Simple, short, and strong

Good sentences make good writing. If you want to write a good letter to the editor, a good memo to your boss, or a good academic paper for your professor, master the sentence.

While writing, some of our sentences become overstuffed with powerful words. Too much power actually dulls the reader. Oh, I know -- our intent is to wow the reader. We want to zap electricity into the reader’s brain, impressing her with our expertise. We want to capture the reader’s heart, wooing him into admiration. But in the end, the drench of powerful words simply pushes the reader away. More makes powerful words lose their influence.

One of the best ways to make a point is to “go simple.” Make the sentence with your key point shorter. I know, I know – it seems that we need to do the opposite. We think, “Here comes the most important point; time to lay it on thick….”

It's tough. The urge to write sentences longer and thicker makes our fingertips itch and tremble. Our digits hover over the keyboard, yearning to throw in just one more superlative or descriptor. Don’t cave! Go short, direct, and clean. With different sentence lengths, you create effective contrast. Contrast can And if you want to really make an impact, remember that the short sentence is strongest.

Cheers,
Erin