4 Writing Concepts you Need to Know
Want your writing to stand out? Here are some writing secrets that I learned from Shani Raja, one of the best journalists I know. These secrets are only known in the world of journalism and I’m so excited to share this with you.
The only 4 powerful concepts that you need to know: SIMPLICITY, CLARITY, ELEGANCE, and EVOCATIVENESS. Learn, combine and balance them to gain a clear advantage.
The aim of this article is for your writing to stand out.
Simplicity-Makes writing punchy
Clarity-Makes writing comprehensible
Elegance-Makes writing flows beautifully
Evocativeness- Makes writing stimulating
The biggest problem of amateurs is pretentiousness. We were wired that pompous and pretentious writing in college sounds mature and intelligent. This is carried until we graduate into our workplace. But the main problem is it lacks authenticity and simply boring.
You need to be real. Write with integrity.
Elite writing is not about SHOWING OFF. Your aim should be to communicate brilliantly and not to impress.
When fancy language is used flagrantly to try to appear sophisticated — it backfires and makes you less sophisticated and possibly sound insecure.
Write to connect.
Therefore, you need to know your specific audience- their likely values, interest, kind of words they’re familiar with, etc. And target your writing directly to them. Write for your reader.
The first step is writing the draft and letting all of the ideas flow freely to come out raw — without any interruption. Only then, afterward, you will use the analytical part of your mind to edit, refine and polish the writing.
Do not aim for perfection. Allot a SPECIFIC time to perfect your writing and work only on that time that you have. This is to avoid overanalyzing.
SIMPLICITY
-Tight Writing-economical. Concise. Punchy.
The aim is to reduce heaviness in writing so it will be easier to digest.
Never use long, when short ones will do”-George Orwell
The power of simplicity removes the heaviness in the writing.
Always ask:
“Do the readers need to hear this?”
CLARITY
-the goal is to ensure that the meaning is comprehended easily.
Never leave the reader figuring out what you are trying to say.
Ensure that the idea is clear, precise, and well defined.
As much as possible spell out the logical connection between the ideas without making the sentences too long.
ELEGANCE
— house style- orderliness and consistency throughout the writing
Is the flow of the sentences good?
Writing is an art. Feel the flow of the sentences if it feels right. It’s up to you.
Paragraphs should be easy on the eye. The shorter, the better.
EVOCATIVENESS
-vibrant, imagery, spice
-captivating and stimulating
Summary:
Balance the 4 ingredients of writing — Simplicity, Clarity, Elegance, and Evocativeness.
Remember: Aim to communicate well and not to impress.
Based on the LinkedIn course Writing with Flair by Shani Raja