Rule 14: remove the boring stuff. And according to Annie Lamott and Neil Allen, most of the boring stuff in your writing is the same thing, the part where you try to prove what you just said. We are taught in school that if you make a claim, you have to show your work and prove it. But real writing is not school. A reader who trusts you does not need the proof. They fill in the gaps on their own and want to move on, usually faster than you think. In this conversation, Annie and Neil walk through what it actually takes to cut. Everything they write is too long, they admit, every draft, every email, every text. Annie will know a piece is 500 words too long and hand it to Neil, because by the time you have written a draft your eye starts glancing off the things that most need cutting. There is the old discipline of putting it through the typewriter again, going through every paragraph and taking out everything you can. And there is Jessica Mitford's paraphrase of the hardest rule of all: you must kill your little darlings. Those are the sentences you shoehorn in to make the reader think you are smarter, more educated, more ironic than you are. You love them so much, which is exactly why they have to go, because they stick out to the reader. Underneath all of it is a single principle from Neil's book that Annie calls her favorite sentence: these rules economize, favor the plain spoken and specific, keep the reader's attention sharp, and show respect for the audience's time and desire for novelty. People want to get to something new so they can go do something new. Being a writer, Annie says, means getting the reader to the next page. Three paragraphs about your kindergarten class will not do it. One, written carefully, becomes a mirror the reader can see themselves in. Want to go deeper with Annie Lamott and Neil Allen? Join Sounds True One for more teachings like this. Get your first month FREE at https://bit.ly/4ctecMn Subscribe to Sounds True's YouTube Channel ► https://bit.ly/SubscribeSTYT Sounds True is a mission-driven learning and media company, and a recognized leader in wellbeing, personal growth, and spiritual transformation. Partnering with the world’s foremost wisdom teachers and best-selling authors, the company reaches millions worldwide with its unique programs, digital learning experiences, and worldwide events. The company also features a variety of original series, weekly shows, and live online experiences on Sounds True One, its global platform and community with members across more than 125 countries. Sounds True is a Public Benefit Corporation and also the home of the Sounds True Foundation. Connect with us: ▪️Facebook: http://bit.ly/2XFIIeE ▪️Instagram: http://bit.ly/2UlEoiH ▪️Website: http://bit.ly/2tOl02d