The Long and The Short Of It
I found myself thinking the other day that the blogs I was enjoying the most were those that were short.
Sometimes posting quite frequently, but most definitely short.
There are still some longer articles that I enjoy reading online (though flicking back through my feed-reader I have to confess I couldn’t find too many examples) but my tolerance for lengthy paragraphs seems to be decreasing with time.
(Maybe this is a good thing: I’ll just hunt all the harder for things that are really well written.)
I’m not sure if this shift in reading pattern is because:
- I don’t have the time attention for longer pieces
- I’m responding to a need for art – visuals, collages, sketches, photos – as well as words
- My online reading habits are being influenced by time spent eating bite sized morsels on Facebook and Twitter
- There are only so many pieces of well-constructed copy you can consume
- Reading (and writing) patterns are shifting as the lines between blogging and other forms of social media blur
Or it could just be a passing phase 
I am though going to reflect on this a bit more – not so much in terms of what I’m reading but maybe in terms of the type of content I’m producing.
How about you: what kind of blog material are you reading just now? Long, short, or is it simply quality that counts?
Hi Joanna, Your attitude is fairly typical, I imagine. The more you you interact with people on blogs and social media, the less time you have to focus on any one thing. I rather miss the “old” days when my online community was limited to a (what now seems like) a ridiculously small circle of friends. These days, long articles are attractive mainly when they provide information pertinent to my work.
I like them reasonably long but only if I can leave them till last thing at night before I go to bed. Otherwise I’m ‘in Twitter mode’ and can only cope with very short!
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I’m with you. The shorter the better! I think that’s why I’m loving Twitter so much.
If we spend too much time consuming…don’t we get that niggle of ..uh..this is more than a small break..need to get back to work…? So shorter is better at the moment. Unless I am researching something specific or it’s just way too powerful/interesting to ignore.. I admit I have spent less time lately online and more time privately on my own work. But that goes in cycles. And yes, if there is no picture..LOL.. I have to really want the info…or the words. and lately not so many.. My posts are getting shorter too, I think.
)) But I am writing behind the scenes and pulling some things together in the studio work… so may be it’s just me …or the season.
I like them short with bullet points. I think there are several reasons. I find it a strain on my eyes to read long paragraphs as opposed to short bullets. I can read an e-book but I usually enlarge the print to make it easier to read. The other reason is I read many blog posts and I like to get the quick message. I still love reading books with paragraphs. I dont usually judge a book but the size of the paragraph.
Joanna,
I tend to like short posts, also, primarily because of my limited time to read blogs. However, if it’s something I’m really interested in, I’ll take the time to read a very long post.
Some of my own posts, especially interviews, are long. Today’s interview, for example, is about 3500 words. Of course, most of that isn’t my writing—it’s the guest’s responses. But I don’t know how to do a good interview and keep it short.
On the other hand, some of my posts are very short—especially information about events.
Usually they’re somewhere in between, and if I want to cover a topic in a fair amount of detail, I wrote a series of several posts.
Definitely short posts for me in the main. Factual, interesting and to the point. Vary rarely will I read a long post unless it is something I have a personal interest in or it is an exceptional story.
Hi Joanna,
Keep them short, I say. If it’s too long I skim or don’t read it at all. I hate to be so biased but I see the long long long ones as mere hyperbole that has more to do with the author being in love with hearing themselves. I know that’s not always the case, but a lot of times I think it is.
When I’ve had posts that needed more than about 500 words, I break them up into a series of more readable articles.
George
I love short posts that instantly grab me and change my thinking, even if only briefly.
If I want to learn how to do something I’m happy for a long post (with lots of white space and hedaings or bullet points). But then I’ll print it out and read it at bedtime like Judy.
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Thanks so much Joanna. Sometimes when I write a short post I feel like I’m leaving something out. But I leave more out when I get boggled down with too many words, then don’t post at all! @euan has really shown me how just a few words in a blog post can be effective.
Brad I think it’s pretty much inevitable… and yes, I miss the old days too. I think you’re right re articles for ‘how to’ – a point various people have made. I guess part of the trick is being clear in our minds what kind of things we’re writing
Judy long posts before you go to bed – gosh, that would be the key to not sleeping for me! Know what you mean though, esp how we read when in Twitter mode
Sharon I’m loving short form too at the moment… and yes, Twitter… me too
Janice I think things do go in cycles, for us as individuals (writers and readers) and how things seem to be going on the net… or the small part of it we inhabit… Happy to hear things are pulling together behind the scenes. We don’t have to share everything in blog posts after all
Julia absolutely re the eye strain and need to break up text online. And I would never judge a book by the length of the paragraph – in fact if anything I’d prefer longer meatier paragraphs there. (I don’t read with electronic readers – do book formats still work in ‘normal’ book there, given you can enlarge if needs be?)
Lillie you’re a master of covering topics via a series
I also like the variety you have in your types and lengths of posts, that’s another good way to keep people interested.
Steven yes, I think that’s where most of us are getting to… you’re right that some stories can hold us, but they do have to be powerful (and v well written) so to do
George I think breaking them up is the way to go if posts are getting out of hand – it’s normally because there’s more than one idea there, and generally posts work best with one idea per piece. We like things in bite sized chunks
Jan I like those instant grab and shift perspective posts too… hmmm, could this be why I love your blog?
Jasmin your series has been really informative to me, it is helping me to get a feeling about art and what it means but not in a big heavy way… more a mood and a feeling. I think I might give the approach a try some time (though I might find it hard to stop myself from writing longer pieces too!!!)