On Writing Slim, A Technique for Productive Writing

All credit to author Colleen Behnke for the term “writing slim.” She mentioned it to me as we discussed working together to publish her middle grade novel Marshmallow. I had asked her about her approach to writing, and she said she tends to “write slim.” I immediately connected to the term. It reminded me of advice my graduate school advisor Lyn Van Swol gave me about how to write discussion sections in academic articles. “Keep it short,” she said. That way, reviewers can suggest things to add, making your job easier and helping reviewers feel like they made real contributions to the article. A bit cynical? Maybe. But also practical and useful.

When it comes to longer works, what does it mean to write slim? Here’s how I think the advice can be put to use.

First, writing slim means getting words on paper before anything else. As I like to say, “Show me someone who can write and edit at the same time, and I’ll show you a slow writer.” Writing slim means moving past the pieces that stymie you to keep the story moving forward. We’ve all hit roadblocks like this in our writing, times in which we aren’t sure how to craft something. In my creative writing, I tend to get stuck on conversations, especially times when I want two characters to discuss something but cannot figure out a natural way for them to get to the topic. For example, imagine two characters need to discuss a difficult time from their past. In what circumstances and for what reasons would that topic come up? Either it’s something they’ve discussed so often that they aren’t going to naturally perform it again just because it is helpful with the narrative. Or it’s the opposite, something they haven’t discussed and aren’t likely to. So what would spark the conversation? Writing slim says, “Just write the conversation. Figure out how they get to it later. (And maybe only if a beta reader says, ‘This doesn’t feel natural.’)”

Second, writing slim means skipping unnecessary description and language flourishes in favor of writing productively. I’m reminded here of The Wind in the Willows, which contains beautiful passages describing the changing of seasons and the passage of time. Writing slim says, “Save that for an editing round!” One area of writing that this advice applies to well is descriptions of what characters and locations look like. If you want the reader to have a full and complete picture in their head of exactly what a scene looks like, then you’ll need a lot of well-crafted prose. But some of the best descriptions leave things up to the reader to imagine. For example, “He looked like he’d been washed in from the sea” as a description of a bedraggled character doesn’t tell you anything about what the character looks like. But in the reader’s mind’s eye, it creates a more evocative image than a paragraph of specifics on character appearance. Now imagine, with your writing slim approach, that you leave any and all of this for a round of edits! Let an editor suggest where more description is needed. You’ve got bigger things to think about when crafting that first draft.

Third, writing slim means being open to feedback. If you plan to let an editor or beta reader give you notes, then you need to be ready to hear them. By writing slim, you are mentally preparing yourself for notes. You’re saying, “I know more is needed. I wrote that way on purpose.” When an editor says, “Add a little more to this scene,” you’re ready and excited to do it. When a beta reader says, “I had a hard time picturing this,” you’re motivated to make it come alive for them. By writing slim, you didn’t labor over any part of your writing because you want feedback to guide you in producing the final text. We’re much less sensitive to making changes when we produced a draft that is hungry for them. Writing slim achieves that.

Fourth, writing slim means a tighter manuscript from the start. You keep your narrative tight to the story, with few detours that don’t directly serve the manuscript. Contrast that with what your writing would look like if you let yourself indulge in every aside that pops into your mind. Here, I’m reminded of a book I love, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. 782 pages of English fantasy, starting with the “revival” of English magic in the 1800s. The author lets herself enjoy every indulgence, including extensive footnotes. It’s a literary achievement! But in many cases, letting your writing sprawl only takes away from the story you are trying to tell. Writing slim imposes discipline that serves you well.

In the end, does writing slim produce shorter books? I don’t know. Going through editing, adding to descriptions and dialogue, even adjusting the plot with added scenes will all add length. But when it comes to producing a finished product, getting to that editing stage, writing slim is a tool I encourage all authors to embrace. It worked great for Colleen Behnke, so much so that she coined this wonderful term “writing slim.”

Is this approach something you’ve tried before? What do you think about it? Share your thoughts in the comments!