To Make a Long Story Short

That's your job

Dance Hall Bellevue (obverse) by Ernst Ludwig Kirschner, c. 1909 (public domain - National Gallery of Art)

“Brevity is the sister of talent.” — Anton Chekov, 1889

Is there any better opening line than “I’ll be brief”?

The people are in their seats, the speaker begins, expectations are set.

It’s always helpful to know what you’re in for, whether you’re listening to a keynote speech or a knock-knock joke.

When you’re prepared for one length and you get the opposite, it makes you feel something, doesn’t it? Think of how delighted if you feel when someone says, “To make a long story short…”

Or the opposite, as someone drones on and on, like a 7-year-old telling a joke with no end in sight.

They mistakenly think that by making things longer and more complex they’re improving the story. To be fair, there are times when details matter and flowery descriptions add to the scene.

More isn’t always better; sometimes more is just more.

“The secret of a good sermon i…