How to Write Short

Word Craft for Fast Times

By: Roy Peter Clark

Narrated by: Roy Peter Clark

America's most influential writing teacher offers an engaging and practical guide to effective short-form writing.

In How to Write Short , Roy Peter Clark turns his attention to the art of painting a thousand pictures with just a few words. Short forms of writing have always existed - from ship logs and telegrams to prayers and haikus. But in this ever-changing Internet age, short-form writing has become an essential skill. Clark covers how to write effective and powerful titles, headlines, essays, sales pitches, Tweets, letters, and even self-descriptions for online dating services. With examples from the long tradition of short-form writing in Western culture, How to Write Short guides writers to crafting brilliant prose, even in 140 characters.

©2013 Roy Peter Clark (P)2013 Gildan Media LLC

Timeless tips for any writer

What did you love best about How to Write Short?

Yes, it's ironic that a book about writing short is so long - but that's because it's packed full of perfect examples! This builds on his other book (Writing Tools) and is a perfect accompaniment.

What did you like best about this story?

Great tips. Even they're dated, the examples are still relevant - and I think they always will be.

What about Roy Peter Clark’s performance did you like?

Solid all around. I listened at 1.5 speed.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The way he compared a story to facts - Facts can help you get somewhere. A story places you directly in it.

Any additional comments?

Get it.

One to read and not listen

I wish I had read the print version to make notes in. If I get around to doing so, I’ll get a lot more out of it than if I had just read it.

Great listen

This could be useful for anyone who enjoys writing even an email or text or someone just interested in the craft of writing

Entertaining, but more survey than instruction.

Would you try another book from Roy Peter Clark and/or Roy Peter Clark?

Based on this book, perhaps not.

Any additional comments?

More nuts-and-bolts instruction, the purported 'How to' of the book's title, would have improved it.

Excellent listen for communicating better

Great audio and the info was stimulating and meaningful. Well worth l
istening to 👍

Excellent book that lives up to its title.

This is a comprehensive, but plain-language treatise on "short writing", which covers everything the title describes, including epitaphs, emails, any form of text, tweet, or sound bite you care to name, journalistic accounts, safety instructions, advertisements, political and commercial "pitches", song lyrics, you name it. For me, the section on poetry, which is short writing par excellence, is an outstanding non-technical introduction to the subject. Another virtue of the book is that, despite being "short", it is not short in attribution, because it is thoroughly documents every point the author makes with a thickly knit network of examples and literary references that are not just attention-getting to the very point. Finally, the section about misuses of short writing at the end is well worth as a stand-alone piece. Can't say enough. Will re-read this one because it's worth it..

this is the book to start at...

this gives useful advise. I have no friend's...ducks can be scary...
I spend way to much time on tiktok...
also this book is good

Ironically long

An ironically long book on the topic. Also ironic that Audible requires a twenty word review.

Too Long Still Read, Well Listened

If you want to write short then read short writing. That sums this book up. The rest of this book got tedious. There was some good stuff about where to find short writing to read. But honestly, for a book about how to write short, there was a lot of excess material. The real problem with this is that I now have a hard time remembering the parts of the book I liked. I

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book delivers on its title, How to Write Short. And it also tells you why.