Sunday, September 12, 2010

Twitter's Tweets: a literary format!

I read an interesting article by Chris Vognar that addressed tweeting as a viable forum for short writing. He spoke not of the typical tweet territory of sharing links or emotional shout-outs or celebrity self-celebratory spouting, but of the new format discovered by those who celebrate the art of the written word. Held to the tight requirement of 140 characters, writers/authors/journalists and all manner of humans and Dragons who enjoy writing can wring words until they are rendered bone stark and reduced to their most fundamental sense.

Brevity. Conciseness. Succinctness. 'Less is More' are 3 words so tightly packed with righteous truth, if you add water they'll explode! Twitter provides an opportunity to perfect an economy of style through vigorous editing. What true writer wouldn't love the challenge to say something utterly profound within the parameters of a few short sentences?
  
Forget the links (well, not entirely! I do enjoy following those digital byways to new knowledge and revelations) and the oh-so-yawn-inducing announcement of where your posterior/rear/tail is settled at the moment, and strive, fellow witty writers to achieve true literary heights via nuggets of crisp and poignant syllables.  Tame your prose, clip the bloat, slice the fat (s'only good on steaks and pork chops in any case!) and bring new literary achievements to the Twitter universe. Make reading 140 characters worthwhile.
 
As a Dragon I've a tendency to excess...however, in the spirit of tweeting purity, I shall endeavor to explore the strategy of 'write tight'. Adapt! Enjoy the technology. S'likely more folks will read a two sentence wonder than a 1,000 page novel. Sad but true.

The Dragon has spoken... 

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