Today

01 Understand … Why clarity is the most important goal for all writers

02 Discover … Five key principles that will make your writing more clear

03 Learn … How to apply those principles to your writing to make it more effective

Clarity is an essential part of storytelling.

Clarity Is …

         1. How easy your writing is to understand

2. Whether or not your sentences are set up in a reader-focused way

3. Rich, specific language that adds to your reader’s understanding

Clarity Isn’t …

1. How simple or juvenile the ideas in your writing are

2. Whether or not your prose is engaging, unique, and exciting

Clarity starts with your sentences.

Sentences are like mini movies.

Five Principles of Creating Clarity …

-      Make your subjects stars.

-      Reduce glue words.

-      Use powerful verbs.

-      Target correct readability.

-      Choose specific words.

Principle One … Make your subjects stars.

-      Subjects are the stars of your sentences. Treat them that way.

-      Passive voice; Object before subject

“The present was opened by Jane.”

-      Passive voice is too wordy and confusing.

-      When to use it …

Subject is unknown … “Stonehenge was built around 5,000 years ago.”

Subject is irrelevant … “The Time & Life building was constructed in

1959 and changed the skyline.”

         Deliberate choice … “Mary realized a suspicious package had been left

on her door.”

         Passive voice: How to fix it … “Jane opens the present.”

         Fix it yourself

                 Find the word “by” … “The present was opened by Jane.”

                 Find “to be” + verbs … “The present was opened by Jane.”

                 The do-er comes first … “Jane opens the present.”

         Fix it with ProWritingAid

Principle Two … Reduce glue words.

-      Prioritize working words over glue words.

-      Working Words … Words that contain a sentence’s most essential

information. You can’t change them or the meaning of the sentence

will change.

-      Glue Words … Glue words tend to make the essential pieces of the sentence stick together. You can reduce, remove, or replace them.

-      Too many glue words make the sentence sticky.

-      Sticky sentence … What are the working words?

Dave walked over into the backyard of the school in order to see if

there was a new bicycle that he could use in his class.

-      What are the working words?

              Dave walked over into the backyard of the school in order to see if

there was a new bicycle that he could use in his class.

         There isn’t one way to fix a sticky sentence.

My new version: Dave checked the school’s backyard for a new

bicycle to use in class.

-      Fix it yourself …

              Find overly long sentences: “Rule of Thumb: Anything over 18

words long is probably too long.

Look for glue words … Words like prepositions, conjunctions, and   

articles.

         Rewrite reducing glue words … Remember, there’s not one way to fix a

sticky sentence.

Fix it with ProWritingAid

Principle Three … Use powerful verbs.

         Verbs are the engines of our writing.

         Many writers use weak verbs.

         Hidden Verbs … Also known as nominalization

We will make an announcement of the winner on Friday.

         Weak verbs … Need words like “very” (a modifier)

I ran quickly towards the bus.

         Let your verbs power your writing.

         Show the verb …

Remove the nominalization … We will announce the winner on Friday.

Use strong verbs … Pick words that say what you mean

         I dashed towards the bus.

         Fix it with ProWritingAid

Principle Four … Target correct readability.

         Audiences prefer works that are easy to read.

         What it means … Ideas are the stars

Readable work lets ideas shine so audiences don’t worry about word choice.

         You choose words carefully … You don’t have to forego all interesting

words—just be choosy.

         Audience matters … Every audience is different. Consider yours when

targeting readability.

What it doesn’t …

         Your prose is boring … You can use unique words and structures.

Just do it consciously.

         Your Writing is Dumbed Down … Complicated ideas deserve clear

language.

         Readability Scores … Readability scores predict who will be able to

read your writing.

There are many types of readability scores to choose from.

         What to do if your score is too high

                 Use easier vocabulary.

                 Shorten your sentences.

                 Remove any jargon.

                 Use active voice.

         Fix it with ProWritingAid

Principle Five … Choose specific words.

         Vague words lack the specificity readers need.

Vague sentence: What do you picture?

Kate made some improvements to her cabin and it’s now

worth more.

                 Specific sentence: What do you picture?

Kate replaced the bathroom suite, repainted the living room, and laid hardwood floors in her cabin, increasing its value by 10%.

         Clarity doesn’t always equal brevity.

                 Ask yourself: is the movie a reader is playing in their head

accurate to what I’m trying to show?

         Fix it with ProWritingAid

Full Tour: ProWritingAid … Save 30% on ProWritingAid Premum Today:

01 – Understand … Why clarity is the most important goal for all writers

02 – Discover … Five key principles that will make your writing more clear

03 – Learn … Five key principles that will make your writing more clear

Questions?