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Ask HN: I find writing difficult, how do I make it easy?

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Ask HN: I find writing difficult, how do I make it easy?

#1
When writing documentation and project proposals I struggle to write in a concise way. I find it difficult to write in a lucid way. Even after rereading and editing my docs multiple times I am not happy with the outcome. In fact I fall into dilemma on which of my edited drafts should I choose as final version.

How do I learn to write concisely?

Re: Ask HN: I find writing difficult, how do I make it easy?

#3
Practice and feedback. Find someone whose writing style you admire and ask them to suggest edits to your drafts. Try to understand why they suggested those edits. Ask about any edits you don’t understand. Write more. Get more edits. Wash rinse repeat until the suggestions for major changes become rare.

Re: Ask HN: I find writing difficult, how do I make it easy?

#4
Writing clearly and concisely is not easy, so it's quite natural for many people to find it difficult. In fact, writing woolly and verbose prose is much easier - perhaps why it's so predominant?

Practice will help. Reading other people's writing will also help - find examples of writing you like.

Most product documentation is abysmal. Here is a random, but reasonably good example: installation instructions for Craft CMS. It assumes some technical knowledge, but the description is fairly clear: https://docs.craftcms.com/v3/installation.html

I find the 10 tips for clear writing at the following link very helpful:

https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2019/08/27/podcast-on-writing/

You don't need to listen to the podcast (unless you want to) at the top of the linked page. Scroll down the page and you'll find a short description of each of the following tips:

1. Establish ‘The Point’

2. Write it like you’d say it

3. Don’t try to sound clever

4. Show the thing

5. Know that you are not your writing

6. Share your work

7. Read (poetry in particular)

8. Never start with a blank page

9. Know when enough is enough

10. Stay human

Edit: another example I wanted to share of clear writing. The NHS (National Health Service in the UK) has an excellent A-Z of health conditions website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/

I have always liked how clear, straightforward and simple the entries are without the information being 'dumbed down' in any way. Here is a random health entry (on epilepsy) to illustrate: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/epilepsy/

Re: Ask HN: I find writing difficult, how do I make it easy?

#6
Practice! Go back and rework older documents - it’s hard to edit something you just wrote. Time between writing and editing will give you perspective, and help you understand what to do better in the future.

Reading about writing will help too. “The Elements of Style” is great, as is Stephen King’s “On Writing” (for the latter, ignore the parts focused on fiction).

Re: Ask HN: I find writing difficult, how do I make it easy?

#7
Some suggestions: 1) Use active voice where possible 2) As someone already mentioned, try the suggestions from "Elements of Style" 3) Have someone read it and tell you what they think you're trying to say

Writing well is hard. You should struggle to write well. The fact that just about everyone can write makes it even harder.

Re: Ask HN: I find writing difficult, how do I make it easy?

#8
"From time to time, I get a letter from some aspiring young writer, asking about how to write or how to get published. My usual response is that the only way I know to become a good writer is to be a bad writer and keep on improving."

https://www.tsowell.com/About_Writing.html

Re: Ask HN: I find writing difficult, how do I make it easy?

#9
I think the hard part of writing is our fear of being wrong or not polished. We want to put together ideas and show others that we are right. The struggle leads to incoherent thoughts. We are afraid to write them down.

So the first hurdle of writing is to overcome our fear. We may be wrong. But we can write it down and present it. If we are wrong, we can admit it. We'll write better as a result.

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