In Twenty Words or Less - How Condensing Ideas Improves Writing

Last year, My husband and I acquired a roommate, who didn't work out for a variety of reasons. One tendency he had that we weren't fond of, was to ask us to condense stories about our experiences into "20 words or less." We were trying to help him to understand us better by sharing stories that were formative to who we had become, and we felt daunted trying to relate events that had happened over a span of many years and how those events changed us that briefly and without preparation. His challenge stuck in my in my mind.

Write Pithy

As I turned the idea around in my head, I came to realize that what he was telling me was not unlike what I had heard from an English teacher whom I studied under over 10 years ago: "write pithy." Miriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines the word pithy as "having substance and point : tersely cogent." The ability to express complex ideas clearly and concisely is a valuable asset for any author hoping to publish within space constraints. Although the teacher in question was referring to research papers for an English class, the advice is still applicable to writers of web content, short story content, freelance article contributors, technical writings, poetry, ads, press releases, and marketing materials.

"20 Words" in Creative Writing

In fact, I realized that I had used our roommate's idea of "20 words or less" for years, while writing poetry. Some of the best poetry is renowned for expressing complex images and ideas in a fresh and pithy manner. Consider the example of haiku, a poetry form based on syllables where the author has a maximum of 17 words to leave a lasting impression on his/her audience: each word must be carefully chosen to convey feelings and ideas without room for error. AC's Own Susan Corbett has earned the title of "the Haiku Queen" and become a top 1000 content producer in part with her haiku's on current events. Each of her poems tells a story in 17 syllables that can be read and understood, often without reading the title.

Poetry isn't the only creative writing from that benefits from pithy phrasing. Any media that is designed to entertain benefits when the audience can remember key points and can maintain interest throughout the piece. Visual media uses sight and sound to capture attention. Print authors do not have these options and must be mindful of the flow of their content. Too much background can quickly lull readers into a stupor and cause web surfers to jump to another page before readers have digested the material's subtleties.

Pithy Non-Fiction Writing

Well-written non-fiction is designed to educate the audience. Readers are more likely to choose to read an article with a informative headline and clearly delineated sections. While "catchy" titles may garner page views, it is unlikely that the "lookie-loos" will remain to indulge in the content after satisfying their curiosity. I have found that when I "sum up" my article in 20 words or less it enables me to create titles and sub-titles that attract attention from readers who stay to rate web-content and participate in discussions. I use a similar method for each sub-heading: I pick out one idea for the reader to remember or the main topic and boil it down to a short phrase. This practice allows readers to quickly scan articles for the information they need and helps to create a tool for reference they will return to. This practice is especially important in standard publishing because it helps to gather credibility for content and enhances the publisher's reputation as a resource.

Why Novelists Need Pithy

Despite the lack of space constraints in book publishing, the ability to write pithy is absolutely essential for novelists who hope to be published. The majority of literary agents and publishers do not accept manuscript submissions until they request them. The requests come from interest generated by the author's query letter. A query letter is the first piece of writing a future publisher will read from an author. It tells the publisher or agent the author's background and experience, and includes a synopsis of the material the author hopes to publish in a page or less. The synopsis should cover major points in the work, including the ending, within 2 paragraphs. The tight strictures placed on query letters help publishers to ensure that a writer is well versed and committed to a project and to screen out authors who are unwilling to participate in promoting their work. The tight space constraints involved in a query letter make pithy writing necessary for writers who hope for publication.