Things to consider to create memorable articles
Hello, this is Wataro.
The new year is almost here, isn't it?
I'm sure a lot has happened this year, hasn't it?
A lot has happened to me, too.
Well, the question is,
what exactly that "a lot" is.
Yes,
as always,
it's about writing.
It's easy to end by saying "a lot happened."
But it is impossible
for the reader to guess what that "a lot" is.
Expressing that nuance
is the writer's skill.
The more you write, the more clearly it is conveyed, but
you end up making the reader read a long text.
Hey!
Please read about what happened to me!
If you say that,
and hand them a massive epic
on the scale of Harry Potter, what would happen?
They would hit the back button in zero seconds.
So, writing something too long
is also something to think about.
Finding the right balance here is difficult.
Today, let's touch upon the
balance of "how much to write."
⭕️ The reason we settle for "various things"
In the first place, if you want to write simply,
you can.
✅ It was fun
✅ It was tough
✅ Various things happened
✅ It was annoying
✅ It was exciting
How about that?
Including myself,
aren't these words we use all the time in our daily lives?
The reason why we settle for describing our daily lives
as "various things happened" is
because it's a hassle.
Thinking is
a hassle, you know.
The same goes for note.
Thinking about writing is quite hard to get started with.
It was fun!
It was exciting!
It was interesting!
It's easy to just leave it at that, but
whether it conveys 100% to the reader
is also difficult.
Yes,
The parts we truly want to convey
must be described in detail.
Even if you say,
“I kicked the ball in soccer,” there is drama in that moment.
✅ Did you kick it with your right foot?
✅ What was the goalkeeper doing?
✅ What was the level of tension?
✅ Why did you decide to make that move?
✅ What was the fear of failure?
Since we are human,
we have thoughts in that instant.
Breaking this down and writing it out
is troublesome.
That is why we want to line up “vague” words.
Like “exciting, fun...” and so on.
This part, this part is what I really want to convey!
For scenes like that,
it becomes necessary to recall and express them
in great detail.
⭕️ The courage to “discard” memories
Having said that,
if you write everything in detail, there is no end to it.
If you explained every single move,
it would become as thick as a dictionary.
That is precisely why,
the scenes you should write about
must be selected.
Where is the moment that you
want them to know about above all else?
What is the emotion that you
want them to know about above all else?
What we should spend our time
writing about
is what we want them to know.
We must not waste the energy of the
readers who read our writing.
To have them read efficiently,
leave behind information efficiently.
Yes,
be prepared to discard unnecessary parts.
I think this is a common occurrence in writing, but just when you are writing,
you end up wanting to write about this and that.
You end up wanting to write about all sorts of things.
"Oh! Come to think of it!"
"I want to write about this too!"
As you are typing away,
you might go off on a tangent...
or make it too long...
And there are many times when the part you want to convey
becomes blurred.
If you have decided to "write only this,"
then focus on that one point.
Memories you want to transcribe one after another
will come to mind.
...but, you must resist.
It is the courage to discard.
Because it is a topic narrowed down to a single point of breakthrough,
you can increase the probability of reaching the reader.
Thank you for reading this far!
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