Those who can move people with a single line can also write ten thousand characters
I think it is a misconception that people who can write concisely are more impressive.
It is often said, "People who can capture hearts with a single line are geniuses." Certainly, those who can move people with just one catchphrase are cool. However, I would like to respectfully disagree slightly. People who can move others with a single line can usually come up with a hundred drafts.
In fact, I am more worried about people who can only come up with one idea.
This is not sarcasm, but something I feel from experience. To capture the essence in a few words requires dozens of times more thought. What do I want to convey? Why is it important? What kind of change do I want to spark in the reader's heart? By diving deep, and diving deeper, what finally surfaces becomes that single line.
In other words, the work of creating a single line is not a sudden inspiration. I believe it is the result of an exhaustive accumulation of quantity.
At first, you absolutely need quantity. When you try to get what is in your head out, words overflow—this and that. You bring out every important element you can think of, and by connecting and unraveling them, you create drafts. You let go of the unnecessary, and the single drop that remains at the end becomes the line that reaches people's hearts.
I believe the ability to produce many drafts is a talent in itself. The stamina to put what you are thinking into words. The endurance to weave it through to the end without giving up halfway. Without such things, there wouldn't even be a subject to choose from.
Sometimes, I see a one-line copy in an advertisement or on a book jacket and find myself stopping in my tracks. I wonder, "How did they come up with such words?" But when I hear from people who can weave such words, there is usually a vast amount of drafts behind them. Writing dozens of drafts, discarding them, and writing again. At the end of that repetition, only one single word remains.
When I write, I generally don't write long pieces. However, I make it a point to come up with about a hundred drafts. After bringing out every important element I can, I create about a hundred versions by connecting and unraveling them. From there, I gradually bring them to life. Don't over-organize. It's okay if it's not neat. After expanding it like that, I choose slowly. I read it over and over, asking myself, "Is this really necessary?" I carefully rearrange only what remains.
"Writing concisely" and "thinking deeply" are not contradictory. Both are born from the depth of thought. And that depth can only be attained by continuing to produce drafts.
So, if there is anyone currently worried that they "cannot write concisely," I want to tell them that they are on the right track. You are just at the stage before choosing. Having a lot of material means you have room to choose. It is actually a luxurious problem to have.
Produce a lot, then choose. Once you have finished choosing, try expanding again. In that back-and-forth, words are quietly sharpened.
Those who can move people with a single line surely know the silence of a hundred drafts.
Katsuki Yamada (Kony)
PR Advisor, Community Designer, Workshop Designer
Based in Kyoto, I accompany companies, local governments, NPOs, and startups in "creating triggers."
🔗 Akari Studio:https://akaristudio.jp
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