Simple Words for a Succinct Book

To be a writer is to challenge youself. When I reach the mid-point of a book I let out a huge sigh because I know I'll make it to the end. But I've had times when I thought I would never get to the end of a chapter, let alone the book. You may have had similar writing experiences.

Writing "short," choosing simple words and creating simple sentences with them, takes more time than writing "long."

Ernest Hemingway was a master of brevity. I was in high school when his famous book, "The Old Man and the Sea," was released. If I recall, the entire book was published in "Life" magazine. Though I was a young, immature student, I appreciated his story line and sentence structure. Of his own writing Hemingway said he looked at words as if he was seeing them for the first time.

"My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way," he noted. I'm no Hemingway, yet I can strive for simplicity.

Jack Dorsey shares his thoughts about simple words in an Art Institute of Pittsburgh article, "The Art of Writing for Brevity." The purpose of writing is to communicate a specific message, according to Dorsey. As he says, "It is harder to be brief with this message than it is to write a lengthy piece." Dorsey's tips for achieving brevity: trim the fat, choose words carefully, cut words, use the active voice, write first and edit later.

My recent writing focuses on grief, a niche that came about after losing four family members, including my daughter, in 2007. While this can be a painful niche, I find comfort in the fact that I'm creting resources to help others. One day, when I was writing an article, an idea for an affirmations book popped into my head.

The idea was so strong that I abandoned the article and started writing affirmations. Once I started I couldn't stop, and wrote affirmations for days. Sentences came to me at odd times, so I kept a pad and pencil handy. Later, I entered these words into the computer. I printed the book out, put it away for several weeks, and made the necessary revisions.

Since mourners have trouble remembering what they have read, I wrote one-sentence affirmations only -- words the reader could remember during the day. Writing an affirmations book isn't a new idea, but I added a new twist. Each affirming sentence is followed by a focus word or words. These words can be used for self-examination, support group discussions, meditation, or prayer.

When I had written scores of affirmations to help mourners, I stopped writing them. I added a short preface, affirmation-writing steps, and a list of grief support groups. Only someone who has experienced multiple losses, someone like me, could write this book. Though it is short, only 60 pages, it is filled with comforting and hopeful words.

Are you stuck on a writing project? Writing "short" may be the answer. Simple words have much to say and can even change a life.