Thoroughness is part of my DNA, and nowhere was this more evident than in my recent 47‑minute marathon post. That piece was not just long; it was an epic read that tested the limits of what a single blog post can reasonably contain. It was the resumption of a post I had once left hanging — quite literally mid‑sentence — in the third installment of my exploration on how to make sections visible to sighted readers. The topic had already been stretched across three parts indeed — an opening, a continuation, and a conclusion — but the conclusion itself ended up split in two. What should have been a single closing chapter thus became a pair, with the 47‑minute post serving as the second half of that finale. The result was a conclusion that grew far beyond what I had anticipated. And yet, I pressed on, unwilling to fracture the narrative once more.
That decision, and the disproportionate length it produced, is what brings me to this reflection: how long is too long?
Actually, this was not the first time I pushed the boundaries of length. The previous not‑so‑mini‑series had already set a record with a 29‑minute read in its opening post, and many of its installments hovered well above the 20‑ to 30‑minute mark. Clearly, I have a propensity for being verbose — a trait that can be seen as both a weakness and a strength. On the one hand, it means my posts sometimes sprawl, burying the essential information deep within layers of narrative. On the other hand, it reflects a deliberate choice I made from the very beginning: to tell a story rather than deliver a sterile tutorial. The CogitActive Saga was conceived as a long, involved tale, narrated in a style that is often lyrical, sometimes meandering, but always intended to bring information alive.
It is I, [your host], who alone can tell thee of [this] saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!CogitActive
That spirit of storytelling remains at the core of my writing, and I do not wish to change it. What has changed, however, is the process: with Copilot as my editor, what once took me days to draft now takes only hours. The effort is still demanding — countless revisions, dictionaries and thesauri consulted, translations checked — but the rhythm of creation has become more fluid, allowing me to embrace my verbose storyteller’s voice without being crushed by the weight of time.
Now, even with Copilot smoothing the drafting process, the work remains time‑intensive. Each post still demands hours of careful revision, followed by the meticulous task of coding everything into HTML. Believe me, from my side, shorter posts would be welcome. Yet this reflection is not about me, nor about the effort behind the scenes. It is about you — my readers — and how you experience these long, sprawling posts.
I am well aware that nowadays, people prefer short. The trend is unmistakable: short‑form content dominates, whether in text or video. Just look at TikTok, or the endless scroll of bite‑sized updates across the web. Add to this the oft‑cited “shrinking attention span,” and it seems almost inevitable that a 30‑ or 40‑minute read would feel out of place. You may indeed find the sheer length of my posts daunting, preferring shorter, more digestible installments. And yet, you chose this blog — and you chose to read my posts, despite their length. That tells me something important: maybe, just maybe, you are not opposed to long‑form content. Perhaps you welcome the depth, appreciating the chance to immerse yourself in a detailed narrative rather than skimming the surface.
I do believe that the “ideal” length is simply however long it takes to tell a compelling story and deliver genuine value to my audience. Yet, I cannot help but wonder: how do you, my readers, feel about this? Do you enjoy immersing yourselves in long, comprehensive posts that unfold like sagas, or do you prefer shorter, more digestible pieces that get straight to the point? And, last but not least, when a topic grows beyond the usual boundaries, should I keep it whole, or divide it into parts?
To help me decide, I’ve prepared a small poll. Your answers will guide how I approach future series — whether to continue presenting them as epic, uninterrupted reads, or to break them into smaller chapters.
Your feedback will help me shape the way I write. After all, this blog is a journey we share — and I want it to be meaningful for you as much as for me.