“Story selling” seems to be the magic amulet of the moment these days. So, I point you to a “micro story” written by Hemingway.
Example:
“For Sale: Baby shoes. Never Worn.” – Attributed to Ernest Hemingway
There you have it. 6 words.
Could you communicate more emotion about a product in that few words? If not you, like me, have some work to do.
I love long copy. But I’m afraid its become an excuse for lazy writing.
I’ve noted before that copy master, Frank Irving Fletcher felt most things could be sold in 100 words or less. He forced himself to condense. As he did, his copy gained power. He wasn’t cutting out sales arguments. He was mastering the art of expressing them until they were coiled springs of sales energy.
He said one of the best lessons in writing came from a small ad he ran for 5 years, 3 times a week, always different and always one column inch in the newspaper. It forced his mind to condense a sales argument or idea to its sinewy essence.
Hemingway gave us a model of condensation above. It keeps one humble to study the masters.
