"Narrow slice" article topics are better

An article that covers a topic exhaustively can exhaust the reader. Writing about a narrow slice of that topic can be much more engaging.

This quote by New York Times health columnist Tara Parker-Pope, in Maura Casey's "Tips, Tricks & Rewards of Writing Short," makes a similar point:

"Kitchen sink stories do too much.... If you take on a big, unwieldy topic, you can wind up with a big, unwieldy story. Our writing improves when we try to do a little less, but do it better." 

So, the next time you write about, for example, the bond market, don't try to cover everything. Pick one slice that reflects an important development in that asset class.



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Susan B. Weiner, CFA
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Copyright 2008 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved