Writing tips and tricks

It’s Really Okay to Use Simple Language When You Write

Life is complex enough as it is

It is really okay to use small words and simple sentences when you write. Think about your reading experiences, which were the stories you most enjoyed? Those that were simply written, had a clear message and were easy to understand, right? So why now that you have a few letters behind your name, do you feel that every three words should have a least seven syllables?

The whole aim is to communicate and unless you are writing a highly technical piece for a niche audience, then it is best to write a level that most persons would easily understand.

The fact is that we are competing with many other forms of entertainment and reading is just one amongst the many. The engagement garnered by a Tic Tok video is easy to achieve. Look how many go viral each day! The requirement on the viewer is easy — no imagination and little thinking, just a lazy brain looking for some cheap entertainment but the reality of the situation is that that is what writing and books and words and letters is up against.

Imagine I asked my Gen Z daughter who used to love reading why was she not reading as much as before and her reply was, “I remember I used to read a lot. I loved it but now it’s easier to watch a video.”

Yes, my friends, the struggle is real. The battle sometimes seems like it is lost so let not the final wound be self-inflicted.

Write for clear understanding, use simple language. Engage your reader. Let them use their imagination. And most of all, write from the heart and the message will resonate.

I. Trudie Palmer One Love