.

Hi Urban Panther,

Haha, we’ve discussed the “skimming/scanning” here before and that seems to be the norm. We all have so many blogs we want to read, and skimming/scanning becomes part of our reading style.

Hi Chase,

Proofreading is a very important part of producing quality posts. And yes, we do benefit from self editing.

Hi Jennifer,

Thank you.

Maybe one day I’ll do a post of an unedited post as a lesson. The bad thing is, it might be SO long, no one would read it.

You hit the nail on the head. It would be very boring if we all wrote the same.

A message to all:

Thank you for your understanding!

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Hi Barbara,

I think brevity is important due to the nature of readers today. I think text messaging and Twitter just made people’s attention spans shorter.

However, I think that’s only relevant when it comes to the intro. Posts should be as brief as possible to get to the hook; once the reader is hooked, you can take the reader through a short and efficient post or a long and leisurely read. At least this is what I try for.

PS: Hope you help bring in big bucks with the yard sale .

Al at 7Ps last blog post..Which Superhero Blockbuster Movie Are You?

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Hi Ellen,

Lucky you, you make it sound so easy.

Hi Al,

You’re right about getting a reader hooked. If you can then keep their interest, the length of the post become secondary.

Thanks, I’m hoping to do well at the garage sale. We’ve been working on sorting and pricing all day and have the stuff “priced to sell”.

Hi Sara,

Often a post is done, when it’s done, but it is fun to experiment, isn’t it?

I’ll put the “unedited” post lesson on my list.

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Writing is fairly new to me but I’ve learned to cut and edit. I mostly write posts from the heart and when I feel I have a message to share that may help others. I usually write until my message has been emptied from me and translated to the page. It feels good.

From what I’ve read here, I guess my posts are on the long side. I’ll have to experiment on mixing it up and making some short and sweet.

Blessings,

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Hi Barbara Ling,

Oooops, I missed your comment

I agree, our words do need to flow.

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Hi Ricardo,

That’s great that you learned that lesson on your own. Now you can be proud of what you write, and know you did your best.

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