I think we all know that we should write simply, but not always what needs to be simplified in something we've written. I find http://hemingwayapp.com to be useful here. I don't listen to all recommendations, but it helps me fix some mistakes I make often - using passive voice, unnecessary hedging etc.
Write Simply
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Re: Write Simply
#12As usual, xkcd is relevant: https://xkcd.com/547/
Re: Write Simply
#13Achieving simplicity is hard. Allow me to explain, with a software analogy, too many times "customers" or users wants a "simple" solution, wrongly expecting that a simple final product was made with a simple implementation, which is not the case at all. It's the opposite. I would expect the same process about writing, a final and concise essay requires tons of work, removing a word and replacing it with a common alte…
"If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter." -- Blaise Pascal
Re: Write Simply
#14>That's why some people write that way, to conceal the fact that they have nothing to say. That's a great point.
Copywriter here. Sometimes the client gives me the barest thread of a topic, some minor, new product or service or partnership for them, something that could be covered comprehensively in 300 words... and then they say they want a 1000+ word blog post on it (for SEO purposes).
That article is going to end up being mostly fluff, and there’s not much I can do about it. Sure, I can work in some background and play up the implications of the news, but really, it’s just content for content’s sake, so that they can stay in their customers’ feeds.
And, just for the record, those type of articles are not my forte or preference, but are an unavoidable reality in my line of work.
Re: Write Simply
#15“Easy reading is damn hard writing.“ — Nathaniel Hawthorne (apparently)* There’s definite value to simplicity in writing. At the same time, like all principles, people tend to run with the idea and misapply it. There are some cases in which your work demands a certain level of precision that’s only possible using complex words or jargon. Not to mention, writing that’s a little complicated can be a lot more fun! There…
I believe the best piece of advice is, "Know your audience."
Re: Write Simply
#16On Writing Well[0] is one of the best books I've read. I'd recommended it to anyone who wants to improve their writing. 0: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53343.On_Writing_Well
The first review on that page[1] is a well argued counterpoint to Graham's essay. Getting your ideas understood is often only one part of what you're trying to achieve.
If that really is your only goal, then I agree, the simpler the better.
[1] https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/755379555?book_show_ac...
Re: Write Simply
#17On Writing Well[0] is one of the best books I've read. I'd recommended it to anyone who wants to improve their writing. 0: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53343.On_Writing_Well
The first review on that page[1] is a well argued counterpoint to Graham's essay. Getting your ideas understood is often only one part of what you're trying to achieve. If that really is your only goal, then I agree, the simpler the better. [1] https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/755379555?book_show_ac...
Having read a fair amount of Zizek and some Foucault I have to agree. Obfuscation can be just as useful as clarity.
Re: Write Simply
#18I remember seeing the replay of PG writing an essay[^1] back in 2009. To me, this was such a strong way to show (rather than tell) just _how_ hard writing really is.
[^1] Here's the current link if you're interested so watch: http://byronm.com/13sentences.html (Thankfully re-discovered from one of PGs recent tweets: https://twitter.com/paulg/status/1365425470318272514)
Re: Write Simply
#19Another piece of writing advice: Never use adverbs.
‘Never’ is an adverb.
Re: Write Simply
#20I think there are two sources of confirmation bias here:
1. People on HN are already primed to appreciate this style of writing. Simple. Precise. Direct. It suits a technical literal mind to have less ambiguity and fewer flourishes.
2. On the web, where each individual piece of writing is not meant to last as long, the writing style has become more casual. Consider the difference between your average Medium article versus your average academic research paper.
Both of these points considered, I disagree entirely with the premise. There can be value to dense, even perhaps enigmatic writing. I would say that the greatest works of English literature tend towards that direction (James Joyce, Thomas Pynchon, David Foster Wallace).