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Most months have 30 or 31 days. Take around 10 percent away and what do you get?
February!
Here’s the challenge this month: can you trim your writing by 10 percent?
Yes, even social media.
Find the evidence in the study Causal Effects of Brevity on style and Success in Social Media published in the Communications of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction. Researchers found that social media messages were more successful when edited down. The sweet spot was 10 and 20 percent shorter.
Look at your writing this month. Can you trim the words by 10 percent?
Here’s the theory behind these challenges: small, incremental improvements that become habits pile up.
These challenges ask you to practice different aspects of the craft one month at a time. By year end, your writing skills will have improved.
Let me know if it works!
January Writing Challenge
Cuesta Park Consulting & Publishing publishes books and online courses for writers and marketing professionals. Books are available in print, ebook, and audiobook formats from a wide range of retailers. For more information, visit AnneJanzer.com.