“There is no such thing as an attention span. People have infinite attention if you are entertaining them.” — Jerry Seinfeld
This insightful quote comes from a recent PC World article about whether the web is dumbing us down. We’ve all heard the argument that in this world of webisodes and Tweet-sized content, our online attention span is short at best. But this article asserts – correctly, in my opinion – that while people do skim online content very quickly, they actually spend more time reading content than offline readers once they’ve found something that interests them.
The article goes on to challenge anyone writing online content to ensure everything they’re producing ... Read more »
The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.
-Mark Twain
Hi to everyone, I’m Brilliant Ink’s newest employee Cyrus Amiry. I study communications at NYU, so I’m obviously excited to be here at Brilliant Ink actually doing some legwork. Coming from a writing background, this quote spoke volumes to me.
I find this expression to be especially true when writing or communicating creatively. We’ve all read sentences where you know what the author is trying to say, but his word choice is simply off, sometimes horrendously so. For example, here’s a cringe-worthy word choice I recently saw in a sentence: “The ... Read more »
“I was a dog on a short chain and now there’s no chain.” — Jim Harrison, “Barking”
April is National Poetry Month, and while you may think we’ve had our fill of commemorating special months on the Brilliant Blog, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share a favorite poem. The quote above is from author/poet/free spirit Jim Harrison, who has been referred to as a “force of nature.” He’s written several novels and may be best known for his novella Legends of the Fall, which was turned into a feature film starring Brad Pitt, but he considers himself a poet first. His writing is spare, powerful and haunting. Below is the poem “Barking” (from ... Read more »
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language, and next year’s words await another voice.” – T.S. Eliot
Happy Friday and Happy New Year, y’all! Here’s to the words, language and voices of 2010.
@lizkelly
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“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know.” – Ernest Hemingway
Regular readers of the Brilliant Blog know that we have a massive writer’s “crush” on Ernest Hemingway. Not only was he an incredible author, but he also has a great way of sharing his writing advice with others. I recently came across this quote, which really hit home for me. So often, I find myself sitting down to write and struggling to get started. But if you follow Hemingway’s advice and start with one straightforward and honest sentence, the rest just flows from there. It’s really that simple.
Want to read more about ... Read more »
“I think we’re in the midst of a literacy revolution the likes of which we haven’t seen since Greek civilization.” — Andrea Lunsford, professor of writing and rhetoric at Stanford University
It’s a familiar refrain – young people are so reliant on technology and so comfortable with the short-hand language they use in text messages and e-mail that they just don’t write as well as the generations before them. We’ve even discussed it here on the Brilliant Blog. But a recent article in Wired magazine turns that assertion on its head.
The article highlights the findings of a five-year study conducted by Stanford writing professor Andrea Lunsford. Lunsford analyzed thousands of writing ... Read more »
“This is nothing less than astounding. The FDA is seeking input on social media and pharma.” – Mark Senak, Eye on FDA blog
Yes, today’s quote for the day may be a bit over-dramatic. But for anyone who works in or with the pharmaceutical industry, this is BIG news. Earlier this week, the FDA announced that it will host a public hearing to examine the issue of drug promotion via the Internet and social media.
As discussed in an earlier post on the Brilliant Blog, the pharma industry has been reluctant to dive into the world of social media. That’s because there’s been a lack of clear guidance from the ... Read more »
“The essence of this tragedy, it seems to me, derives from a fundamental absence of empathy on the part of the attackers: an inability to imagine, or connect with, the humanity and suffering of others. Such a failure of empathy, such numbness to the pain of a child or the desperation of a parent, is not innate; nor, history tells us, is it unique to a particular culture, religion, or ethnicity. It may find expression in a particular brand of violence, and may be channeled by particular demagogues or fanatics. Most often, though, it grows out of a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair.” – Barack Obama, September ... Read more »
“My boarding pass has a huge headline saying ‘Continental.’ The flight attendant said, ‘Thank you for flying Continental.’” – Passenger on Continental flight 2816
Earlier this week, 50 passengers were stranded overnight on a Continental Airlines flight bound for Minneapolis. Due to severe storms, the flight was diverted to Rochester, Minnesota – just 80 miles from Minneapolis. Then, for reasons that remain unclear, passengers were forced to stay on the grounded plane for six hours. They were not allowed to leave the plane and enter the terminal, much less take a bus to their final destination. I shudder to think what it must have been like – trapped on a small ... Read more »
“If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time—a tremendous whack.” – Sir Winston Churchill
Who better to give advice on clear, persuasive writing than one of the greatest politicians of all time? Some trivia: Winston Churchill was also the only British Prime Minister to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, so clearly he knows what he’s talking about!
We found this and several other spot-on writing quotes on the Ragan blog. Enjoy!
@annmelinger
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