This is a note that I jotted down from a conversation I had with Nate Damm when he was walking across America:
Epic ≠ Long. Too many people mistake writing something epic with writing something long. You don’t have to write 3,000 words to make something worth reading. You just have to make it worth reading.
Too right – my PhD thesis was 30,000 words long and its probably only ever been read by 3 people – including me! On another note – like your style Joel. Beautifully designed website around a really interesting concept. Glad to have found you and will be following from now on.
Hey, Jon,
Ugh! I don’t know how many words my dissertation (disser) was, but I know it took a full ream of paper to print! At CU some of us tucked $20 bills into the copies that were put in the uni library – a little token of appreciation to that ONE person who might read it one day. I bet we could go there and make big bucks just by flipping through dissertations!
Short and sweet is now how I like it. I can only keep track of one idea at a time anyways – why should I think my reader is any different?
-Heather
Thanks Jon. Glad to have you on board!
“You don’t have to write 3,000 words to make something worth reading. You just have to make it worth reading.”
Ain’t that the truth!
You are so damn right. After finding your blog, and reading your manifesto, I’ve been reconsidering things myself. Too many details to say briefly but all I really want to say is thank you for staying true to yourself. You help people like me find what was always there and I end up helping who I know.
Back to this post, a blog I posted about a bridge party is fairly short and was a joy to write and share filled with great people doing greater things. I’d love you to check it out at geneduve.com/bridgeparty. You are one of the reasons it happened.
Thanks again, joel. Keep doing your thing.
I’ll check it out. Let me know if there’s anything i can do for you Gene.
I love this post. It’s great that you actually pulled off a short, epic post about short, epic things.
I try to be consistent :0
Word.
😀
Although one of the definitions is “of unusually great size or extent”, it is only one definition, another one being “impressively great”. That’s the one that applies most to those who are seeking to do the impossible in their work and in their lives, because that’s the one that allows us create something worth creating– something great, something that will change lives.
I think the issued comes when people disassociate greatness & quality and instead focus on size. Something can be epicly long, but if you write an epic piece that will last the test of time, sheer length matters much less than the quality of the writing.
you and seth think alike…
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/12/no-one-ever-bought-anything-in-an-elevator.html
He totally copies me 🙂
Hi Joel,
I have to agree. I have written a couple of 3000 words posts and I wonder how many people actually read all of it or just skimmed through it.
So….why do they have the Ironman then? 🙂
Because there are some weird people out there that like to suffer 🙂
I absolutely agree with this! Epic does not necessary mean long. An interview or a blog post might be epic but not long. Epic to me means something of great value to the reader.
Sheyi