Writing Tips in the Bible?/ Heavenly Writing

Writing Tips in the Bible?/ Heavenly Writing

Yes, there are writing tips in the Bible! The biggest challenge for any writer is not putting words in an article, story, or poem but taking them out. The most beautiful phrase in the world of literature does not mean anything unless it means something. The problem with every writer is sometimes they want to add a beautiful phrase where it doesn't belong. I do, did, and done this.
When I write that special, exquisite, and glorious passage I am transported into a euphoric state where I imagine myself as one of the world's great literary geniuses. I arrive in literary heaven where it seems even God reads and takes notes from what I've written.

Falling from heaven:

My heavenly experience comes crashing down the next week when I re-read my wondrous lines. Yikes! I realize I've put a string of nice but inappropriate images in a story where they don't belong. Not only that, the story is more bloated than I am after a potluck. What's the solution? I cut out, trim down, and re-write the passage until it is lean and clean. I put my words on a diet! Just like I do with my swollen belly after a potluck.

Resources:

There are a few books on the market that show you how to write tight. One of them is titled amazingly, “Write Tight,” by William Brohough and is one of my favorites. By the way, writing tight is a perfect style when you write for the web. A word of caution; please don't use this article as a flawless model of tight writing. I'm still working on that one.
“Okay,” you say, “you've made your point, but I thought this article had a tip from the Bible?” You're right! Here is the writing tip from Bible.

More can mean less

“The more the words, the less the meaning; how does that profit anyone?” Ecclesiastes 6:11 (NIV)

You can take this to extremes, but this is a verse I burned in my heart and my head as a writer. After all, this is advice from the wisest man in the history of world, King Solomon. Not a bad source to quote from when you think about it. Write tight and I think when you do then you will write to inspire.

Copyright 2001 Glenn White