Those handwritten notes I asked for??

Thank you!! And a Writing Tip: How to Write Short

Scroll down for a BONUS writing tip: How to Write Short. It’s part of my occasional series, Writing Tips.

When I invited readers to send me a handwritten note recently, I wasn’t sure what to expect. A week later, I turned the key to our little P.O. box here in Maine and discovered, to my utter surprise, a stash of handwritten envelopes with return addresses I didn’t recognize. I’ve received over a dozen hand scrawled letters and cards, postmarked from Canada and Mexico and across the U.S., some short, some longer, a few from people I know, but most from those I don’t.

I’m reading and re-reading each one¹ to fully appreciate the thought and care that went into these notes.

I never expected to receive this many lovely notes from readers. They mean so much!

A special thank you to these readers who wrote me…

Karen Maeda Allman (Seattle, WA); Stained Glass in the City by Mary Austin (Kalamazoo, MI);

Lisa

Babin (Saint John, New Brunswick, CA);

Christine Beck

(Avon, CT); Bonnie Lee Black (San Miguel de Allende, MX);

Rachel Kramer Bussel

(Egg Harbor Township, NJ);

Stella Fosse

(Pittsboro, NC);

Jenn H

(Wyncote, PA);

Jeanine Kitchel

(Santa Barbara, CA);

Rona Maynard

(Toronto, CA);

Julie-Roxane

(Oakland, OR); Chris Ross at

Stonington Public Library

(Stonington, ME); Harriet Warm (Cleveland, OH).

Lisa

included a marvelous idea:

“My mother and I resend cards to each other, adding on to each send. We also resend the same Mother’s Day card that her mother sent her. My mother is a firecracker at 84!!”

A hand-painted card by Bonnie Lee Black, a friend who lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Thank you Bonnie!

Thank you to each one of you for the time and care you put into your letters. I love every one, the scribbly handwriting, and the messages themselves. They mean the world and are, in one sense², the best “thank you” I’ve ever received for the work I put into this newsletter.

Before you go, a related writing tip…

How to write short

It’s okay to give your readers (and yourself!) a break from longer, more in-depth essays. These lazier summer days are inviting me to spend less time crafting long-form posts (maybe you’re feeling the same way), so today I’m offering some tips for writing short³. I challenged myself to keep this post brief as a way to illustrate what you can do in relatively few words. There’s a lot more to say about the art and craft of brevity⁴, but I’m keeping it simple… and short.

Write about one thing

I know how tempting it is for Substack writers to include digressions. They’re often wonderful, but in this case, don’t. Pick one thing, not too complicated (thank you for your letters), and stick to it. Maybe it’s an activity that’s giving you special pleasure right now (weeding your perennial garden? swimming in cold waters?). Be specific. Include a question that makes your readers think. And ditch a meandering first paragraph!⁵

An exception to this general rule is

Abigail Thomas

who frequently publishes short dreamy riffs on what she’s noticing around her. Because Abby is so well known, and so skilled as a writer, this works (and her subscribers love it).

Sign post your draft with subheads

The reader can quickly skim and it’s also a reminder to you, the writer, to stay on track. Maybe you jot down the main points you want to include before you start drafting a short post; that’s what I did here. 

Include one scene

It’s barely a scene but I hope it works. I tell you at the top of this post about inserting the key into my post box and the lovely surprise of finding postmarked letters from readers. By making the “discovery” a scene, you can almost visualize and feel my delight. You don’t need a lot of words to paint a scene that expresses emotion.  

Include a meaningful photo

A fitting image always makes your post memorable, whether someone is checking out your home page or finding you via a restack in Notes. I’m amazed at how good Substack’s stock photo option is, but if you can’t find one that you like, snap your own photo as I did here.

Tell your readers it’s a short post

They’ll be okay with it, promise. As much as they (well, all of us) love reading on Substack, they want to get outside and enjoy a summer day.

Questions for readers

• How do you feel about occasional short posts from Substack writers you know and subscribe to?

• What gives a short post value for you?

It’s not too late to write…

I forgot to include my postal address. I promise to write back, although it may take me a while.

Debbie Weil
P.O. Box 786
Stonington, ME 04681
USA

If you missed them, some other Writing Tips

How to sidestep writer’s block (Writing Tip #1)

How [not] to keep a travel journal (Writing Tip #2)

Punctuation Advice from an Internet Pioneer (Writing Tip #3)

1. The letters are still trickling in; my apologies if I haven’t mentioned your note!

2. In another sense, the best thank you is to become a paid subscriber! Link goes to a significant discount until July 21st.

3. I’m defining “short” as 600 - 800 words.

4. One of my favorite books about the craft of writing (and how to be succinct) is William Zinsser’s classic On Writing Well.

5. Great tips on cutting your first paragraphs from

Sarah Fay | Writers at Work

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