Category Archives: writing tip

Write ‘use’ not ‘utilise’

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It’s one of my pet hates: people who write or say ‘utilise’ when they could just as easily write ‘use’. Why use ‘utilise’ when you could more simply utilise ‘use’?

And of course, when we put it in the noun form it becomes ‘utilisation’ – surely that’s a word of the size that will impress.

Often people use bigger or more complicated words than they need to, to try to impress others, to create an impression that the writer is highly intelligent or sophisticated.

Using a big word rather than a simpler word usually gets in the way of good, effective communication.

And some other words to keep an eye on are: writing ‘post’ rather than ‘after’, or ‘prior to’ rather than ‘before’.

It’s best to select the simplest and most familiar words you can to convey ideas.

Use parallel structures in sentences to smooth the flow

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Good writing sounds good to the ear.

The sentence “Mary likes hiking, swimming and to ride a bicycle” is understandable; most readers will know exactly what it means.

However, the sentence feels uneven because the three activities do not share the same grammatical shape.

“Hiking” and “swimming” are -ing forms, while “to ride” shifts suddenly to an infinitive. Revising the sentence in this way, “Mary likes hiking, swimming and cycling,” is smoother because each item follows the same pattern.

This is called a parallel structure. It helps a sentence sound balanced, clear and natural.

Good writing is not only just about being correct; it is also about rhythm.

When sentences are read aloud, repeated patterns guide the ear, reduce awkwardness and make the message more pleasing to hear. 

How to introduce a new idea to readers

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Prefer clarity over elegance.

Some writers like to find different words to express the same idea because they think it is stylistically more elegant.

Consistency, even if it involves an amount of repetition, can help your readers understand a new idea or product.

When you talk about a thing in a document, give it the same name or description every time you refer to it.

For example, describing something as a system, then calling it a process, then a component, then an enterprise, then a project can be confusing.

Likewise, calling a product, perhaps, XFire2, then X2, then FireSmart, can also confuse your readers.

You may know they are the same thing, but your readers may not, and they could be wondering about distinctions that don’t exist.

First drafts nearly always need to be improved

Thinking & writing, writing tip,

‘Developing documentation, especially user-centred documentation, is not a one shot process. It is a continual process of successive refinement.’  (William Horton)

Another way of saying this is ‘There is no such thing as good writing – only good rewriting.’

So, expecting to generate perfect text on your first draft is unrealistic.

When writing in plain language we are always aiming to write user-centred text, and so we will always be refining our structure, words and sentences as we get feedback from our users, as we test our documents with the people who need to use them to do something useful.

Genuine feedback from users, often through formal user testing, is often forgotten in plain language writing projects.

Make sure you include feedback beyond just internal review processes.

Keep your line length short

Document structure, writing tip,

A part of crafting plain documents is to make sure that they are physically easy to read, so pay attention to the layout and format of your document.

For example, really long lines of text are hard to read – the eye wanders, it’s hard to keep focus. Readers easily lose their place and tire of reading.

Research has found around 50 to 70 characters per line works OK on paper, about 2/3 of that if you are delivering your document on screen.

One of the worst things you can do is to produce a document in landscape orientation with 11 or 12 point text all the way across the page.

Consider indenting or using columns to keep your line length manageable. That may also allow you to include some white space, or ‘air’ around your text.

Write to a person, not a crowd

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Try this next time you need to write something: Imagine one or two people who would read your document.

Imagine what they look like – maybe download a photo to help you visualise. Give them names; perhaps Bob or Sue.

Think through what is going on for them and how they may react to your message – will they receive it willingly or could there be a bit of resistance? Are other things going on that may distract their attention?

When you write, write directly to Bob or Sue. Speak as though they are in front of you. You may even speak the words as you type. An exercise like this will help you write more personally and directly.

Remember, you are always writing to real people.

Create documents that users want to read

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Documents should be desirable – so users are drawn into the content.

Effective documents are a pleasure to use, maybe even fun. Strive for easy reading.

Don’t make you readers struggle to unpack the meaning of words and sentences. Especially when you are communicating complex and difficult ideas, express those ideas in simple and easy to read text.

And use an attractive layout – one that is pleasing to the eyes and that communicates the structure of the document at a single glance. No-one wants to read ugly!

And consider including some informative graphics. Not eye candy, but pictures, diagrams, or graphs that support, expand, or illuminate the ideas you are conveying.

3 things to strive for in your documents. They should be useful, usable, desirable.

How to create a document that readers want to read

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The documents we write at work should be, primarily, useful.

That is, these documents will usually contain vital information that users need to perhaps make a decision, or follow a process, or complete some other action.

Readers need information and knowledge they can act on, and they need to gain that knowledge with some ease.

Readers should be glad they read your document because it helped them in some way.

Here’s 3 dimensions to help evaluate documents:

  1. A document should be useful.
    That is, it provides content readers can act on.
  2. A document should also be usable
    That is, readers can quickly and easily find the information they need and understand it.
  3. A document should be desirable
    Attractive to look at and attractive and pleasant to read with valuable content.

Writing to achieve an outcome – the organisation’s intent

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When we are writing at work, the document we produce needs to achieve an outcome for our organisation.

Perhaps the outcome is people buying a product, workers acting in a specific way, staff well aligned to goals, or some other intent.

Documents we produce at work can be described as ‘functional documents’.

That is, we write them to help the organisation achieve a goal of some sort.

Having this goal clearly in mind as you craft your document gives you focus. It helps you decide what content you will include, how you will organise the ideas, and the words you will use to get these ideas into your readers heads in a way they will they will respond in they way you want.

But, of course, your document must also meet your users’ needs.

Keep both sets of needs in mind as you write – the needs of your organisation and the needs of your reader.

How to increase the chances of people reading your text

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People are more likely to read your text if it answers a need they have

– if it gives them the knowledge they need to make a decision, or information they can act on to do something useful, or an insight that interests them or intrigues.

That’s why thinking about your reader – they are the user of the information product you will produce – thinking about your reader is so important before you start writing any document.

Think about their needs and interests, their fears, and the work they need to do. What do they want out of your document. Consider the questions they may have about the topic you are writing about.

But, if your document is going to be truly effective, it’s not just about your reader. The document must meet your organisation’s needs too.

How to write reports that people want to read

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One of the most useful ways to think about a report, any report, is to consider a report as an answer to a question.

When someone asks you to write a report, they are seeking information about something they don’t know. So, your job when writing a report is to answer that question.

Having a clearly defined question at the beginning helps focus your work, helps to minimise unproductive investigations, and will make your report more useful.

But make sure you have the correct question – one that probes the heart of the matter.

Spend some time with the person who has commissioned the report and the likely readers to explore what they really need to know. Ask them what they will do with the answer you provide.

And of course, maintain your integrity. Never write a report to provide a predetermined answer.

How to organise content for readers

Document structure, writing tip

One of the most helpful things you can do when crafting a document is to organise your content in a way that makes sense to your readers.

It’s not so much about how you think about the content, but more about what your readers need.

Organising content ‘point first’, with your main idea at the beginning, is helpful in most documents. Some other helpful ideas are to:

Move from the known to the unknown – help your readers by building on concepts and ideas they already have.

Move from the from simple to complex – gradually build on easily grasped ideas to develop a more complete and rounded picture.

Move from the concrete to the abstract – use examples and stories to build principles and approaches.

How to make your content easy to scan with talking headings

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Most people don’t read web pages word-for-word — they scan. Craft scannable headings that clearly summarise the point of each section – then readers can quickly find what matters to them. This article explains how talking headings help readers scan your content and understand your message faster.

Talking headings in a document provide both navigation and content information. They are of immense value to your reader.

What are talking headings?

Talking headings summarise the point of a section rather than simply naming the topic. By reading only the headings, a reader should understand the main message of the document.

Headings like ‘Introduction’ and ‘Conclusion’ just give navigation information. They tell us we’re at the beginning or at the end of a document.

Help your readers scan

Craft scannable headings so they tell the story. The reader should get the gist of your document just by reading your headings. And for busy readers, that may be all they read.

Bucket heading vs talking heading

A bucket heading might be something like ‘New strategy’. That just tells me there’s a bucket of information here about the new strategy, but doesn’t tell me anything about it.

A talking heading might be something like ‘Our new strategy responds to funding cuts’. It tells me exactly what the section is about, and primes my mind to receive that information correctly.

How long should a heading be?
A heading should be a short phrase or sentence that clearly communicates the main idea. Just a line or two.

Talking headings are useful, in letters, reports, briefing notes, procedures – all sorts of documents.

Want to improve how your organisation writes all sorts of documents?
Explore our plain language training courses.

Don’t assume others know all the words you do

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If you have completed studies beyond high school, you likely have a broader vocabulary than most people.

You will likely know the meaning of more complex words and also be able to untangle complicated sentence structures. While this can be useful in academic or professional settings, it can work against you when you are writing for a broader audience. You may inadvertently assume your readers are OK with some words and phrases just because you are.

So, consider your audience when writing. Limit your use of uncommon or technical words, and stick to everyday language, the kind you’d find in a newspaper.

Simple, familiar words make your writing easier to understand for everyone.

Business and government documents must be written well because…

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Business and government documents often contain important information that places obligations on individuals, such as legal responsibilities, financial commitments, or compliance requirements.

When these documents are not written clearly, there is a real risk that people may misunderstand or only partially understand what is required of them. This confusion can have serious consequences, such as missed deadlines, penalties, or unintended breaches of the law.

Poorly written documents can create unnecessary stress, disadvantage, or even oppress people—especially those with lower literacy levels, those for whom English is a second language, or those in vulnerable situations.

Clear and accessible writing helps everyone understand their rights and responsibilities. It promotes fairness, reduces errors and disputes, and builds trust in institutions.

Plain language is also about honesty

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Writing plainly means choosing words and sentence structures your readers can easily read, understand and use – information that is designed with their needs in mind.

But plain language is about more than just simplicity — it’s also about honesty and clarity.

A plain language document must give readers accurate, complete, and useful information. That means being upfront, leaving nothing important out, and avoiding confusing or misleading wording. There is no room for half-truths, vagueness, deliberate ambiguity, or obscured meanings.

Readers should be able to trust what they’re reading and clearly understand what it means. Writing this way shows respect for your audience and helps them make informed decisions.

In all government and business communication, plain language supports transparency, accountability, and better outcomes for everyone.

How to introduce a new idea

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When introducing a new idea to people, remember, most people tend to stay loyal to their initial point of view. Moving to a new way of thinking takes some effort.

A single piece of paper, no matter how well written, may not be sufficient to sway an entrenched mind. Recognise that moving to a new way of thinking is rarely immediate – even when presented with compelling information.

Persuasion sometimes takes time and multiple presentations and encounters with new information in various forms.

So, when you write, aim to keep the lines of communication open so  your audience can understand and assimilate your message over time.

How to mitigate document risk: Test with real users

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Publishing a document that nobody reads, or that people don’t understand, or that users don’t act on, is a waste.

All the investment in crafting and reviewing will have zero return.

It’s very risky to assume a document will achieve purpose on the sole basis of internal review. Merely passing a document around the office to get your colleagues or boss’s opinion is not enough – it’s best to test with end users.

A document is an information product. Users are the only ones who can tell you if your information product is working.

Test early, test frequently to check your document is hitting the mark with users to get confidence that it will be effective.

Readability – necessary but not sufficient

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Readability refers to how easy it is to read text. It depends on how complex the ideas are and how they are expressed. (Readability is different to legibility. Legibility refers to how easy it is to see the letters that make up words.)

There are many tests that measure how readable a piece of text is.

I always use readability software

Readability tests quick and easy, and usually free. MS Word has the Flesch Reading Ease score and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level built in. Their are many other tests available on the web – all have value.

Other apps (like Grammarly) offer to check tone, spelling and grammatical errors. Readable.com is one of my favourites – it provides lots of helpful information. I’m writing this blog using the Hemingway app.

Software can alert me to silly mistakes, things I can improve in my writing. Even when I think I’ve done a good job, running my text through a tool makes it better. There’s no such thing as good writing, only good re-writing.

I never rely on readability software

Readability and writing apps work by analysing words and sentences. They count up syllables, look for passive voice and do other analysis. It’s a mechanical review only.
It’s possible to write highly readable rubbish. That is, you can write useless text that scores well on readability tests.

Readability tests don’t consider other matters that are vital. Effective writing meets the needs of readers while achieving the writer’s purpose. Writers must structure content well – usually point first. Text must be relevant to readers and give information they can use.

Inbuilt limitations, yet valuable

Many tests were developed decades ago. They reference US grade levels, not Australian readers. There are many weaknesses in the tests.

Despite the weaknesses, readability test are valuable. They provide good, but not definitive, feedback. They are quick and easy to use – why wouldn’t you use them?

How to review documents: Be gentle and kind, but robust

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If you are working inside an organisation, it is likely that everything you write will be reviewed by someone else before it is published or reaches its final destination.

Document reviews can be challenging for writers, so if you are a reviewer, please take care.

When reviewing someone’s work, remember what they have written is a reflection of their thinking and of themselves. That’s because thinking and writing are closely related.

Editing can be seen as criticising someone’s writing, and some people will take that as criticising their thinking. None of us like that. All writing is personal to some extent.

So, consider the person, not just the text.

But that is no reason to allow sloppy or ineffective writing to slip through. Be robust too so that whatever moves around inside the organisation, or that goes outside, is fit for purpose.

Building the best structure for your document

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Placing your content in the correct order makes a big impact on the effectiveness of your document.

Before designing a structure for your document:

  1. define the purpose of your document – what you want to achieve
  2. understand your readers – what they want and need

Structure follows purpose

If your purpose is to persuade or share information and your readers are likely to give you a fair hearing, then a ‘point first’ structure is often the best. (sometimes called a pyramid or telescoping structure.)

A ‘point first’ structure starts with your key point. You follow this with explanation, reasoning and detail that justifies and expands the point.

Structure for your readers

Readers find this structure easy to follow; it’s always easier to grasp an argument when you are told the conclusion first. It also allows readers to stop reading when they have had enough without missing your main point.

But if your readers are likely to resist your message, then you may need to walk them through your reasoning and research before telling them your conclusion.

Documents aimed to persuade, a business case for example, are often structured by talking about the problem or opportunity first. This highlights the motivation for change and sets the scene for your solution.

When writing procedures, consider starting with the overall aim or intent of the procedure (to give clear context and purpose) and then present the steps in chronological order.

An effective document structure is one where readers can quickly understand and use the information you provide.

How to avoid writing dull text

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Nothing makes a document duller than turning verbs (action words) into nouns (labels). So ‘inspect’ becomes ‘inspection’, ‘manage’ becomes ‘management’ and ‘use’ becomes ‘utilisation’ (my pet hate!).

Some people think words like these sound official and the sort of language that should be used in business documents. It’s just plain dull. If you replace action words with labels your writing will lose its vigour and power.

But worse than that, it hides meaning. For example, you can write ‘perform an inspection’ without clearly stating what is being inspected. But when you write ‘inspect the …..’ you are forced to say what to inspect, and perhaps what you are looking for.

In general, using verbs forces greater rigour in thinking and greater precision in writing.

And always choose the simplest word you can find in preference to impressive,  pompous words.

When a logical structure doesn’t work

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Sometimes structuring your document in what seems to be a logical order just doesn’t work.

We all know that the traditional “scientific” report structure we learnt in school is usually not the best way to present information to an audience. Its biggest problem is that it leaves the conclusion to the end – your readers have to trawl through pages of consideration and argument before finding out what you really have to say.

So normally we’d recommend you structure a complex document by putting the big idea first. You’d then gradually start to unpack that idea by providing more detail and examples. This helps your readers by giving them a framework to understand the detail. It also gives them the option of putting aside your document when they have read enough without missing out on your most important point.

But sometimes the ‘point first’ approach is not the best way. If your readers have a particularly burning question that they are expecting you to answer, you will engage them best if you satisfy them quickly. Even if their question is at a lower level of detail than the big picture you really want to talk about, answering their question early will save them the frustration of reading material that they think is irrelevant to them. However, be sure that you present the answer in context so that they are not misled.

So how do you decide what structure to use?

You must know your readers very well and know as much as possible about the things that are important to them. You also must know clearly why you are writing – what your purpose is. Are you trying to inform, persuade or entertain?

Action

Think

  • what are you trying to achieve?
  • what does your audience already know?

Structure your document to engage your readers’ interests and move them towards your purpose.

Writing in plain language is not ‘dumbing down’

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I get really annoyed when I hear people use the expression ‘dumbing down’ when they talk about writing documents – especially documents intended for the public. It’s as though they think their readers are idiots. It betrays a level of arrogance that is never helpful when we are communicating with anyone.

Most of the time we are not writing to idiots, but to people of average, maybe even above average, intelligence. They just may not have had all the experiences we have. Writing plainly is about crafting text that is clear and easy to read to help people understand. As Einstein said ‘Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler’. And always write with great respect for your readers.

Know your audience

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Before you write anything (even a simple email), spend some time thinking about your reader.

This is the person you will be having a written conversation with.

Consider what’s important to them, what excites or scares them, what do they already know, and what do they need to know.

How do they like to receive information and how will they find your document – will they search it out or will you give it to them?

What will be their emotional state as they read.

Will they read a long document, or do you need to keep it short and to the point? Can they handle complex language?

And most importantly, what do they need to do with the document you provide, with this information product you are giving them?

Only after doing some serious thinking around these types of questions can you match your writing to your readers needs and wants.

Enjoy writing

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Take delight in the words you use and the ideas you are communicating. If you don’t enjoy your writing, there is no way your reader will. Find joy in expressing yourself and communicating ideas.

If you work in either business or government, you are usually writing about things that are important and worthwhile, so write with energy and enthusiasm. That doesn’t mean you need to be flamboyant or overly clever, just be engaged as you write.

Have a worthwhile conversation with your readers – one that progresses the objectives of your organisation while meeting your readers’ needs. Your enjoyment will carry through to your readers – readers can sense when writing is flat and forced.

In the advent … really?

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I came across this phrase in a report a while ago – in the advent. The writer was trying to use a fancy expression for ‘if’. But it made them look foolish.

They meant to write ‘in the event’, but they ended up talking about the religious season before Christmas, or something coming into existence. I’m not sure why anybody would want to write ‘in the event’ when you could use the word ‘if’ – 3 words when one would do! Why would you write that way?

Fancy writing, intended to show off how clever or sophisticated you are, nearly always gets in the way of clear and useful communication. And it can reflect poorly on you. Write simply.

Your writing should be like a clean shop window

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Plain language writing has been described as like looking through a shop window.

When you are looking through a shop window, you are looking at the goods on display. You are not looking at or being bothered by the glass in the window – it is transparent, you see straight through it.

In the same way, when you are reading something that has been written clearly in plain language, you should be interacting and engaging with the ideas. You should not be bothered by or struggle with the language the writer has used– it should be transparent, defining the writers ideas so that you can easily understand their thoughts.

Write simply and clearly so readers engage with your ideas, don’t hide them behind fancy or convoluted writing.

Some parts of conversation should not enter your writing

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One of the techniques of writing in plain language is to use a conversational style – to write as though your reader is physically in the room with you.

But there are aspects of spoken conversations that should not enter your writing. ‘ums’ and arhs’ and ‘you knows’ are clearly out.

Sometimes when we speak with each other we include words that are not really necessary for the content we are delivering. These clutter phrases and additional words can be helpful in conversation to slow down information delivery, giving the hearer a little more time to process the ideas.

But this not needed when communicating using the written word. Readers can control their reading speed and the rate they encounter new ideas in a way that hearers can not.

The price of good writing is constant vigilance

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All successful communication requires unwavering alertness. Never let your keyboard get ahead of your brain.

The moment we allow our fingers to race faster than our thoughts, we risk misunderstandings, offence, or maybe even complete miscommunication. Effective writing requires us to pause, consider our audience, and choose our words deliberately.

Prioritise mindfulness over speed. Each sentence should serve a clear purpose and reflect genuine understanding of the readers’ needs and perspectives. Avoid the common pitfalls of hasty responses: unclear instructions, unintended rudeness, or messages that completely miss their mark.

Our workplaces can be fast-paced and demanding – the pressure to respond immediately can be overwhelming. However, taking a few extra seconds to review and refine our writing leads to documents that are effective and achieve purpose.

How to write sentences

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Never begin a sentence until you are sure of what you want to say in it and how it will end.If that means you only write short, simple sentences for a while, that’s OK.

Think clearly before committing words to paper or screen so that every word serves a purpose. Rushing ahead without clarity can lead to confusion, both for you and your reader.

And usually just write one single, focused thought per sentence. This makes your writing easier to follow. Readers can process single ideas more effectively than complex, multi-layered statements that weave together several concepts.

But, if you choose to include more than one point in a sentence, place the most important thought first. Your reader will find your main message immediately, even if they stop reading mid-sentence.

If you do this, over time you’ll develop a writing style that is both powerful and easy to follow. You’ll be able to communicate complex ideas clearly and succinctly.

Email: Use your subject line well

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Don’t waste the subject line in your emails – it is very valuable real estate!

The subject line is the first thing your reader will see – and you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Use the subject line to highlight your main point. Structuring an email in this way is an application of the general principle of writing ‘point first’.

Writing point first orients your reader to what follows. An effective subject line can prime your readers’ minds so they engage more readily with your message.

An accurate subject line respects your readers’ time, and helps them decide whether or not they will read on immediately or leave your message for later.

Email: A single chunk of information

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Usually it is best to cover only one topic in an email. The most effective emails are short, clear, and focused on a single purpose.

When you try to include several different matters in the same message, it becomes cluttered and harder for the reader to process. Too many ideas can confuse your audience, delay their response, or even cause important details to be overlooked.

Deliberate brevity, focused on a single matter, respects the recipient’s time. Keeping to one subject makes your writing sharper – the reader can respond quickly to a single issue.

A single-topic email is also easier to file, track, and search for later in an email trail.

If you have multiple distinct matters to discuss, send separate emails with clear, specific subject lines for each topic.

How long is a paragraph?

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Paragraphs are flexible. A paragraph can be a single word, or it could be 8 sentences or more if the idea is complex.

A paragraph should contain a single idea. If you have a new idea or a shift in focus, start a new paragraph.

Write the main point in the first sentence. That guides your reader, so they know what to expect. Use the following sentences to expand or explain or illustrate that central point.

Readers are most comfortable when paragraphs average about 4-6 lines. This length provides enough space to develop an idea without overwhelming the reader or creating dense blocks of text.

But it’s also good to have some variety in both sentence and paragraph length to keep your text visually interesting and reduce reader fatigue.

No need to start at the beginning when writing

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When writing any document, you don’t need to start at the beginning. Writing is often not a linear process.

Instead of stressing over the perfect opening line, focus on writing the sections you already have ideas for. Begin with the content you feel most confident about—whether it’s a key argument, a conclusion, or even a list of bullet points.

This initial burst of content serves as a solid foundation, and once those parts are in place, you can shape the rest of the document around them.

Starting where you are most comfortable is also a really useful way to approach corporate templates. 

An approach like this allows you to build momentum and avoid writer’s block. It’s a flexible, efficient strategy that helps you stay productive and develop a message that has impact.

How to get started when writing

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Just writing anything that comes into your head can be a surprisingly effective way to start writing. Free writing helps get the ideas flowing without the pressure of perfection.

When you let your thoughts spill onto the page uncensored, it helps unlock your thinking without worrying about perfection. It removes the pressure of getting everything right the first time and allows your ideas to develop naturally. It’s not about perfection at this stage; it’s about momentum.

You can always refine, reshape, and polish those raw ideas later. The key is to keep your pen moving or your fingers typing, even if what emerges feels messy or incoherent at first.

I often say, there’s no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting.  The magic happens in revision, where you sculpt your initial thoughts into something compelling.

So give yourself permission to write badly at first—it’s an essential part of the creative process.

Is a document always the best choice?

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Sometimes, a document is not the best way of communicating with your audience.

Face-to-face meetings or telephone conversations or video conferencing may be better.

While letters, emails, and documents serve their purpose, they can create delays between sending and receiving messages, slowing down the exchange of ideas.

However, when you speak directly there is opportunity for immediate feedback, clarification, and a more dynamic discussion. This real-time interaction helps prevent misunderstandings and may foster a stronger connection between parties.

Direct dialogue also allows you to pick up on tone, emotion, and nuance that written words often fail to convey. Body language and vocal inflections add crucial layers of meaning to your message.  

After the conversation, it’s wise to follow up with a written summary of key points and any agreements reached. This makes sure everyone is on the same page and provides a clear reference for future use.

Combining the efficiency of verbal communication with the clarity of written records can lead to more productive and successful outcomes.

The dangers of copy and paste

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Copying and pasting from one document to another allows you to generate text quickly without thinking very hard. It gives the illusion of progress.

Copy and paste builds bulk but not always meaning.

This approach might seem efficient for meeting word counts or filling pages, but it often results in disjointed and incoherent content.

Using existing text is an effective way to get started and can provide a useful foundation or inspiration for your work, but always revise so the meaning is clear and relevant to the new document.

Each piece of writing has its own context, audience, and purpose. Simply transplanting text without adapting it will likely result in an ineffective document.

Thoughtful editing transforms text into meaningful communication, and that demonstrates both respect for your readers and a commitment to quality.

Lazy writing reflects lazy thinking. And remember, you cannot write well until you first think well.

Write to think better

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip

C.S. Lewis, the famous author of the Narnia series, but also a philosopher and theologian said:

“I do not sit down at my desk to put into verse something that is already clear in my mind. If it were clear in my mind, I should have no incentive or need to write about it. We do not write in order to be understood; we write in order to understand.”

This relationship between thinking and writing is what excites me about the writing process. Expressing our thoughts in words forces the abstract and the fuzzy to become concrete and definite.

It does allow us to share our thinking with other people. But perhaps even more usefully, writing our thoughts down allows us to share our thinking with ourselves, helping to refine our thoughts and develop richer and more useful ideas.

Write to communicate

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While writing can be very powerful and useful in helping to develop and clarify our ideas, we often write to communicate our thoughts to other people.
The text we generate is for consumption by others.

We may be communicating instructions or requirements, or perhaps inviting others to engage with us in our thinking.

Strive to achieve both clarity and contact.

Clarity is about making sure your reader picks up your intended meaning without modification. Usually the best way to do this is to write plainly. Use familiar and simple words. And just have one idea in each sentence.

Contact is about conveying to your reader the importance of your message, so they make an effort to get their head around what you are saying and then take appropriate action. To do this, get to know your reader well. Learn about their circumstances and what’s important to them.

Hold your readers’ attention

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Johann Hari, in his book Stolen Focus, claims average office workers focus for a maximum of just 3 minutes at a time.

Our ability to concentrate and read for an extended time is diminishing, largely due to being constantly interrupted by various forms of technology.

Just about all modern readers struggle to focus on large slabs of writing.

So, what can we as writers do to help our messages get across. Well writing succinctly using as few words as needed helps. Also, chunking your content into bite size chunks is more important than ever.

And above all, engage – tap into the things that are important for your reader, perhaps that they are passionate about.

There are so many distractions to take your readers’ minds from your message.

Write short sentences

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Short sentences are usually easier to understand.
And short sentences are more lively.

If you write a really long sentence containing lots of different ideas the reader has to wait until they reach the full stop before they can take a quick mental break to process all the ideas and all the things you have told them and then they have to make sense of it all and figure out how they should respond. (that sentence was longer than it needed to be – 61 words)

Joining words like ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘then’ are good places to consider breaking a long sentence into two or more sentences.

On average, aim for about 15-20 words per sentence. But don’t make all your sentences that long – readers like variety. There is nothing wrong with a 3 word sentence, and nothing wrong with a 35 word sentence. Just don’t write them all the time

Write ‘point first’

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Busy readers may not read a whole document.

It’s not that they are lazy, it’s just that they are pushed for time and may stop reading when they think they have all they need from your document. There’s a danger there, because they miss some even more important information that you’ve placed later in the document.

So, for nearly all documents, it’s best to organise your content so the most important information comes first – where it is most likely to be read. And if some readers don’t read the rest, it may not matter too much.

Structuring content point first also provides readers with a context for what follows, and that can help them understand your message more readily.

This idea of writing point first works at the overall document level, at sections within the document, for paragraphs and even when writing sentences.

Use familiar, short words

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When you write, think carefully about the words you choose to use.

In general, select words that will be familiar to your audience – words that they know and use frequently themselves.

This allows readers to quickly find meaning rather than having to search in their mind for the meaning. Or even worse, have to look up the meaning of a word in a dictionary.

Overlap using familiar words with also choosing short and simple words. Shorter words are generally easier to read and process.

So, write ‘use’ rather than ‘utilise’; ‘try’ rather than ‘endeavour’; ‘help’ rather than ‘facilitate’.

Choose words that are firstly familiar to your audience, and secondly prefer simple and short words.

But above all, choose words that convey your meaning with clarity and precision.

Prefer concrete words over abstract ones

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CS Lewis, the famous author, gives this advice:
Never use abstract words when concrete ones will do. If you mean “More people died” don’t say “Mortality rose”.

The power of concrete words is that they communicate meaning immediately; readers are more easily able to create an image in their minds of what it is you are saying.

If you use abstract words readers need to search their minds to find the meaning, and then work to apply that meaning to the situation.  

For example, don’t write about ‘problems’ and ‘corrective measures’ – they are abstract ideas.

Tell the reader what the problem was and how it was corrected. Help them create an accurate image in their mind.

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Why write in the active voice?

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Stephen King (in On Writing) says timid writers prefer the passive voice.
‘The passive voice is safe….I think unsure writers also feel the passive voice somehow lends their work authority, perhaps even a quality of majesty’.

Writing in the passive voice is very common in business and government.

The passive voice often hides who is doing what, and can be used to create distance between the writer and the reader. That’s often a distance used to emphasise the power of the writer over the reader.

Suppose we write a sentence like this: “Your objection has been considered and it has been decided to reject it.” The reader would rightly want to know who considered the objection and who decided to reject it. Were they the same person, or was it a committee decision? Were they appropriately skilled?

Of course, the passive voice is not wrong and there are times when it is better. But in general, prefer the active voice.

Define purpose before writing

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The starting point for any writing project, any document, is to be clear about your purpose before you start.

Writing a crisp, clear purpose statement helps you to focus your mind. It will help you when you make decisions about content – deciding what goes in and what you will leave out.

A clear purpose will also guide your writing style – do you need to be formal or more friendly.

To clarify your purpose think about the impact you would like to have on your reader – ask yourself “What do I you want my readers to think or feel or do after reading?” Answer in a sentence structured like this ‘As a result of reading this, I want Mr Smith to … whatever it is”.

Your purpose statement does not need to be complex or clever, it just needs to be clear.

Review and edit to improve

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There’s no such thing as good writing,
only good re-writing.

If you’ve been writing for a while, you will know that is true. We very rarely craft perfect text on our first attempt.

Writing is a really thinking in concrete words. The process of refining and editing is part of the thinking process, helping ideas become clearer and more precise.

If you can, often it’s good to write a first draft and then leave your text for a day or two.

This allows your sub-conscious to bubble away and enriches your thinking. I’ve got no idea how the subconscious works, I just know it does.

Allowing yourself a bit of soak time helps. Then get into reviewing and editing.

And you may need to repeat that process a few times.

Write with verbs not nouns

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It’s better to write ‘evaluate‘ rather than ‘make an evaluation‘; write ‘decide‘ rather than ‘make a decision‘. ‘Evaluation’ is a noun, ‘evaluate’ is a verb.

Use verbs (action words) to make your writing more lively.

When you write with verbs your writing becomes more engaging and energetic because you are using action words. And it can also help you reduce your word count.

Many noun forms end in …ion, …ent, so keep an eye out for them.

And I’d love to ban the word ‘undertake’- we only ever use that when we need it to accompany a noun.

So we write the wordy phrase ‘we will undertake an investigation’ rather than saying more simply ‘we will investigate’.

Choosing to write with verb forms rather than nouns is a simple change, but it can powerfully improve your text.

Personalise your writing

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Your writing will be read by people, so write directly to them.

Organisations don’t read letters or other documents, people inside them do.

So it’s OK to use personal pronouns – words like you, me, I, us.

Using personal pronouns helps make contact with your readers and creates a more engaging, conversational tone. It helps them better understand how they should respond and what actions they need to take.

Write ‘you must …’ rather than the vague ‘the ratepayer must ….’. Writing directly makes your writing clearer, more accessible, and helps readers feel acknowledged and respected.

This simple shift from third person to second person can dramatically improve comprehension and response rates.

Impress with your thinking, not your language

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Some writers deliberately write in a way that makes their text difficult to read.

They do this to create an air of mystique or superiority or to appear more ‘educated’ than their readers. They emphasise the supposed distance between their intelligence and that of the reader by using words that their readers may not know and putting it altogether in long and complex sentences.

This is a pretence! It always gets in the way of good, effective communication.

If you feel you need to impress you readers in some way, do it with the power and clarity of your thinking, not by showing off with your language or vocabulary skills.

And sometimes, difficult writing is simply a cover-up for a lack of clear and insightful thinking. Some writers use complex writing in an attempt to sound profound when they are not really saying anything worthwhile at all.

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