Simple, Clear Writing

As I select essays for my students to read and critique, I am astonished at the number of professional writers who have not yet grasped the concept that clear, simple writing is best. Too many writers seem to forget that the main goal of writing is to reach readers. They seem to be writing to impress or confuse by expressing themselves in complicated sentences, using words the average person doesn't know. This style of writing only serves to distance readers, not reach out to them. The best messages are conveyed simply in clear, powerful words. Writers should always strive to communicate above all else. They should write in such a way that readers can grasp their message easily. It doesn't mean that readers need to be talked down to. It means that readers don't want to wade through a bunch of highbrow rhetoric to figure out what writers are saying. Readers don't want their reading to be work. They want it to be relaxing, inspirational, compelling, and entertaining. Writers can deliver this best by keeping language simple and to the point, by being precise, by caring about the message and always staying on target with it. Readers don't need to be impressed with a writer's intellect. They need to be inspired by a writer's heart. Learning this lesson is sometimes the hardest thing for writers of all ability levels to grasp.