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CertainlyWorse  No one is coming. It's just you.  3d ago (text post)   877 thread views

Speechcraft and Pithiness: Give your tips here

This isn't a large question. Because of the users we have here, I think we could all benefit from short sharp tips to edit our own words.

In this topic, can you provide advice on how to curate yourself when you throw words in speech and on 'paper'.

Links to 'speechcraft' sources are appreciated.

I'll start:

  • Take a second to think about how someone else would hear your words if they were you. (rule 0)
  • Curate and cut your words before you throw them.
  • "Brevity is the soul of wit" - Hamlet - Shakespeare.
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I think writing is next to impossible to give good advice for improving, leaving aside very obvious tips like "get an editor or a friend with good taste to read it over; proof-read yourself; keep writing and assess how feedback changes; want to look Literary™? Use semicolons."

I can at least say that effort and persistence pays off. When I look at my old essays, even very popular ones, I see a hundred things I'd do differently if I were to rewrite them.

Everything else is often idiosyncratic, and advice that's good for someone might the opposite of what another person should hear.

I must say, LLMs can be useful tools, though you shouldn't take what they say as gospel truth. I often find them useful for just vibe checking drafts, though you need to heavily discount for sycophancy.

proof-read yourself;

There are small things like this. Like 'walk away and come review tomorrow' in the same way you would with an important email.

I'm typing this out because I don't really want to take this on board.

I'm lucky because 90% of the time, I'm happy with my first draft. I know people who become obsessed with continuously editing and rewriting to the point they're never happy with the outcome. Usually I just look for typos and then let it rip without worrying further.

I think my web serial is well past several hundred thousand words, and most of it was written on the fly. This wasn't to its obvious detriment, and I'm pleased with its reviews.

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