The Long and Short of It

One of my friends, and fellow bloggers, told me today that each blog post should only be about 300-500 words long. EEP! I have regularly broken this rule. Is it a rule or just a guideline? Maybe the thought is that people lose interest at word number 501. Maybe it seems too self-absorbed to write 600 words? I don't know.

I have learned that business emails should be kept brief. You want everything above the fold, meaning that the reader shouldn't have to scroll down. Your email should not exceed the reading pane. It just never occurred to me that my blog should follow the same rules. Sometimes my blogs can be short, but it seems, most of the time they are long. If you know me in person, you know that's just me. I talk a lot. It does take me a while to tell a story, because I like to set the scene for you. I want you to feel like you were there; to understand why this event or tidbit was important enough for me to share with you.

My blog posts are a reflection of me. If it is long, it's because I felt I could not say what I had to say in fewer words and make the same point or impression. I hope the length doesn't offend anyone. Maybe if my entries were shorter, I would have a large following. I've never thought much of popularity, and quite truthfully, am flattered that anyone even reads what I write. I apologize if they are wordy, and I thank you for reading them.

And a PS to my friend who told me about the 300-500 words: no, I'm not offended! I had never thought of it, but now that I have, I don't think I will let it limit me. I'm glad there's no blog police!