Is there an “ideal length” for a piece of writing?
Is there an “ideal length” for a piece of writing?
When you write, your goal is to make some point. Preferably, one.
The form and format of that writing depends on the depth of your point and the length you wish to go in its defense.
Here’s one of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s points, from the 10,000-word transcendentalist essay, Self-Reliance:
“To believe our own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men -- that is genius.”
Here’s one of Maggie Smith’s points, written 175 years later in her 17-line modern poem, Good Bones:
“This place could be beautiful, right? You could make this place beautiful.”
Many people desperately search for the “best” way to go about their work.
There isn’t one. Not in writing.
There is no “best” genre. There is no “best” format. There is no “best” writer. There is a best process for you, but you will not find it in a well-crafted tweet thread. Effective writers build their own processes around their personalities, responsibilities, goals, and lives.
Ralph spent 2 years in the 1820s tucked in a cabin by the woods with few distractions and fewer interruptions. Ideal for long, focused essays.
Maggie raised 2 kids. She wrote poetry.
Inquiring minds sometimes ask for the “ideal” word count. I never know what answer to give.
The most accurate answer: write as many words as you need to make your point, honest and true as possible, within the constraints of your deadline, self-imposed or otherwise.
But that’s a little too high-minded for some…
So.
500 words?
Sure.
500 words is probably the ideal length.
(This post is 274)