Deb's sewing basket

Fixing the flaws in the 10 Principles of Clear Writing

by Philip Yaffe

I recently did an Internet search for "writing clear "and often came with the same list of" 10 principles of clear writing. "Each is a piece of very good advice, but the list has two defects.

First, I am viscerally suspicious of all the 10 lists of objects. They look artificial. It is as if the writer decided that while self-respecting list should have 10 points, then tried to invent for the challenge.

More importantly, these 10 principles of writing are not really clear to all the principles, but rather advice and technical support.

What is the difference? Tips and techniques known what to do; principles you say why you do it.

Understand why you do something, namely earnings that we gain, helps ensure that you'll actually do it and do it consistently. Too often when we are told only what he do, we follow the instruction half of the lips, inconsistent, or not at all.

For example, my last year at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), I supervised writing to do some much needed cash. One day, a freshman came to me with a note from a teacher, saying: "Young lady, I suggest you either leave my class immediately or prepare to fail. "I have concluded that it was poorly written applying a fundamental principle, so I explained to her and had to make some simple exercises for be sure she understood. By the end of the mandate, its almost certain "F" had shot up to a gratifying "B".

This was not an isolated case. When students had difficulty writing, it was usually because they were: 1) unfamiliar with a basic principle, 2) apply it inconsistently, 3) improperly applying it, or 4) do not apply not at all.

I am a marketing communications consultant, having been a newspaper editor, a writer with The Wall Street Journal, and European Marketing Communications Manager for two major international companies. During my 40 year career, I was constantly appalled by the how few top business leaders, academics, researchers, and other intelligent people express themselves clearly, both written and speech.

Some years ago I tried to analyze this phenomenon depressing. Accordingly, I identified three key principles that underlie virtually all types of declarative (non-fiction) writing and speaking. To give strength and substance, I have expressed in the form of quasi-mathematical formula. As formula, these principles do not just want to tell you what to do, they also tell you why you do and how to do it.

Let me first briefly explain these three principles, then see how they coincide with lists of tips and techniques that pose as principles.

Most people agree that a good text must be "clear" and "concise". There is a third principle which is rarely mentioned. A good text should also be "dense".

Clarity Principle

Being clear is not an issue of taste. Do you think your plain text? You must, after all, you've written. But how can you be sure it will be clear to others?

According to the principle of clarity, to be clear, we must do three things:
1. Focus on what is important key.
2. To emphasize what is of secondary importance.
3. Eliminate what is not important.

In short: Cl = EDE

If you follow the formula, before you start writing you must first determine what is of key importance to know what ideas keys you want your readers to take away from your text?

This is not always easy to do. It is much easier to say that everything is a key importance, if you put in everything you have. However, if you do not work to define what you really want your readers know they will not do for you. They will just get lost in your text and either give up or leave the other end not knowing what they read.

Then, when you write your text, you must be sure of the importance attached to what is of secondary importance. Why? Because if you want really want your readers to recognize and retain the key ideas, then you will not get lost in details. Details (information of importance secondary) explain and support key ideas. They should never crush.

Finally, you pitiless eliminate what is no importance. Why? Because any information that adds nothing to explaining and justifying the key ideas will tend to hide them, which is exactly the opposite what you want.

Conciseness Principle

According to the principle of brevity, your text should be as:

1. Long as necessary

2. Short as possible

In symbols: Co = LS

"As long as necessary" means covering all the key ideas that you identified As "the" clarity, and all information of secondary importance needed to explain and support them. Note that nothing is said Here on the number of words, because it is irrelevant. If it takes 500 words to be "as long as necessary", then 500 words must be used. If it takes 1500 words, so it's all right, too.

"As short as possible" means staying as close as you can at least. Not because people prefer short texts, in the abstract terms "long" and "short" have no meaning (what calls "weasel words"). The important point is: All words beyond the minimum tend to damage clarity. Subconsciously, readers will continually try to understand why these words are there and will never happen because they are useless.

Density Principle

The density is less familiar concept than clarity and conciseness, but it is equally important. According to the principle of density, the text input must contain:

1. Details

2. Logically related

In other words: D = PL

Using precise information rather than wishy-washy weasel words in text aid clarity. For example, if you say it is "hot" day, what do you mean? A reader might interpret hot as 24 ° C while another might interpret is 36 ° C. However, if you say the outside temperature is 28 ° C, there is no room for interpretation or misinterpretation.

Using precise information also generates confidence, because it tells the reader that you really know what you speak. This helps keep the reader's attention and makes it easier to get your points across.

However, precise data (facts) by themselves are insufficient. To be meaningful, data must be organized to create "information". There are two important tests to apply when converting data into information.

A. Relevance

Is a particular piece of data actually necessary? As we have seen, unnecessary damage the clarity of data and, ultimately, trust. Therefore, all data are not either aid understanding or promote confidence should be rigorously eliminated.

B. Misconceptions

The logical link between data must be explicit to prevent the reader from coming to false conclusions. Example: A singular event may be interpreted wrongly as part of a broad set a policy in May to be misinterpreted as applying only in specific circumstances, etc.

Ensure that a logical link is clear, place the two pieces of data as close to each other as possible, preferably next to each other. When data are widely separated, their logical link is masked. If you do not make the logical connection, it is unrealistic to expect this player will do the same for themselves.

Given these true principles – clarity, conciseness, mass volume – firmly in mind allows us to reassess the often cited ten "principles" of writing clear "(ie advice and techniques), making them much more meaningful and more useful.

1. Use short sentences

This is generally interpreted mean an average sentence length of 15 to 18 words. Not because readers can not handle longer sentences. However, when the term is above this average, the sentences are likely to be poorly constructed, thereby damaging the clarity.

But remember, 15 to 18 words is an average. Do not fear to longer sentences. A well constructed long sentence is often more clear that two or more shorter. Why? Because bettors longest sentence shows the relationship logic between the various elements that would be lost by splitting apart.

2. Prefer the simple to the complex

If the right word is long, do not hesitate to use because not using it would damage clarity. On the other hand, if a shorter word could just as well, it prefers. Examples: "dog" rather than "dog", "change" rather than "change", "input" rather than "penetration" etc.

3. Prefer the familiar word

It is simply a variation of item 2. If you have a choice between two words, use the that most people are likely to recognize and use themselves. Examples: "Insulting" rather than "imprecate", "daily" rather that "everyday"

4. Avoid unnecessary words

In other words, be concise.

5. Use verbs Action

In a performance penalty if you use an active or a passive verb is of little consequence. However, over a whole text, he becomes very important. Verbs are active tend to increase the clarity, contrast, too many passive verbs tend to be damaged.

6. Write how you speak

This technique is very useful, but do not take it literally. When we speak, we usually use simpler vocabulary and sentence structures that when we write. Writing how you speak is a good way to produce a first draft. However, when we speak, our sentence structure are often confused and unclear from our vocabulary. These defects must be carefully adjusted in the proposed second third or later.

7. Use terms your reader can imagine

In other words, be dense. Use characteristics, and avoid weasel words. When making a general statement, be sure to support it with concrete data.

8. Articulation with the experience of your reader

We speak again on the density, namely the use of accurate information. Be sure terminology that you have chosen is consistent with the experience of your readers. If you need to use a word not likely to be familiar to your readers, define it the first time it appears. If it is really the key to redefine later in the text. Beware also words that seem familiar, but have a very different meaning in the context of your subject.

Example: "insult" is medical jargon for an injury or trauma. However, talk of an "insult" to the heart without first explaining the unconventional sense of the term, is likely to leave your readers perplexed.

9. Take full advantage of the variety

This suggestion is almost superfluous. If you conscientiously apply the three principles of writing clarity, brevity and density, you will almost automatically introduce the variety of sentence length and structure in your text.

Avoid introducing too much variety of vocabulary. Terminology evolving in order to clarify various damages. If several words mean the same essential thing, choose one or two of them and avoid others. Introduce equivalent terms, so that the reader understands clearly they mean the same thing.

Example

1. (Confusion) manned space travel to Mars is again considered. The planet Red has fascinated mankind for centuries. The "God of War" is the fourth planet from the sun – our own Earth is the third – and it our closest celestial neighbor except the moon.

2. (Clear) manned space travel to Mars is again considered. Popularly known humanity under the name "Red Planet, Mars has fascinated for centuries. The planet is out of the sun (Earth is the third), it is our nearest celestial neighbor except the moon.

10. Write to express, not impress

The goal of declarative (non-fiction) writing is to inform or instruct, not to show off your literary prowess. The fact is, the better you write, people are less likely to notice. And this is how it should be. Any reader's attention should be on what you say, not what you say.

Philip Yaffe is a former journalist / columnist with The Wall Street Journal and a marketing communication consultant. He currently teaches a course in good writing and speaking good to Brussels, Belgium. His recent book in the "I" of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) like a Professional is available from Story Publishers in Ghent, Belgium (storypublishers.be) and Amazon (amazon.com).

For further information please contact:

Philip Yaffe
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0) 2 660 0405
Email: phil.yaffe @ yahoo.com

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