Write Tight

This post is by Michael Pollock, the original owner of Small Business Branding. Yaro Starak now owns and produces the latest content for this blog.

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Someone very wise once said, "when writing, never use more words than absolutely necessary." (And despite how great I think I am, it wasn’t me who said it.)

In other words, write tight.

I repeat . . . with a slightly unwarranted amount of emphasis.

Write tight!

As a solopreneur, writing is one of the most important tools to reach your prospects. And too many words spoil the stew. Muddy the waters. Cloud the sky. (Insert your own cliches here.)

My friend Helaine, a women’s business coach, asked me to critique an article she wrote recently. She’s a good writer. I don’t think it comes easy for her, but she works incredibly hard at it. I can relate. Despite the romantic myth, most great writers are not born great writers. They just practiced a lot.

When Michael Crighton was asked, "How did you become such a good writer," he responded by saying, "Plenty of writing! I began writing really diligently when I was in high school, and I kept at it."

Back to Helaine and her article . . .

Here’s the opening paragraph from her article:

"As a home based, self-employed person I find it amazing that mundane and typically avoidable tasks such as laundry, dishes and email can sometimes be as compelling as chocolate. Try as I might to stay at my desk and accomplish the relevant and vital business of the day; these uninspiring tasks sometimes call to me like a moth to a flame."

Suggested edit:

"As a home-based, self-employed woman, mundane tasks can be as compelling to me as chocolate. Laundry. Dishes. Email. Try as I might to stay focused on running my business, at times, these uninspiring tasks call to me as a flame beckons to a moth."

They’re not major changes, just tighter in my opinion.

More later . . .