Elements of Writing: Aged vs. Evergreen Content
As I mentioned in a recent post, one of my ongoing (revived) ventures to help get by is that I am back into editing and proofreading book manuscripts.
In wading through 75 pages of printed text, I was reminded of some of the basic elements of writing, and how they are just as relevant online, as they are in print.
I pointed out to one of the authors that I needed to know what year he actually got involved in his industry, and that I didn't like that he's written — several times — that he had "about ten years" in the business.
Early Signs of Spring!
Keeping it Accurate... In the Long Run
What most writers fail to remember is that time passes. When someone picks up that book in 2029, "about ten years' experience" is suddenly an understatement.
If you say "When I started in this business in 2009," rather than "When I started in this business about ten years ago," the information will always be current. And you're basically still saying the same thing...
The underlying "issue" tends to be that we believe that "Ten Years" sounds like a longer time, and hence more impressive when we are talking about our experience. That works just fine when you are in a face-to-face conversation, but not so much with the permanence of print.
I was reminded of this with some of my own writing in a web article from 2007, in which I talked about it being more than ten years since I first learned this fact. I realize that it had actually been 22 years.
Camellia in bloom
Is It Really Relevant?
Perhaps not if you're writing a news story, or about something that's constantly changing.
But it can become very relevant when you are writing about something relating to your work, and your degree of experience and expertise.
In the case of my article — on a self-help/psychology topic — I am actually to the point where I am one of the senior niche experts in that particular area. As such there are lots of others with "ten years" of experience, but only a tiny handful who have been at it for 22 years.
Of course, these are only minor details... but it's important to remember that lots of tiny details is what makes up the whole greater picture!
Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!
What do YOU think? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!
(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Created at 190317 11:26 PST
0935
Never really thought of it in this Context. I guess I have been at it since 71' when I first started writing in Kindergarten :P
Yeah, something like that!
When I was about eight, my mom bought me some blank books, in expectations and hopes that I might turn out to be artistic. I was not, but I soon enough started filling those books with words.
That was 50 years ago, and I'm still at it!