Shortness and Attention

Today’s attention spans are short.

Shortest they’ve ever been.

So you better make your point.

Better keep it short.

A little like these paragraphs.

These short paragraphs don’t feel too good, don’t they? Something feels off. Is it that they’re too short? Curious, because when we read poetry, we’re used to shorter lines. But those lines don’t rhyme, that must be it. Maybe. How about this: those lines feel manufactured, trying to make a point, and your mind is distracted by that effort. Whatever the reason, your mind noticed the flaw. You should keep things short, but not like this.

This last paragraph was a little better to read, wasn’t it? First, the sentences varied in length. Second, there was a problem to solve that you, the reader, could take part in. There was a something special. That something was flow.

Yes, flow is this odd cheat to make time disappear. Flow will lengthen those attention spans, even as the text gets longer. Each next word becomes predictable. You’re engaged, you become absorbed, and things are pleasant.

There does seem to be a shortness of attention, borne by a culture of clips and tweets and sound bites. And maybe you do have to keep things short.

But if you want your stories to feel pleasant, if you want your point to be considered, remember to write in a form that flows.

You might get everyone’s attention.