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Writing well

julian.com

41–50 of 135 posts

Re: Writing well

#41

I found this very hard to read. There are so many short sentences and bullet points that it looks like a PowerPoint presentation masquerading as prose. What he seems to have lost with this approach is a rhythm. It's a staccato battering with ideas. I'd much rather be seduced and cradled by writing that made me feel I'm learning by osmosis and not trepanning. EDIT: The author illustrates how his writing goes wrong by…

Thanks for sharing your opinion. I found myself strongly agreeing with the post, and it's really helpful to get a counter-perspective.

Re: Writing well

#42
Note that Julian runs an SEO and growth marketing company, so the type of writing here is more for that purpose, to sell your product, than to become the next great author.

Re: Writing well

#43
The style of this article reminds me of Wittgenstein: short, clinical, almost mathematical statements, with no poetical ambition whatsover. I understand that there might be situations in which such a style is appropriate, but this article is just very annoying to read. I would not definitely not call it "good writing".

The kind of "clarity" presented here as good writing works well if you assume that everything that can be thought can be directly expressed in words, without substantial loss. This is clearly not the case. Language is a very poor medium to transmit throughts and feelings. So the "trick" every good writer uses is this: don't describe something directly, but instead try to construct some secondary clues, hints and a general atmosphere that will start a thought process in the reader's mind which leads to the conclusions you want to bring across. This is the poetic approach, it could also simply be called "writing between the lines".

In my experience, this approach is a much more effective transmitter of ideas than trying to describe them directly, also for the simple reason that the reader will subconsiously assume that it is his own idea.

You need beautiful prose, rhythm and images to achieve that, as those open up this additional dimension. The article undertakes considerable (even pedantic) effort to leave that dimension closed.

Re: Writing well

#44
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work with SEO, CRO, UX and I can confirm that this style of writing - short sentences, tiny paragraphs - results in better outcomes: time on page is higher and bounce rate is lower.

The title of the article is "Writing Well". It is not "Writing that Reduces Bounce Rates." These are not the same thing and marketing copy is not something every writer should seek to emulate.

The thing is, "Well" in "Writing Well" needs to be defined, because everyone sees it differently.

For some, "Writing Well" is writing in a way that gives the reader a emotional reaction, like lots of fiction tends to aim for.

For others, "Writing Well" is deconstructing concepts so people can understand complex ideas easier, like what most of technical writing aims to do.

For yet others, "Writing Well" is writing in a way that visitors on a website stays for longer and reduces bounce rates, like content marketing tries to do.

Like many things in life, what you understand "well" to mean, changes how you need to do your writing. Sometimes you need to switch how you see "well", depending on your goals. There is no right or wrong answer what "well" actually means.

Re: Writing well

#45

I found this very hard to read. There are so many short sentences and bullet points that it looks like a PowerPoint presentation masquerading as prose. What he seems to have lost with this approach is a rhythm. It's a staccato battering with ideas. I'd much rather be seduced and cradled by writing that made me feel I'm learning by osmosis and not trepanning. EDIT: The author illustrates how his writing goes wrong by…

William Safire's Rules for Writers:

Remember to never split an infinitive.

The passive voice should never be used.

Do not put statements in the negative form.

Verbs have to agree with their subjects.

Proofread carefully to see if you words out.

If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be by rereading and editing.

=========

The above, plus Strunk & White[0], should be enough for most folks IMNSHO.

[0] https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37134

Re: Writing well

#46

I found this very hard to read. There are so many short sentences and bullet points that it looks like a PowerPoint presentation masquerading as prose. What he seems to have lost with this approach is a rhythm. It's a staccato battering with ideas. I'd much rather be seduced and cradled by writing that made me feel I'm learning by osmosis and not trepanning. EDIT: The author illustrates how his writing goes wrong by…

Wouldn't it be simpler to just say something like:

> Keep sentences brief; unnecessary filler obscures your point and bores the reader.

"Brevity is the soul of wit."

Re: Writing well

#47

I found this very hard to read. There are so many short sentences and bullet points that it looks like a PowerPoint presentation masquerading as prose. What he seems to have lost with this approach is a rhythm. It's a staccato battering with ideas. I'd much rather be seduced and cradled by writing that made me feel I'm learning by osmosis and not trepanning. EDIT: The author illustrates how his writing goes wrong by…

William Safire's Rules for Writers: Remember to never split an infinitive. The passive voice should never be used. Do not put statements in the negative form. Verbs have to agree with their subjects. Proofread carefully to see if you words out. If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be by rereading and editing. ========= The above, plus Strunk & White[0], should be enough fo…

> Proofread carefully to see if you words out.

That omission almost seems too perfect

Re: Writing well

#48
Didn't think much of the content but I am impressed he managed to get the julian.com domain and the @julian twitter handle. I would assume that it's a pretty common name.

Re: Writing well

#49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

William Safire's Rules for Writers: Remember to never split an infinitive. The passive voice should never be used. Do not put statements in the negative form. Verbs have to agree with their subjects. Proofread carefully to see if you words out. If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be by rereading and editing. ========= The above, plus Strunk & White[0], should be enough fo…

> Proofread carefully to see if you words out. That omission almost seems too perfect

That's the point. Each line violates the rule it states.

Re: Writing well

#50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

William Safire's Rules for Writers: Remember to never split an infinitive. The passive voice should never be used. Do not put statements in the negative form. Verbs have to agree with their subjects. Proofread carefully to see if you words out. If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be by rereading and editing. ========= The above, plus Strunk & White[0], should be enough fo…

> Proofread carefully to see if you words out. That omission almost seems too perfect

>That omission almost seems too perfect

It is perfect -- because William Safire was a wonderful writer[0].

I didn't care much for his politics, but that man could write!

[0] https://www.nytimes.com/by/william-safire

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