Everyone asks. They’re all worried that they’re writing too much, or not enough. (Nobody seems to worry that they’re writing exactly the right amount and that someone will be confused or annoyed.) So what’s the answer? How long should a blog post or book or chapter or any written work be? Here’s an analogy which [...]
Back when I was angrier, I used to say “Never argue with an idiot; they’ll drag you down to their level, then beat you with their expertise.” How do you avoid getting sucked into pointless flame wars, especially the kind that happen via email at the office, but also the kind that happen at your [...]
So next time someone asks you “What’s Joel’s favorite punctuation mark?” you’ll have the definitive answer.
anger arguing argument assumption assumptions background books brevity challenges communication embarrassment expectations family fear generosity giving honesty indignation intent intentions joel d canfield Karen Lynn last word lie logic lying manners no passion perception perceptions process psychology punctuation quote reading reality semicolon simplicity sources stress trolls truth writing yes
