WITH SO MANY distractions for the typical reader these days, authors need to work harder than ever to keep people’s attention. They are not going to keep reading just because you kept writing.

That means finding the right balance between brevity and clarity. You need to say enough to be clear and hold the reader without drowning them in unnecessary details. Unfortunately, this isn’t a simple formula; it’s more something of an art you will develop over time.

Actually, there’s two trends going on in publishing. When it comes to fiction, books have been getting longer in recent years. It’s partly due to the Harry Potter effect. The titles in J.K. Rowlings bestselling fantasy series, which revolutionized the young adult reader market, got longer and other publishers followed suit. When it comes to nonfiction titles, however, they have generally gotten shorter.

Essentially, the goal for a nonfiction author should be to write tight. Don’t let your sentences flag. Be on the lookout for filler phrases or sayings that don’t add anything. For instance, “At this moment in time” is “now” or “currently.”

One way to sharpen up here is to go back to something you may have written a few days ago and make yourself cut the word content by 10 or 15 percent. You’ll be surprised by how much “filler” is in there. Or read it out loud—sometimes it’s easier to spot flab when you hear it. You  may discover that you are taking too long to get to the point of an anecdote or an argument, something bestselling writer Jerry Jenkins calls “throat clearing.”

Another important balance is between detail and drama. Detail is the information that supports what you are saying. Referencing other works can strengthen your own message and make you look smarter. Of course, you have a unique message to share, drawing from your own understanding and your own wisdom, but citing others can help to make it clear that while what you have to say is original, it’s not out of the ordinary. By which I mean, you are trustworthy, not out on the fringes. 

While this emphasis on facts is important, let’s not forget the significance of feelings—this is where the drama comes in.  Good writing doesn’t just connect with people’s heads, it touches their hearts. Stories can convey truth as much as facts. Think about the Bible, for example. There is instruction in there, of course—from the Ten Commandments and the Levitical Laws to the New Testament epistles. But much of the truth of Scripture is conveyed through stories.

A well-told anecdote with just the right amount of detail can make a powerful impact. For instance, I remember many years ago a journalist writing about a young mother struggling with depression and other issues who tragically took her own life and that of her small daughter.

In recounting this as part of an article about mental health, the writer researched and reconstructed the woman’s last couple of days. As part of that, he learned that she had rented a videotape from a local store to watch with her daughter.

That is poignant enough, but the writer didn’t leave it there. He found out which movie it was and included that in the article: The Little Mermaid. That simple little extra detail made the whole episode somehow much more real and moving, reaching our humanity. Sometimes, it’s God who is in the details.