The Shiny Dime Challenge

A Shiny Dime is a specific and surprising idea. It's the singular focus of a piece of writing. And it's a concept that will help you capture attention in a crowded world.

Hey writers,

Welcome to week three of the Shiny Dime Challenge. Last week, you learned how to embrace complexity to arrive at simplicity, and you practiced simplifying a complex topic. This week, you’ll learn how to compress your writing — the right way. 

Go for Density, Not Brevity

Many writers struggle to compress their ideas into concise writing. Why? They confuse “concise” with “short.” By trying to make their work shorter, they end up stripping their ideas of richness and depth. In reality, concision means more richness and more depth. 

“Succinct doesn’t mean short. It means a high ratio of words to ideas.” – Paul Graham

Concise writing is writing that’s dense with meaning. A 900-page novel can be more concise than a 900-word article. It’s not about using fewer words; it’s about using words more intentionally.

Let’s look at this in real time. Take this sentence: “She ran very quickly.” If you were going for brevity, you would say: “She ran.” But if you were going for density, you would say, “She sprinted.” Brevity omits meaning. Density enriches it. 

Keep in mind that almost no writer is concise from the start. Your first draft is like your own personal sandbox, designed for you to play, experiment, ramble, and word-vomit. Concision then emerges through re-writing and editing. Revision is the “kill your darlings” stage, where you cut the bloat from your ideas, compress your paragraphs, and stack your sentences with a high ratio of words to ideas. 

“You have to throw out the good stuff to get to the best stuff.” – Stephen Sondheim 

As you know, “the best stuff” is your Shiny Dime. So, don’t go for brevity; go for density. This is how you compress your ideas the right way. As you write, ask yourself: “How can I say more with less?” Go only as wide as a dime but as deep as the Mariana Trench. 

Today, head into Circle to read your peer’s Shiny Dimes from last week. You’ll receive your new writing prompt and access to this week’s Circle space on Wednesday. 

Happy writing! 

The Write of Passage Team