The opening sentence of any piece of writing is the most crucial. If it fails to captivate the reader and encourage them to read the second sentence, your piece has already lost its battle. Are you still with me? Excellent, let's delve into the art of effective writing.
Effective writing is a blend of simplicity, clarity, conciseness, and style. These elements ensure your pieces remain relevant and impactful, even long after they've been written.
The essence of good writing lies in its simplicity. Every sentence should be stripped down to its most basic components. If a word doesn't serve a purpose, eliminate it. If a long word can be replaced with a shorter one, do it. Often, the more educated or high-ranking a writer is, the more they tend to use unnecessary words. This is not a recent phenomenon.
In 1942, a senior staffer in the Presidential office wrote about the blackout required due to war-time conditions in a convoluted manner. President Roosevelt, however, simplified it by saying, "Tell them that in buildings where they keep working to put something across the windows."
Battling clutter in writing is akin to fighting weeds - the writer is always slightly behind. New phrases sprout overnight and by noon, they're part of everyday speech. For instance, Nixon's aide John Dean said "at this point in time" on television during Watergate, and by the next morning, it had replaced the word "now" in the American language.
The twisting of word meanings also contributes to clutter. Nowadays, people "address" issues instead of dealing with them. "Experiencing" is another example. Your dentist might ask if you're experiencing pain, but to a five-year-old, they would simply ask, "Does it hurt?" Which do you think is more effective?
Mark Twain once said, "Had I more time, I should have written less." This statement perfectly encapsulates the importance of brevity in writing.
Few of us realize how poorly we write. It's essential to strip sentences to their bare bones, removing all unnecessary elements. Only then can we consider style - the tool we use to charm our readers.
Style is about tailoring our words to specific audiences. While a sonnet and a recipe may cater to different audiences, they must still share the same powerful ingredients.
If the writer lacks enthusiasm, so will the reader. Let your writing reflect your emotions - let your readers know you're passionate. They may disagree with your views, but at least they'll read them. Boredom is the death of writing!
Most adverbs are clutter. Phrases like "effortlessly easy" and "myself personally" are redundant. Don't say that the radio blared loudly - 'blared' implies loudness. The term 'virtually unique' is like saying someone is 'virtually pregnant'. Either they are, or they're not!
Why do people go broke these days instead of having money problem areas? Why does it rain instead of having precipitation activity or thunderstorm probability? Be real - say what you mean, simply.
Credibility is as fragile for a writer as for a politician. Don't exaggerate or make false statements. If you're caught in a single lie, everything else you write will be suspect.
Your style will be warmer and more authentic if you use contractions like "I'll" and "can't". Read your work out loud to check if it sounds natural. If it doesn't, revise it.
Keep your paragraphs short. Writing is visual - it catches the eye before it catches the brain. Short paragraphs make your writing look inviting, while long chunks of text can discourage readers.
Rewriting is the essence of good writing. It's where the game is won or lost. We all have emotional equity in our first drafts; we can't believe they weren't born perfect. But the odds are they weren't. Use your time to distil your words to the potency of good whisky.
There's no subject you don't have permission to write about. I've read articles on a variety of topics, including ones I initially thought I had no interest in. People often avoid subjects that are close to their hearts, assuming readers will think them "stupid". No area of life is stupid to someone who takes it seriously. Follow your passions and you'll write well. Apply these principles, and you'll do even better! You'll engage, enlighten, and entertain your readers, which is all they will ever ask of you.
