Tag Archives: clear writing

How good writing drives good thinking (with a down-side)

Thinking & writing, ,

There is a very close relationship between writing well and thinking well.
You cannot write well until you think well.

Writing helps thinking

The relationship with thinking is what excites me about writing.

When we write (and this could be a few words or even a diagram) we take the fuzzy, unformed ideas sitting in the back of our heads and make them explicit. We put them on a page or a screen. When we see our thoughts on paper, we are better able to interact with ideas, and thinking becomes richer and clearer.

The think-write-think process helps us figure out the best way of explaining ideas to others – we talk to ourselves and other people with greater clarity.

Poor writing is often the result of poor thinking. Ideas may be there, but if they haven’t been worked over and refined by writing and re-writing, they are unlikely to be understood by people other than the writer.

The down-side

The close relationship between writing and thinking means that every time you write something, you are exposing your thinking. That may be an uncomfortable thought. People may make judgements about your thinking capability based on the text you generate.

It’s all the more reason to strive to write plainly and clearly, so that readers can see through your words to interact with your ideas.

As with all endeavours, we can lift writing performance with proper training and disciplined practice.

In the advent … really?

Plain language / Plain English, writing tip,

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

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

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.

The price of good writing is constant vigilance

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

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 long is a paragraph?

Document structure, Plain language / Plain English, writing tip, , , ,

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

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

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.