The importance of clarity in your writing
Writing in a simple way is so important. While some might see it as dumbing down, there is a lot to be said for the art of writing plain and simple prose. In this blog we explore clarity in writing and offer some handy tips on keeping things simple.
Writing formally isn’t levelling up
Is there anything more infuriating than a legal form or letter littered with jargon? When notes of explanation lead to yet more jargon and such long sentences you could knit with them. It’s as though they don’t want you to fill in your tax return or reply to a jury summons or understand the bylaws around keeping goats.
Tell it to me plainly!
It’s not just me. Even lawyers themselves don’t like legalese, according to a 2023 MIT study.
And don’t get me started on the impenetrable and pompous language spouted in academic textbooks and articles.
Thankfully, even academics are starting to see they need to write in a more accessible style for people to fully engage, understand and enjoy learning.
Writing simply is not dumbing down
When you write formal reports and stern emails for a living, as some do, it can be difficult to switch off your official tone and write conversationally without the long words, complex sentences and being oh so serious.
When we sit down to write our own book, many of us fall into the trap of thinking the correct and only way to write is the ‘best’ we can. And it’s easy to assume that our ‘best’ is formal, complicated even. It’s as though our brains go, ‘Ooh this is important, it’s being shared with the world, I need to sound authoritative and proper for people to want to read what I have to say!’ But, really, almost the opposite is true.
The best way to write a book is, we believe, in your voice. More on author voice in a future blog, but, for now, suffice to say, your readers will appreciate you writing simply, with confidence and clarity. What they won’t want are sentences as long as their arms, filled with words they don’t understand.
For your ideas, knowledge, opinions and life stories to be passed on to your readers, the important thing is for those things to be clearly communicated. No reader will stick around if they have to read and reread each sentence several times to get your gist.
Writing simply and clearly is not dumbing down. In many ways, it’s levelling up. It’s knowing what your reader wants and how to give it to them in a way they’ll best digest and enjoy it. Knowing what holds them to the page and piques their interest. It’s allowing your words to do what words should do – send a transparent message to the receiver. They’ll thank you for it!
Tips for writing clearly
- Keep sentences and paragraphs on the short side so that readers can take in the information in digestible chunks and not lose the thread.
- Avoid jargon that isn’t familiar to your target audience.
- Use active verbs and phrasing like, ‘The detective established a motive’ rather than ‘A motive was established by the detective’. Active sentences are easier to follow and focus the attention on the action.
- Don’t try too hard – if you feel the words aren’t coming easily or like you’re getting lost in explanations, take a break and come back with fresh eyes and energy.
- Review what you’ve written after a day or so. Does it need editing down? Does your explanation get to the point quickly and simply?
- Demonstrate your point with a story or quote or example to make difficult concepts easier to understand.
Brilliant article!!
I remember being told off for being ‘too wordy’ when I was younger.
It used to upset me at the time, but as I became older, I understood the reasoning behind it.
Now, I am more mindful, and my writing style has changed – as the old adage goes, less is often more.