Bloggers, one theme per post, please

Blog posts aren't books. You only have time to make one major point per post.

In support of my thesis, I offer three quotes from The Elements of Story: Field Notes on Nonfiction Writing by Francis Flaherty, an editor at The New York Times.

• "A writer is like a gardener who knows one tree can serve as a focal point in a garden, but that many trees will just muck up the impact of each. Also, a good writer realizes that readers have the mental room to store just one large thought from a story," pages 32-33.
• "A subject is not a story; it is many possible stories. To write is to choose, which is to exclude," p. 33.
• "No detail belongs in a story if it doesn't serve some role therein. As Chekhov said, don't put a gun on stage in Act I if it doesn't get used by the end of the play," p. 37

What do YOU think of Flaherty's quotes?

By the way, if you're struggling to crank out a steady stream of readable blog posts, consider enrolling in my five-week teleclass for financial advisors, "How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read."


Related posts
*  Five great writing tips: They're not just for ads
*  Financial writers, lead with your message, not your source
*  Bloggers' top two punctuation mistakes 
____________________
Susan B. Weiner, CFA
Check out my website at www.InvestmentWriting.com or sign up for my free monthly e-newsletter.
Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved