{"id":62446,"date":"2022-03-18T20:22:58","date_gmt":"2022-03-19T00:22:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=62446"},"modified":"2022-03-18T11:41:50","modified_gmt":"2022-03-18T15:41:50","slug":"clarity-in-writing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/clarity-in-writing\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Practice Clarity in Writing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you want to achieve clarity in your writing? What is the key to writing clearly<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you’re writing fiction<\/a> or nonfiction, politics or humor, sportswriting or essays, clarity in writing is extremely important. If your writing isn’t clear, you won’t be able to properly convey your point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s how to write more clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is Clarity in Writing?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve achieved simplicity in wording and structuring your sentences, focus on bringing clarity to your writing. In his book On Writing Well, <\/em>William Zinsser believes that it\u2019s your job as a writer to guide the reader through your thought process rather than forcing them to dissect disorganized or underdeveloped writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, consider how the second sentence loses clarity: \u201cMegan and Courtney walked to the end of the street before parting ways. Then she walked into a nearby coffee shop.\u201d Who is \u201cshe\u201d referring to\u2014Megan or Courtney? Something as simple as a vague pronoun can disrupt the clarity of your writing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zinsser believes to achieve clarity in writing, you must clearly understand the topic you\u2019re writing about.<\/strong> If you don\u2019t understand<\/a> the topic, you\u2019ll never be able to explain it well to your reader. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow a Logical Sequence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To write with clarity, follow a logical sequence of ideas. Each sentence should build off of the idea in the previous sentence<\/strong>. To lead your reader to your next thought, Zinsser recommends anticipating what the reader will ask and answering their question in the next sentence, rather than repeating the previous sentence in a different way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re having trouble writing with clarity, Zinsser recommends writing about a scientific or technical subject, such as how Bluetooth works or the migration pattern of monarch butterflies. The purpose of this exercise is to clearly explain how something works. First, you\u2019ll need to fully understand the subject, otherwise there will be holes in your logic. Then, explain the steps you used to understand the topic. With scientific subjects, you\u2019re less likely to omit key steps since you won\u2019t assume your reader already knows certain facts. If you assume a reader already knows something and omit defining, explaining, or connecting your ideas, you lose clarity and confuse your reader. By completing this exercise, you\u2019ll learn to clearly explain a logical process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signposts<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Zinsser believes that you can increase the clarity of your writing with signposts. Signposts are words that connect ideas and indicate the progression of your thoughts, such as \u201cfirst\u201d or \u201cfinally.\u201d Signposts tell your reader what direction you\u2019re going next, guiding your reader through your logic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, imagine you write, \u201cI made the cake. I poured in the milk, melted butter, and eggs. I mixed it all together. I put the batter in a pan. I baked it at 350 degrees.\u201d While these sentences are all simple, they lack clarity because they don\u2019t connect to each other. To bring clarity to these ideas, include signposts: \u201cI made the cake. To do this<\/em>, I poured in the milk, melted butter, and eggs. Next<\/em>, I mixed it all together. Then<\/em> I put the batter in a pan before<\/em> baking it at 350 degrees.\u201d The italicized signposts indicate the sequence of events, providing clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While signposts signal the progression of logic, they can also signal changes in tone. For example, your boss sends you an email, and the first paragraph congratulates you on your most recent project. But the second paragraph begins with, \u201chowever.\u201d This signals that your boss\u2019s tone and topic change in this paragraph. From \u201chowever,\u201d you know that the tone of the second paragraph will no longer be congratulatory, and the topic will change from commenting on your presentation to something else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose the Right Type of Signposts<\/strong>

Zinsser mentions a few examples of common signposts but doesn\u2019t discuss the different categories<\/em> of signposts, which can direct and organize our next thoughts. Knowing where your sentences are heading, and what category your next thought falls into, can help you choose the right signpost. There are several types of signposts<\/a>:

-To add more ideas: again, furthermore, in addition, moreover
-To compare or contrast ideas: alternatively, contrastingly, conversely, whereas
-To prove something: evidently, for this reason, because, inevitably
-To show exceptions: however, nevertheless, yet, in spite of
-To repeat or refer back to something: as mentioned earlier, or as previously discussed
-To show that you will include something later: this will be discussed in detail later
-To emphasize something: definitely, obviously, inevitably, undeniably
-To give an example: for instance, in this case, in particular, notably
-To show chronology: previously, following this, initially, subsequently, finally

However, experts warn that you shouldn\u2019t over-signpost<\/a>. Too many signposts can make your writing wordy and give the impression that you don\u2019t trust the reader\u2019s ability to make connections. Also, don\u2019t substitute logically building off of your previous sentence with a signpost. You should still thoroughly explain your ideas. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Be Consistent<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Being consistent will help you write with clarity. Consistency, or what Zinsser calls unity, is when certain key elements of your writing stay the same throughout your writing, even as your idea develops. For example, tone is one key element to keep consistent in a piece of writing, as we\u2019ll discuss. Zinsser believes consistency eliminates unwanted confusion because your reader won\u2019t have to keep up with unnecessary changes in your writing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zinsser explains that while you can take some artistic liberty with your writing, you have to stick with whatever decisions you make. As you write, you can change your mind, but make sure that change is reflected throughout the rest of your writing. For example, you may start writing a piece in third person, only to decide midway through that you think first person would work better. It\u2019s okay to change your mind, but be sure to go back and change the parts you\u2019ve already written in third person to first person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be Consistent With Punctuation and Spelling<\/strong>

Zinsser points out the importance of consistency<\/a> with big decisions like tone, main idea, tense, and point of view. But it\u2019s also important to be consistent for small decisions like punctuation and spelling. Experts cite several reasons to be consistent about these small decisions<\/a>:

– Consistency makes writing easier on you. For example, if you make a conscious decision to use the Oxford comma, you won\u2019t have to keep deciding whether or not to use one later in your piece.\u00a0

– Consistency makes you seem like a more credible writer. When a reader notices inconsistencies, such as using \u201cjudgment\u201d and \u201cjudgement\u201d in the same piece, she might consider the writing amateur.\u00a0

– Consistency makes your writing look polished and professional\u2014it\u2019s a subtle way to show your reader that you\u2019ve paid attention to the details.

To ensure consistency in writing<\/a>, some publications and businesses adhere to a style guide<\/a>. Some of the more common style guides are AP style, Chicago style, APA style, and MLA style. You can use these guides as a reference to answer certain consistency questions about spelling, word hyphenation, punctuation, and more.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Zinsser discusses four decisions you should make to ensure you\u2019re consistent. These decisions are your promise to the reader that you won\u2019t try to confuse or trick them. To ensure you stay consistent in your artistic decisions, ask yourself these four guiding questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s Your Main Idea?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Zinsser believes that to bring clarity to your writing, the most important question you should ask yourself<\/a> is, \u201cWhat\u2019s the main idea?\u201d Your main idea is the most important takeaway from a piece\u2014it\u2019s your whole reason for writing that specific story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zinsser explains that your main idea will guide your writing and prevent unrelated tangents. When you have a clear main idea, all of the creative decisions you make will focus on clearly communicating it. This doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t explore other ideas in your piece, but those ideas should support your main point<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zinsser contends that you\u2019ll be better off writing in-depth about a specific idea than writing vaguely about a broader topic. You\u2019ll have more space to explore details and discuss the topic thoroughly. So when deciding your main idea, be more specific than you think you need to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, imagine a writer who wants to write about life in New York City. Following Zinsser\u2019s advice, he narrows his focus to writing about life in the Bronx in New York City. He narrows it further to one neighborhood in the Bronx. Finally, he narrows it to one family in the neighborhood. By taking a specific focus, he\u2019ll be able to write a more realistic description of their lives. In doing so, he\u2019ll reveal more about life in New York City than if he tried to write more broadly about the many different experiences of people living there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identify Your Main Idea<\/strong>

If you\u2019re still struggling to narrow down your main idea<\/a>, ask yourself a few questions:

– What made you start writing the story in the first place? What was your motivation to write?

– What is the main conflict in your story?\u00a0

– Can you summarize your story in one sentence? What keywords stand out to you?

Ask yourself these questions before<\/em> you start writing. Some experts believe many writers make the mistake of writing prematurely<\/a>. They advise against using writing to work out your thoughts, which can make your writing unorganized and repetitive. Instead, ask yourself what you want your reader to gain from your writing, and don\u2019t start writing until you have a clear answer.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Point of View Will You Use?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The next clarifying question you should ask yourself is, \u201cWhat point of view will I use?\u201d Your point of view is how you narrate your piece. Your point of view establishes a relationship with the reader since it\u2019s how you\u2019ll refer to yourself throughout the story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are three points of view: first, second, and third person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n