Charlotte -- This post was very good and at least for me timely. I recently shifted my writing on Substack to be MUCH MORE focused (read shorter). What I have found is by setting out with an intentional plan has made a change a lot easier. Watching the word count while I am writing has turned out to not be a burden but part of the ritual. I feared shorter would mean I would say a lot less. What I have learned is the brevity sharpens the point you want to make. I kinda like it. Of course your practice has a much broader applicability. I think when I pivot to focus on writing a book, this will be a great help. Hence, I marked it for followup. Thanks.
Ooh, I feel honored that you marked it for follow-up. And interesting that you are writing shorter--I am attempting to do the same thing. Read a great article by Sarah Fay on Writers at Work, https://www.writersatwork.net/p/write-less-please, and took it to heart. I think I sometimes get carried away with my subject!
I read the Sarah Fay article also. I liked lots of it. I have deferred judgement but willing to read it again I guess. It seemed black and white. My sense is Substack has reached a bit of a critical mass and now has attracted a whole bunch of "Substack Whisperers". I am sure there are nuggets of sensibility from each but I tend to doubt the absolutes in most anything. I shy away from the black and white and figure that most things are gray.
Agree. The people I have the most trouble with are those who only see things in black and white. I'm a shades of gray person myself. And Sarah made great points, but I do think some people like longer posts, too. I guess the moral of the story is that we all have to find what works for us--and our readers!
EXACTLY -- I decided I would target my posts for around 1000 words for a while. The truth is I like including a poll and music. It is part of the reason I do it. I might end up writing longer posts when it seems right. So far it seems okay. I think I will spend less time writing for a while. Time for something else perhaps.
Oh please don't spend less time writing! I love your posts. I have several to catch up on and I've been saving them for when I have time to settle in and enjoy them. Which I guess answers the question if we are writing too long.
Thank you so much. You are kind. The ones in your backlog will be a little shorter. Enjoy the gift of a few extra minutes :) My last two posts are shorter but I think fun.
Charlotte -- This post was very good and at least for me timely. I recently shifted my writing on Substack to be MUCH MORE focused (read shorter). What I have found is by setting out with an intentional plan has made a change a lot easier. Watching the word count while I am writing has turned out to not be a burden but part of the ritual. I feared shorter would mean I would say a lot less. What I have learned is the brevity sharpens the point you want to make. I kinda like it. Of course your practice has a much broader applicability. I think when I pivot to focus on writing a book, this will be a great help. Hence, I marked it for followup. Thanks.
Ooh, I feel honored that you marked it for follow-up. And interesting that you are writing shorter--I am attempting to do the same thing. Read a great article by Sarah Fay on Writers at Work, https://www.writersatwork.net/p/write-less-please, and took it to heart. I think I sometimes get carried away with my subject!
I read the Sarah Fay article also. I liked lots of it. I have deferred judgement but willing to read it again I guess. It seemed black and white. My sense is Substack has reached a bit of a critical mass and now has attracted a whole bunch of "Substack Whisperers". I am sure there are nuggets of sensibility from each but I tend to doubt the absolutes in most anything. I shy away from the black and white and figure that most things are gray.
Agree. The people I have the most trouble with are those who only see things in black and white. I'm a shades of gray person myself. And Sarah made great points, but I do think some people like longer posts, too. I guess the moral of the story is that we all have to find what works for us--and our readers!
EXACTLY -- I decided I would target my posts for around 1000 words for a while. The truth is I like including a poll and music. It is part of the reason I do it. I might end up writing longer posts when it seems right. So far it seems okay. I think I will spend less time writing for a while. Time for something else perhaps.
Oh please don't spend less time writing! I love your posts. I have several to catch up on and I've been saving them for when I have time to settle in and enjoy them. Which I guess answers the question if we are writing too long.
Thank you so much. You are kind. The ones in your backlog will be a little shorter. Enjoy the gift of a few extra minutes :) My last two posts are shorter but I think fun.