An armed society is a polite society.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
The most important lesson in the writing trade is that any manuscript is improved if you cut away the fat.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Less is often more in writing; eliminating unnecessary parts can enhance clarity and impact.
This quote emphasizes the importance of conciseness in writing. Heinlein suggests that every piece of writing can benefit from editing and trimming excess content, ultimately leading to stronger, clearer communication. By focusing on what is essential, writers can create more engaging and effective manuscripts.
Themes
WritingEditingConcisenessClarityManuscript
In practice
Example use cases
A writer’s workshop focusing on the importance of editing their stories.
More from Robert A. Heinlein
All quotes →Democracy is a poor system of government at best; the only thing that can honestly be said in its favor is that it is eight times as good as any other method the human race has ever tried.
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Long human words (the longer the better) were easy, unmistakable, and rarely changed their meanings . . . but short words were slippery, unpredictable, changing their meanings without any pattern.
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Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things.
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When a place gets crowded enough to require ID's, social collapse is not far away. It is time to go elsewhere. The best thing about space travel is that it made it possible to go elsewhere.
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A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
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