Yes, someone actually said that to me. Well, not exactly. What I was told was that I need to think younger in order to market to a younger audience and that my blog posts should be shorter. Short. Pithy. Fun.
Apparently, being myself is no longer the best way to succeed.
As for being old, I’m not quite sure when that happened. Of course, I’m not elderly by any stretch, but I know what the person who said it meant. There was a time when I was the youngest and smartest (or so I thought) person in the room. Not anymore. And believe it or not, I find sometimes that I get stuck on old ideas or old ways of doing things (“It works; don’t fix it.”) just like the old folks I used to criticize did. Ouch.
So, I’m actively trying to open my mind to new ideas and to “think young.” The “think young” part isn’t easy because my brain keeps chiming in with thoughts like, “That’s messy!” or “That’s not professional.” I have to make myself push aside that first thought and take a new look.
As for writing too much, yeah, I’m guilty. I’ve always had the bad habit of writing more than anyone wanted to read. In elementary school, the other kids got minimum length requirements and the teachers always gave me maximum limits. I’m the writing equivalent of someone who talks too much, and no one likes the person who hogs the conversation.
So, I’ll be more brief.
Starting now.
*************************
Want lots of grant writing tips? Take a look at 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers.
Follow me on Twitter! http://twittercom/grantgoddess
I’m not sure about the old bit, but, yeah, you write too much. I often don’t read your posts because they tent to be longer than my available time/attention span.
Josh,
Do I write too much or is your attention span too short? LOL
Yes, that was a joke. Clearly, I’ve received the message. Thanks for your comment.
I’ve learned a lot from your blog over the months I’ve been reading it. Your candor and experience shine through.
The most recent post that I got a lot out of was the musing about evaluation and ethics in government grants.
I look forward to the continued iterations of your blog — shorter paragraphs and all. I admire you for being open to feedback. But as you know, you’ve got a lot to say! Please know that your readers appreciate what you share.
Esther –
Thanks for the kind words of encouragement! I’m glad you’ve found my musings and tips useful.
I don’t care what others have to say about the length of your posts. If I find something interesting (and that is IF), then I read it; regardless of length. Actually, if I am TRULY interested, I usually want MORE than what is offered. You should continue to write your posts as long as you want, Veronica. The trick to keeping people engaged is content. These people that are complaining about length are not the ones you should WANT to keep engaged. You and I, we like to write; and we should continue to do so.
Sincerely, Jason
Your friend on Twitter (@grantprosinc)
You want to see some long posts? Look at some of the grant news I post on my blog! (http://www.grantpros2011.wordpress.com) Some are brief because I don’t necessarily care much for the article, but others go on for days!