DIY: dodging the TL;DR response

CSG, Writing:the Revision Process (half-tone), SecondaryWriting

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In case you don't know, as I didn't, what 'TL;DR' means, it's 'too long; didn't read'.

There may be an information explosion going on, but much of the information just flows by one's comprehension because it's just not readable.  It's a good idea to approach the topic being presented with clarity and tighten up the language.

The idea is to be terse, but not abrupt. You don't want this said about your latest post to your favorite here's-what-I-have-to-say forum:

"omg you postwench. i can only say one thing in response - tl;dr"

"tl;dr...why dont you give up on your unabridged edition of War and Peace or at least stop posting it here?"

--DisgruntledJoe, Urban Dictionary

Revision is one of the keys to clarity. First step is to get the general idea down, then review it for meaning, then review it again for meaning, all the while condensing the wording when you can. By now the piece's purpose should be clearer and the message more focused. Review it for grammar, then review it for spelling, and, finally, review it once again for clarity and tightness. When the piece begins to look worn from polishing, it's ready to release it to the world. Or toss it--your call.

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Ernest Hemingway, copyblogger

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Writer Ernest Hemingway is known for being terse. Here are his top 4 rules for writing and a fifth thrown in by Brian Clark, author of  "Ernest Hemingway’s Top 5 Tips for Writing Well."

1. Use short sentences.

2. Use short first paragraphs.

3. Use vigorous English.

4. Be positive, not negative.

Most important writing tip: 

“I write one page of masterpiece to ninety-one pages of shit,” Hemingway confided to F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1934. “I try to put the shit in the wastebasket.”

There's an app, available on Google Play, called Hemingway that analyzes text and "makes your writing bold and clear" (Hemingway Takes the Hemingway Test). However, as it's noted in the test, you can lose clarity, and meaning, by being too terse.

As in all things, the middle way is best.

-- Marge