Reflection for all of us from Penelope Stokes in Ecuador.
Back in the days when I was actively producing novels and teaching at writing conferences across the country, I tried to impress upon would-be writers the importance of white space on the page. Shorter paragraphs. Reduction of excessive verbiage. Less irrelevant adverbization.
“We live in a world of the twelve-second attention span,” I’d say. “Give your readers a place to rest their eyes.”
Now, with the advent of Facebook and Twitter, emoticons and Instagram, the national attention span has shrunk to eight seconds, and white space has become more important than ever.
But not just white space for the eyes. White space for the soul. A place, now and then, free of noise and rush and pressure, free of the frantic angst and worry and fear that is so much a part of 21st century life.
Since my wife Pam and I moved to Ecuador in September of last year…
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Gifts in Open Hands 