The Absent Uncle: Write, re-write, then submit after review

“If I would have had more time, this letter would have been shorter”.

Quote attributed to Mark Twain (paraphrased) from a letter written to a friend some 150 years ago. 

The other day I was reading an article in a national magazine that analyzed Twain’s quote from an intellectual view and dealing with the ramifications of clarity in communication. I got lost somewhere in the middle of the author’s fairly lengthy essay and thought that possibly the quote was really lost on the writer. 

I was reminded of lessons learned from high school English teachers that stressed, write, re-write, and then submit after critical review.

My experience was that in redrafting any writing, the piece became shorter, more concise. Less wordy. Unless I had left out essential information, the second draft would always yield less words. Subsequent drafts were even more to the point.

This is the essential point of Twain’s quote. Review your writing (thoughts). Boil them down, make sure you are saying what you want to say and not any stray thoughts.

Just imagine if people had the ability and desire to draft and re-draft conversations; clarity and understanding would be so much more concise.