Post 46-Is Our Blog Too Long?

John began July 8, ‘17 at 5:18 PM

Hey Dana

            Do you ever think we write too much stuff? That we’re too wordy? Or, that we don’t know when to quit? Every once-n-awhile, I do.

            Some on-line entity called Fast Company suggests word lengths for various forms of social media to be most effective in reaching their readership. You and I go a “bit” over any of the acceptable lengths. (For any of our readers, however, who are trying to work social media to their best advantage, they should pay attention to this article on Fast Company.) But think of this Dana, is it any wonder that so many people today (of course, not our readers!) can’t string a decent length sentence together or when you listen to people talk, most of what they say is “duhs” and “you knows” you know? It’s no wonder we’re not the literate country we used to be.

            “The study, conducted by John W. Miller, president of Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Conn., analyzes  trends in literate behavior and literacy in more than 60 countries.”. In this study, Nordic countries were found to be the most literate in the world, but Western Hemisphere countries didn’t do well. Finland is number 1 and America is number 7, according to the Washington Post article by Valarie Strauss., on 2/8/16 from which this quote is taken.

            Here are some statistics from the Fast Company article “The Proven, Ideal Length of Every Tweet, Facebook Post and Headline Online” (search this title since the link wants to add cookies to your computer).

            The ideal length of a Tweet is 100 characters. The article goes on to say, “There’s no magical length for a Tweet, but a recent report by Buddy Media revealed that Tweets shorter than 100 characters get a 17% higher engagement rate.” According to this,  I think we’re out of luck, Dana, concerning our writing and getting people to read our stuff.

            Just 40 characters is the ideal length of a Facebook post. But 40 is the magic number that Jeff Bullas found was most effective in his study of retail brands on Facebook. He measured engagement of posts, defined by “like” rate and comment rate, and the ultra-short 40-character posts received 86% higher engagement than others.

            The article also states that Google headlines should not exceed 60 characters to be most effective.

            As a side note, due to this post, I have been searching Google for the impact of social media on our brains and found an interesting  study that gives the impact to one’s brain for the person spending a lot of time with social media. https://www.bustle.com/articles/20424-how-social-media-affects-us-your-brain-on-facebook-twitter-and-more   The Bustle article ended with this, “Or, to put it more bluntly, receiving a text message lights up the same area of the brain as taking heroin or cocaine.”

            According to one on-line source named Randy (??): “Randy sez: 1500 word scenes would be about six pages of manuscript and maybe 4 or 5 pages in the printed book, depending on page size and font size and all that. I shoot for an average of 2500 words per scene, so if I were writing your book, I'd probably have two scenes for most chapters. Jun 8, 2010 “  Do you know that we are probably breaking all the writing and editorial rules because our blog posts often contain at least 3,000 to 3,500 plus words?

When I was writing non-fiction articles for journals and magazines, the editors used to squirm if I got over 1,200 to 1,500 words in my manuscripts, and more than a few preferred around 750 words.

            As a former professional writer, I can edit and shorten material, but you, who leans more toward the educator/preacher type hasn’t got a chance at shortening things up.  J  

            This reminds me of a M*A*S*H rerun I recently saw. Hawkeye, in order to prove to himself he had not become a drunk, says to himself and the camp that he can quit if he wants to, and then sets out to try and stop, even if temporarily. He failed.

            Again, because I was a professional, more than once I’ve thought about our post lengths. I’ve wondered if we could shorten them. But then, what of the value of what we have to say? How much would be lost, if anything? (For those readers who think I’m suffering from a gigantic case of hubris,  Humm, possibly, but God has a way of skinning that off of those who are clothed in it.)

            Of course you’ve read the Apostle Paul’s writings. For example, last week in our home group, we began to study the book of Hebrews. While I know the authorship of that book is unknown, look at the first few verses of Chapter 1. Does this sound and look like one of Paul’s verses that stretch on, Heb 1:1-4 NKJV. While it might stretch, it is almost impossible to not be caught up in the grandeur of God and His Son.

 

¹ God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; ³ who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

 

            Or how about these two sentences of Paul that go from verse 3 to verse 14 (Eph 3:3-14 KJV)

 

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

⁴ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

⁵ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

⁶ To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

⁷ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

⁸ Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

⁹ Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

¹⁰ That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

¹¹ In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

¹² That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

¹³ In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

¹⁴ Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

 

            Oh, that I could write extended, run-on sentences of that magnificence that  fill one’s heart with such joy unspeakable and full of glory.

 

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Dana’s Reply on  Mon, Jul 10, 2017 at 7:25 AM

Hi John,

     My only thought is to quote an old, and sadly unknown Southern source who once said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

     It is my sincere hope that God may receive glory from our efforts despite any and all of our shortcomings.  Among other reasons I write the blog is that I enjoy doing something with you, and that hopefully someone might be able to relate to something we say and thus receive some help.

     As I receive no compensation from any controlling party for what I write, I therefore feel no compulsion or obligation whatsoever to tailor what I write to some set of standards that someone else has set.  What I write is something I believe God has given me to “say.”  If it doesn’t meet someone’s definition of how many words are appropriate, or doesn’t conform to all writing and editorial rules, well, I’m sorry.  Who made them my authority anyway?

     In the movie “Amadeus,” the composer Mozart is told by the King that one of his musical pieces has “too many notes,” to which he replied, “Which ones would you have me remove?” or something to that effect. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  Not that I compare myself to Mozart, but the point is obvious.  There is a line in a Bob Weir song that says, “Just because somebody says it, doesn’t mean that it’s true.” If we have to submit to some set of implied or stated rules, especially coming from someone on the internet, I’ll probably just say “adios,” and disappear into the sunset.

     To have to conform to standards we didn’t set for ourselves, doesn’t interest me at all.  If people think that what we write is too long, they are certainly free to leave a comment, but shouldn’t be too disappointed if it doesn’t become an agent of change.  If it’s a worthy idea, fine, it will be given due consideration, but again, I’m not under any obligation to comply.

     This whole idea (to me) has the same flavor of the modern notion that since people do not come to church anymore, then perhaps we should turn the Sunday School department into a Starbuck’s or a gym to get them to come.  If my writings are too long, I’m willing to shorten them down to zero words, if that makes everybody happy.

     Dana

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John responded on Mon, Jul 10, 2017 at 8:23 AM

Hi Dana

            I like how you worded your email to which you attached your most recent portion of this post. It was succinct, “You probably won't like my response....” I didn’t expect anything but.

            I’ve been working my way through the book of Jeremiah. When I’m just reading, my way through, I try to read three, and sometimes four, chapters a day. This way I can finish reading the entire Bible, usually, in one year. But if I am studying, really studying or if I am in the midst of a trial, it might take me a week or more to “finish” an appropriate, or helpful, chapter.  Chapters 49, 50, and 51 of Jeremiah seem to stretch on forever (see comment on hyperbole above). Honestly, sometimes when I reach a portion of scripture of the length and intricacy (for me) like the three above referenced chapters, I think, “Oh no. These stretch on forever.” 

            But then, sometimes, the Lord will bring to my memory 2 Tim 3:16-17 (NKJV) ¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

            Then, at other times I remember an example Brother Carr gave during one of his chapel messages on the importance of consistent, daily, Bible reading. He likened daily reading to a river that constantly runs over or beats against a rock. The rock is seemingly impenetrable, but in time the constant movement and action of the water begins to wear the solid stone away.

            So, I keep reading, trying to read every day so that God’s word will wear away the rough edges of my being and of my soul, to help me become more like Christ.

            That being said, now back to the subject of this post—our blog’s length. When we started this, I felt you have been called to be a prophet for our time. (see our introductory post where I explain this http://foxholecowboysblog.blogspot.com/2016/07/introduction-1.html ) As we have written back and forth through the months, that feeling has not changed. You are who you are and I am who I am, and I think this is one of the reasons this blog works. We’re different, but we each want to serve and please the living God, the Creator, and His Son, our Savior. Sometimes we succeed, and sometimes we don’t. We aren’t trying to add to scripture, but we, hopefully, sometimes make it easier to understand or challenge people to a closer walk with Him. And, I genuinely believe God has given you things to say to not only our readers, but the world for this time. So, although the former professional writer side of me sometimes struggles with the length of some of our blog posts, the blogger in me says there’s no reason to change anything, yet.

            We’ll leave it to the readers, and God to decide.

Your friend and brother in Christ

John 

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Dana adds a post script at 11:21 AM on Mon, Jul 10, 2017

John, you wrote:

      “When we started this, I felt you have been called to be a prophet for our time. (see our introductory post where I explain this http://foxholecowboysblog.blogspot.com/2016/07/introduction-1.html ) As we have written back and forth through the months, that feeling has not changed.”

     Titles are something with which I have never quite been comfortable.  Linking me with the prophetic gift or task, is extremely heavy.  While I do appreciate your confidence in me, I scarcely see my standing with the likes of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, or John the Revelator. I must strongly insist that if I am to be considered a prophet, then it is, most certainly, of the school of the north end of Balaam’s donkey when he is facing south. 

    Heehaw,

    Dana