Shorts (on a Sunny Day in May)

I tend to write brief emails, short chapters, mini blogs. Perhaps I'm a child of the modern age of instant gratification, though I like to think it's more about learning to reduce things to the bare minimum. I believe it was Churchill who said: "Sorry, I didn't have time to write a shorter speech." It's about structuring things in a way that has the needs of the listener uppermost. What do I want them to think v. what do I want to say? Which brings me to today's topic. I was asked how being a published writer differs from being a hobbyist. My reply was that you have to stop writing for your own entertainment and ask how the reader will benefit from having invested x hours of their precious time in your book . . . though, admittedly, not all novels pass that test with flying colours!