Darwin, Glazery and Sales

*I'm posting this on Ben's behalf* -Ian

Darwin was wrong. With the advent of one-click publishing, YouTube and Twitter, the frail and bankrupt ideas of every screaming meemie on this planet live prosperous lives. Publication and dissemination, privileges once reserved for those artistic works capable of surviving the gauntlet of rigorous editing, peer critique and general worthiness, are now conferred on garbage and treasure in equal measure. Whose grand idea was this, that survival benefits are unilaterally awarded to the entire world of ideas?

For now I will avoid the long dive into social critique and drudgery. I will also abstain from drawing endless metaphors (e.g., the McDonald-ization of art) and analogical failures (e.g., the U.S. welfare system). I would much prefer to make a direct contribution to the remedy: let us discuss appropriate writing strategies.

You are writing a grant or blog. While there may be little to no credible competition to your brilliant ideas in the marketplace, there are pretenders nonetheless. Hordes of them. This bears quite a few unfortunate consequences, chief of them being the ‘white-noise’ factor. Do you ever stop to wonder why, exactly, most of us pay no mind to the supermarket tabloids claming to have pictures of an alien? Not because the claim is outrageous, but because every tabloid always makes outrageous claims. No one is listening anymore; the glaze factor has set in.

Your readers assuredly have a similar affliction. You are just another tabloid, bound to be ignored unless critical steps are taken. Here are a few:

1) Once and Done: Unless you are a trained writer, you likely spend egregious amounts of time needlessly explaining your idea. Delete more sentences than you commit to the final draft.
2) Nobody Cares: Sell your idea quickly. You must claw your way out of hundreds of competing applications, letters, blogs, etc. Begin your piece with a vivid image, intriguing claim or cold facts that will compel your reader not to toss out your work.
3) Get to the Point: If your mind is properly functioning, every idea you write will likely remind you of three others that are intriguing. Do not include these in your final draft. While reading through your work, repeatedly ask yourself, “Why does this point matter?”
I hope this was helpful!