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Write Simply

paulgraham.com

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Re: Write Simply

#271

Post by noobly »

ganafagol wrote: post #267
whalesalad wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I normally have a very hard time reading his essays.

Could you elaborate? FWIW, it's unclear what you mean. "Normally" as in "usually, but not this one" or "usually, and this one too"? Two exact opposites, and in just one sentence you managed to be maximally ambiguous. If done on purpose, that's a skill. But, without intending to offend, I think you just don't realize how hard simple writing actually is. I think he succeeded in it very well.

He usually has a hard time reading his essays. I don't think he was making a statement on this particular one.

Re: Write Simply

#272

Post by villasv »

randomsearch wrote: post #264
villasv wrote: post #166

Pinker wrote a whole book about this, much better written, in fact. Unlike an HN essayist, Pinker also is an actual wide-audience best-seller. And unlike this essay, Pinker correctly acknowledges many nuances.

A book is longer than an essay, therefore more nuances can potentially be captured?

True in general, but Pinker does so from the preface, so not valid as explanation.

Re: Write Simply

#273

Post by hug »

thanhhaimai wrote: post #251

Am I the only one not very fond of this style of writing? It's the constant pauses and hiccups that I'm reading. Four paragraphs into it, and I still don't get a lot of information about what the author is trying to convey. In good essays, the first and last sentence in a paragraph are often enough to summarize the points. It helps set the context, and makes it much easier for the reader to make a mental map of the o…

> This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals–sounds that say listen to this, it is important.

Gary Provost.

Re: Write Simply

#274

Post by amirkdv »

thanhhaimai wrote: post #251

Am I the only one not very fond of this style of writing? It's the constant pauses and hiccups that I'm reading. Four paragraphs into it, and I still don't get a lot of information about what the author is trying to convey. In good essays, the first and last sentence in a paragraph are often enough to summarize the points. It helps set the context, and makes it much easier for the reader to make a mental map of the o…

It feels like this particular essay has much shorter sentences and much shorter paragraphs. And it does stick out uncomfortably to me a bit to me as well.

On the general point of shorter sentences, I've found it to be an excellent first approximation rule. Follow it religiously if you're new to making your writing reader-friendly. Later on ... keep following it. But allow your discretion to override it sometimes.

Re: Write Simply

#275

Post by a4isms »

I have opinions about writing. So does Mr. Graham.

What our opinions have in common is that they are not falsifiable. Unless we validate our conjectures with empirical evidence, we're really just sharing our taste.

"Oh no," you may say, "I have tested it, and when I write a longer essay, my retweets and upvotes decline." Very well, but the plural of anecdote is not 'data.'

Somewhere else on the Internet, there is someone with poetic, dense writing. When they simplify it, their audience dries up.

Writers and audiences find each other. If you try to measure the effect of your writing using only an audience that has selected your writing voluntarily, you are not measuring your effectiveness, you are measuring the degree to which your writing pleases people who already like your writing.

Absent a properly constructed empirical approach, we might as well be discussing hemlines and necktie widths.

Re: Write Simply

#277

Post by yawaramin »

a4isms wrote: post #275

I have opinions about writing. So does Mr. Graham. What our opinions have in common is that they are not falsifiable . Unless we validate our conjectures with empirical evidence, we're really just sharing our taste. "Oh no," you may say, "I have tested it, and when I write a longer essay, my retweets and upvotes decline." Very well, but the plural of anecdote is not 'data.' Somewhere else on the Internet, there is so…

Well, yes, style and taste are by definition subjective. In the words of The Big Lebowski, 'That's just, like, your opinion, man!' ;-)

Re: Write Simply

#278

Post by runawaybottle »

a4isms wrote: post #275

I have opinions about writing. So does Mr. Graham. What our opinions have in common is that they are not falsifiable . Unless we validate our conjectures with empirical evidence, we're really just sharing our taste. "Oh no," you may say, "I have tested it, and when I write a longer essay, my retweets and upvotes decline." Very well, but the plural of anecdote is not 'data.' Somewhere else on the Internet, there is so…

Yo, but real talk, didn’t we all just eat his essay up?

Re: Write Simply

#280

Post by clwk »

villasv wrote: post #166

Pinker wrote a whole book about this, much better written, in fact. Unlike an HN essayist, Pinker also is an actual wide-audience best-seller. And unlike this essay, Pinker correctly acknowledges many nuances.

I couldn't get through Pinker's book. He cites 'Clear and Simple as the Truth' as inspiration, but his acorn falls so far from the tree.
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