Blog Post 1.2
“Therefore think small. Decide what corner of your subject you’re going to bite off, and be content to cover it and stop… As for what point you want to make, every successful piece of non-fiction should leave the reader with one provocative thought that he or she didn’t have before. Not two thoughts, or five -just one. So decide what single point you want to leave in the reader’s mind. It will not only give you a better idea of what route you should follow and what destination you want to reach; it will affect your decision about tone and attitude.” (Zinsser, 52)
I think this is good advice for beginning writers who are overwhelmed by wanting to express too many things in one piece, like I am. In essence, I think what he talks about is not just cutting out clutter in terms of words, but also in terms of ideas. If you choose one specific thing to express in your writing, it helps you focus in that area, and creates less room for tangents. Ultimately, this would result in clarity of the work, both to the reader and the writer.
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