I totally agree. I often can't/won't read a blog item that is much longer than 2-3 paragraphs, present company excluded of course. If you can't say it simply, chances are you haven't thought through it enough to start writing.

I talk on the phone in much the same way. Get on, say what I have to say and hang up.

The problem with nearly all speeches is that they are too detailed and too long, probably to fill time allotments. How silly is that?

Was the Gettysburgh Address writtent to time, or was it written to make an impression?

I've heard a lot of speeches.

I don't remember any of them.

The problem with nearly all speeches is that they are too detailed and too long, probably to fill time allotments. How silly is that?

Was the Gettysburgh Address writtent to time, or was it written to make an impression?

I've heard a lot of speeches.

I don't remember any of them.

"I've heard a lot of speeches. I don't remember any of them."

THAT, my non-swearing friend, is fantastic.

The duplicate blathering was not intentional, of course. Once was blathering enough.

That one was worth two.

The RUSH of crafting a piece of writing to be exactly as tight as it should be--well, it's something I try in vain to impart to my classes at the community college.

Speeches are a different breed of cat. They never were INTENDED to give information. They're for cheerleading. Exhorting. Inspiring. Threatening.

All of which activities skate on very thin ice around a big hole called BULLSHITTING.

I'm not saying that speeches always fall into bullshitting--I'm saying that it takes a tremendous effort to make sure they don't.

If I want to impart facts, I'll write them down. If I want to SELL what I've written, I'll give a speech peppered with just enough facts to make it easy for the audience to pretend that we're engaged in a meaningful relationship.

But that's me--and I don't think this is how many people today learn their facts or get their information. What I see is that they learn 100 percent of what they "know" from TALK: televised speeches (of candidates, scientists, artists, etc.), TV talk shows, talk radio, and blogs (which are just talk written out). Our culture has skipped over the reading part and gone straight to the talk.

And really, haven't we all seen this coming?

Maybe the Golden Age of Speechwriting has returned, now that speeches are not a luxury but a necessity. Writing speeches that don't fall into the bullshit hole and do present bona fide information IN WAYS THAT THE AUDIENCE WILL ACTUALLY REMEMBER--maybe this is the next big challenge for corporate communicators.