Clear writing is born from 'not writing'
Writing that is perfectly clear
VS
Writing that is somehow hard to understand
What is it that separates these two...?
Today's theme is "clarity".
The age of social media.
It has become an era where text
floods our field of vision.
Note is one such example.
We must convey the appeal of our writing in a short amount of time.
Have it read quickly,
and have them think, "I see!"
Leave a mark on the reader's memory.
That kind of clarity.
We,
aiming for such clear articles,
are typing away at our keyboards with a blank mind.
However,
how it is perceived is up to the reader.
No matter how much we sweat while writing,
no matter how much we rack our brains while writing,
if we are told it is 'hard to understand',
that is the end of it.
In this era where vast amounts of text flow by,
how can we plant a first impression of 'clarity'?
The method for that is
Quite simply,
to have the courage not to write.
⭕️ Hold back until the very last moment and make the decision not to write
By 'not writing',
I don't mean
don't type a single character!
I mean don't write this and that in your article,
is what I want to say.
Please imagine
what it's like while writing.
Writing is
Once you get into the flow,
things you want to write will come to mind.
"Oh, I want to write about that too!"
"Come to think of it, this is also true!"
One after another,
various ideas will pop into your head.
Having ideas come to you
is wonderful as a creator.
However,
it can also hold you back when writing.
Wanting to write about this and that
also carries the risk of going off-track.
Unnecessary information gets mixed in.
Click-clack,
the excitement that builds up
as you type on the keyboard.
You need the courage to suppress this excitement
and not write unnecessary things.
Clarity requires
that kind of courage.
⭕️ Clarity is 'consistency'
The reason for choosing
not to write down ideas that come to mind.
That reason is consistency.
Clear writing is
from the beginning to the end,
It is written following a single theme.
Imagine a car navigation system.
A straight route to the destination
VS
a winding, complex route
Which one is easier to understand?
That is the point.
This
also applies to writing.
If the topic drifts halfway through,
or a different theme interrupts,
then from the reader's mind,
the theme disappears.
Wait, what was this text about again?
If that happens, it won't stay in your memory.
It's hard to understand.
Such a tragedy.
That is precisely why,
you need to select the ideas that come to mind.
Especially when your hands start moving faster as you type,
it's a mantra we should recite to ourselves.
That is
'Does this content align with the theme?'
If the answer to that is NO,
no matter how good the information seems,
you need the courage to cut it out.
You need the courage to decide 'not to write'.
Because with that courage,
clear writing for the reader is completed.
Thank you for reading this far!
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