On Razor-Sharp Writing

To be a good writer, it’s good to think about writing.  And to think clearly, it’s good to write.  This works so well that I often write just to figure things out. (I’m partially doing that now.)

Skimming is the art of consuming text on the web, and not because we have so much we want to get to, but because we have so much to avoid; most writing is muck and fluff.

Writing is a great thing.  Everyone should do it.  Consequently, everyone should think about what makes good writing.

A few thoughts on good writing to remember:

A writer is a diamond cutter.  The writer’s job is to slice away meaningless and distracting material, and leaves behind hard-edged, crystalline thought. This doesn’t mean writing must be plain, it does mean you’ll want to look at it.

Good writing delivers insight.  (But what if the writer’s only goal is to convey information?  With lack of insight, they won’t deliver the right information.)

Good writing is conversational.

Good writing has a bit of a bite to it.  It’s so evocative that it stings.

Good writing should be clear, in contradistinction to simple.  Indeed, most of the time writing should be simple, easy to understand, so the reader can glide along, propelled by the words.  The reader needs to feel they’re going somewhere.  However, the writer should also inject the right dose of complexity: too much and the reader stumbles and eventually comes to a halt and their mind stagnates, too little and the reader leaves without sensation. “I could’ve thought of that”, “interesting, but trivial,”they say to themselves.  They’ll quickly move on and lose the chance to contemplate something important.

A swift jab of complexity reminds the reader that the thought possesses complexity and is truly awe-inspiring; the reader must take a moment to wrap their mind around it.  Beautiful things possess both elegant simplicity and complexity.  Clarity requires we illuminate each, or we lose the full meaning.

One last thought: grammar is only a set of rules meant to enhance clarity. Nothing more.

-Kevin
1.5.2010