We're definitely still making Twitter up as we go along, and there's plenty of room for experimentation and individuality. But when it comes to writing on Twitter, might there be principles to guide us no matter what our destination? Strunk & White's most famous directive — "Omit needless words" — is one with fresh applicability on Twitter, of course. What other compositional best practices could help make Twitter a place to engage great writing?
This poster session will propose some ideas — but hopefully the conversation itself will be even more instructive, as we seek to help each other write better. While Twitter will shape our conversation, the writing tips we cover here should be useful elsewhere online and in more conventional contexts. The rigor of Twitter's one rule — brevity — is bracing. Its unforgiving 140-character limit presents challenges and opportunities for anyone who loves thoughtful, effective writing. Let's rise to the occasion.
Jon Boyd is currently online media manager in admissions at North Park University in Chicago. He was previously with Britannica.com as a senior editor and with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship as Web producer and an associate director of Graduate & Faculty Ministries. He holds a Ph.D. in intellectual history from Johns Hopkins University; an MA in Hebrew bible from Trinity International University; and a BA in history from the University of Michigan. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Ann, and two toddler daughters, who usually steal the show in his videos and tweets.
Tuesday, 3:30PM