Comments on: Writing My Life in 140 Characters or Less http://www.140characters.com/2009/01/19/writing-my-life-in-140-characters-or-less/ A Style Guide for the Short Form Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:21:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jason Ball http://www.140characters.com/2009/01/19/writing-my-life-in-140-characters-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-1077 Jason Ball Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:23:20 +0000 http://www.140characters.com/?p=139#comment-1077 Interesting. Besides Word, are there any tools out there that say help you evaluate a big chuck of stuff to ready it for a Twitter stream for example? Interesting. Besides Word, are there any tools out there that say help you evaluate a big chuck of stuff to ready it for a Twitter stream for example?

]]> By: Marianne http://www.140characters.com/2009/01/19/writing-my-life-in-140-characters-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-604 Marianne Thu, 07 May 2009 04:27:09 +0000 http://www.140characters.com/?p=139#comment-604 140 characters book. Be sure to have only 140 characters sentences. 140 pages w/ one sentence p/pg with a font size 140pt. ;) That could be the idea on how the book is designed. I can design layout for it. Love the concept. Good luck. M 140 characters book. Be sure to have only 140 characters sentences. 140 pages w/ one sentence p/pg with a font size 140pt. ;)
That could be the idea on how the book is designed. I can design layout for it. Love the concept. Good luck. M

]]> By: Carmen Gonzalez http://www.140characters.com/2009/01/19/writing-my-life-in-140-characters-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-376 Carmen Gonzalez Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:15:15 +0000 http://www.140characters.com/?p=139#comment-376 As Blaise Pascal once said, "If I had more time, I'd have written a shorter letter." Consequently, Twitter supports my leisurely thoughts. As Blaise Pascal once said, “If I had more time, I’d have written a shorter letter.” Consequently, Twitter supports my leisurely thoughts.

]]> By: Michael Locke http://www.140characters.com/2009/01/19/writing-my-life-in-140-characters-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-327 Michael Locke Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:11:46 +0000 http://www.140characters.com/?p=139#comment-327 I love it. As Seth Godin would say, small is the new big. Keep it simple. I love it. As Seth Godin would say, small is the new big. Keep it simple.

]]> By: CJ http://www.140characters.com/2009/01/19/writing-my-life-in-140-characters-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-288 CJ Sat, 07 Feb 2009 14:27:58 +0000 http://www.140characters.com/?p=139#comment-288 I've noticed the same thing! When I SMS, I have more characters available, but I'm intuitively aware now of when I've hit 140. I talk in my social media seminars about how much more succinctly I write since Twitter, too. I’ve noticed the same thing! When I SMS, I have more characters available, but I’m intuitively aware now of when I’ve hit 140. I talk in my social media seminars about how much more succinctly I write since Twitter, too.

]]> By: David - LA Marketing Firm http://www.140characters.com/2009/01/19/writing-my-life-in-140-characters-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-274 David - LA Marketing Firm Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:47:08 +0000 http://www.140characters.com/?p=139#comment-274 Or less then 140 chapters? Or less then 140 chapters?

]]> By: Pam http://www.140characters.com/2009/01/19/writing-my-life-in-140-characters-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-227 Pam Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:04:33 +0000 http://www.140characters.com/?p=139#comment-227 Cool concept. I'm looking forward to seeing the final book. As a writer, I think Twitter has helped me become less wordy. Can't back it up with science, but I've noticed a change. Cool concept. I’m looking forward to seeing the final book.

As a writer, I think Twitter has helped me become less wordy. Can’t back it up with science, but I’ve noticed a change.

]]> By: Xavier http://www.140characters.com/2009/01/19/writing-my-life-in-140-characters-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Xavier Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:12:13 +0000 http://www.140characters.com/?p=139#comment-36 Well, reading your post I thought your conclusion a bit disturbing, and that needed some deeper checking. My first objection would be that for your conclusion to be valid, you needed to be sure that before using twitter your sentences were longer than now. Also, in twitter you mostly say something to someone a bit like when you talk, which can be rather different than in a book. But of course that depends a lot on the kind of book. One can assume that in a novel, with descriptive text and not only dialogues, sentences might be a little longer. So I decided to check. Since I have not much much time, I only checked with one text, and it had to be english, because of the huge differences between languages (french sentences are longer most of the time, for instance). The text I used is "The Adventure of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain, that can be found there : http://www.gutenberg.org/files/74/74.txt There are about 5575 sentences, with 4989 sentences under 140 characters (meaning 140 or less) That shows that about 89.4% of Mark Twain sentences are twittable. Well, at least in his case, this is not due to the habit of using twitter ;-) Well, reading your post I thought your conclusion a bit disturbing, and that needed some deeper checking.
My first objection would be that for your conclusion to be valid, you needed to be sure that before using twitter your sentences were longer than now.
Also, in twitter you mostly say something to someone a bit like when you talk, which can be rather different than in a book. But of course that depends a lot on the kind of book.
One can assume that in a novel, with descriptive text and not only dialogues, sentences might be a little longer.
So I decided to check. Since I have not much much time, I only checked with one text, and it had to be english, because of the huge differences between languages (french sentences are longer most of the time, for instance).
The text I used is “The Adventure of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain, that can be found there : http://www.gutenberg.org/files/74/74.txt

There are about 5575 sentences, with 4989 sentences under 140 characters (meaning 140 or less)

That shows that about 89.4% of Mark Twain sentences are twittable.

Well, at least in his case, this is not due to the habit of using twitter ;-)

]]> By: Dom Sagolla http://www.140characters.com/2009/01/19/writing-my-life-in-140-characters-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Dom Sagolla Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:56:58 +0000 http://www.140characters.com/?p=139#comment-35 That is fascinating, Adam! I should do a similar test, I'm sure I'll find the same thing. It would be an interesting exercise to write the whole thing in tweetable sentences. This could help us focus and make The Book more quotable. That is fascinating, Adam! I should do a similar test, I’m sure I’ll find the same thing. It would be an interesting exercise to write the whole thing in tweetable sentences. This could help us focus and make The Book more quotable.

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