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Cut the bullshit, get to the point

April 1, 2024

Cut the bullshit, get to the point

Know the story you’re trying to tell, know why you’re trying to tell it, and know when you’ve told it.
Don’t waste the reader’s time.
Know your headline before you write your story (every story has a headline).¹
Prefer active voice.
Keep leads to about 25 words or fewer.
Keep sentences short.
Use plain language.
Sound like yourself.
Don’t be afraid of attribution — it’s no discredit to yourself to acknowledge the work of others. ²
Don’t put more than two numbers in a sentence.
Don’t get lost in the weeds.
Don’t preface your work with preambles and setups — if you need a nut graf, add a nut graf.
Stop when you’re finished — conclusions are for academia not life.

Knowing your headline, lead or theme all amount to the same thing: know your story focus and stick to it. ↩︎
Most of what I say here is said much better by Verlyn Klinkenborg in his book Several Short Sentences About Writing. ↩︎

Published on April 1, 2024