RULE NO. 1: THINK FIRST, THEN WRITE

Clear writing is like an iceberg; one-ninth you see, eight ninths you don’t. The part that gets on paper is small compared to the part that goes on in your head. Clear writing is the result of clear thinking. If the ideas are confused in your head, if the points you want to make are vague to you, they would not be any clearer just because you put them down on paper. To write clearly, you must think beforehand. You must figure out just what you want to say. And why you are writing in the first place. Know who your readers are and write for them. Only then can you expect clarity, conciseness, consistency, and accuracy. Stress the main idea so that your readers will be sure to get it.

In collecting material, watch for the little “human interest” items. Then organize the material in a logical way. According to time, maybe. Start with what happened first, what happened next, and so on. Or arrange the material according to importance, listing the most important point first, the next most important, second, and so on. Or you may want to organize the material in straight 1-2-3 order. Any logical arrangement will do.

The pattern you can use most often is the who-what-where-when-why order of a news story. State your main idea briefly at the beginning. Then give the points and details supporting this idea. A good rule would be: To get your readers interested, lead off with something interesting and promising; wind up with something you want him to remember.

Once you have organized the material, you can then concentrate on the job of saying what you have to say. You will find that you can write it briefly and clearly. One of the greatest rule in writing comes from Alice in Wonderland. The rule is worth recalling: The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. “Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?” he asked. “Begin at the beginning,” the King said very gravely, “and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

RULE NO. 2: GET TO THE POINT

Most of the writing we do is to inform. So it is generally a good idea to the tell the reader at the beginning what it is all about. Suspense is so important in some forms of writing, but rarely if ever in our. The “whodunit” writer aims to mystify; we aim to inform. The beginning of a piece of writing is the most important part. So start punching right off. Come to the point quickly. Get the reader into the midst of things. Start with something that matters, such as your main idea. Or tell the reader something that will make him sit and take notice. Preferably something that is of interest to him. You will find that if you pick out your main idea and state it briefly at the beginning, you will have little trouble staying on the beam after the remainder of the news story, the memo or letter or what-have-you.

And the reader will have less trouble following you, if he has some idea where you are going. Do not start off in a round-about fashion. Do not bore your reader with a long winded-introduction. If you do, he is likely to quit reading before he gets to the main idea.

RULE NO. 3: USE FAMILIAR WORDS

These days you do not get much chance to show off your vocabulary treasures. Like your tuxedo, they have to stay at home most of the time. That is hard, but it is fair particularly for readers. If you have a big vocabulary full of polysyllables, that is fine. It will help you read. It will help you learn. It will help you think. It will help you solve crossword puzzles. But use it sparingly in your writing. Why? Because when you want to communicate with somebody, you have to use the words he has in his head. If he does not understand some of the words you use, he is likely to miss your reading.

Bear this simple truth in mind: unless he understands, you have accomplished nothing. Fortunately for all of us, the chance of striking awe by means of big words has about run out. Filipinos have passed the stage where he can be impressed by the flow of polysyllables. When people are interested enough in the subject, they will wade through the long sentence and high-brow words. But the average person is only mildly interested in what he is expected to read. If he finds the first paragraph is made up of tortuous sentences and unfamiliar words, he would not read any further. He does not have the interest or the time to figure out what the writer was trying to put across.

You would not lose your readers if you have given him shorter sentence and fewer complex words. There are millions of words in the English language. Bit did you know that only 500 of them account for 75 percent of all that is said in print? There is no better way to clear, crisp writing style that short sentences and short words. Look at this list culled from newspapers and office memoranda:

Complex Common

category – class
contribute – give
facilitate – help
inaugurate – start
incarcerate – jail
indisposed – ill
inundate – flood
majority – most
monumental – big
prevaricate – lie
proceed – go
procure – get
purchase – buy
reside – live
request – ask
summon – call
terminate – end
utilize – use
witness – see

Here is the rule-of-thumb: Keep the percentage of hard words, i, e., three or more syllables, under 10 percent. If you mix in more than one three-syllable word in 10, you are taking chances. That is about the limit for easy reading.

RULE NO. 4: OMIT VERBAL DEADWOOD

Effective writing is concise. You can be concise by dropping unnecessary words from phrases or sentences. Every word should tell. There is no reason to call a spade “a long handed instrument for turning earth in a garden.” Here are some examples of verbal deadwood drawn from Philippine newspapers and inter-office memoranda:

affixed his signature – signed
at the present time – now
held a conference – met
in the immediate vicinity – near
for the reason that – because
tendered his resignation – resigned
told his listeners – said
united in holy matrimony – married
used for fuel purposes – fueled
was able to make his escape - escaped

In the following samples, the words in italics should be omitted:

advanced prediction
a period of two weeks
definitely decided
fatal killing
final conclusion
free gift
new recruits
other alternative
past history

The rule is: Chop out the verbal deadwood. You will save on newsprint and stationary.

RULE NO. 5: KEEP YOUR SENTENCES SHORT

English sentences are getting shorter and shorter. In the Seventeenth Century, sentences averaged about 45 words. By the Nineteenth Century, the average had shrunk to about 30 words. Today, the average is less than 20 words. That is the average for written material that reaches a large audience: newspapers, magazines, and best-sellers. These are written in the kind of sentences people like to read. In fact, people pay hard-earned money for the opportunity. Unfortunately, too many executives and reporters have not yet whittled sentence length down to size. They are still about a century behind times. The logic of writing sentences is obvious. Readers absorb the idea faster. The longer the sentence, the more the words. The more the words, the more the relationships. The more the relationships, the more effort for the reader. The more chance he will misunderstand, the sooner he will quit reading.

People do not like to read material made up of 40-word sentences, even if they get it for free. Reading tends to become hard when sentences exceed 20 words. Sentence length has been measured and tested. We know today what average people read with ease, and what sentence length will fit an audience with a given reading skill.

Average sentence length in words:

So keep your sentences short. Sprinkle periods or semicolons liberally over what you are writing. Keep the average length of your sentence below 20 words. With 15 word sentences, you can write on nearly any subject in this world or the next. This paragraph comes from an office memo: “Should the supply of gasoline sent to your establishment prove insufficient to meet the demand, application should be made to this office for an additional quantity.”

This 25-word sentence could be revised to read: “If you need more gasoline, ask us.”

Note that we are talking about averages. There is nothing wrong with a 40-word sentence, or even a 60-word sentence, now and then. But balance these long sentences with some short ones of five or ten words, to keep the average length to 15 words.

RULE NO. 6: SHORTEN YOUR PARAGRAPHS

Short paragraphs are better for three reasons.

Visually, they are easy on the eye. A long paragraph gives an impression of a gray forbidding mass. Tests have shown that readers skip a heavy block of text. Once you lose a reader, you rarely get him back. Short paragraphs act as a brake on the writer who strings too many ideas or facts together. It also signals the reader that a new step in the development of the subject will begin. Short paragraphs make for easy reference.

As a rule, begin each paragraph with a sentence that suggests the topic or a transition sentence. This aids the reader. Each paragraph should complete a single thought. After the paragraph has been written, see whether you can further break into two.

RULE NO. 7: USE SPECIFIC AND CONCRETE LANGUAGE

RULE NO. 7: USE SPECIFIC, CONCRETE LANGUAGE
The three rules for good writing are: (1) be concrete, (2) be concrete, and (3) be concrete. Shy away from abstract words that soar into the blue and stand for things you can not pin down. It is hard to say just what abstract words do mean. And they often mean different things to different people. Take “democracy” and “indoctrination,” for example. You had probably had a hard time finding three persons who agree on the exact meaning of these two common words.

Use lots of concrete and specific words that stand for things you and your reader can see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. Concrete nouns help focus your reader’s attention. Always prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, and the concrete to the abstract. Furthermore, you must watch out for “vague” or “imprecise” words. “Crime” for instance is vague. It may range all the way from jaywalking to murder.

Here are sample of vague words culled from newspaper reports:

Tragedy (fire, explosion, drowning, cave-in?)
Accident (collision, a fall from a building, slip?)
Organization (Jaycees, Catholic Action, YMCA?)
Ceremony (wedding, mass, award?)
Legal action (suit for damages, criminal case?)
Document (deed of sale, record, certificate, treaty?)
Monetary Consideration (salary, bribe, reward?)
Community (town, barrio, city?)

Precision pays. The search for the precise should extend to sentences. Consider these examples:

Vague: His head was injured by a blunt instrument.
Precise: His skull was fractured with a hammer.

Vague: Officers removed a gun from his clothing.
Precise: Police took a .32 caliber automatic from his hip pocket.

Vague: A large number assembled for the meeting.
Precise: Five hundred attended the caucus.

Vague: He spoke in disparaging terms about the radical element.
Precise: He denounced the communists.

Abstract words make your writing dull and vague. If you want to keep your writing clear and crisp and understandable, use concrete nouns and verbs. Be precise.

RULE NO. 8: PREFER THE SIMPLE TO THE COMPLEX

Most complexity in written materials is the fault of the writer. It is not the fault of the reader. And certainly not the fault of the subject. If you want to write so that you can easily be understood, prefer the simple to the complex. Prefer the simple word to the complicated word. Prefer the simple sentence to the complex sentence. Prefer the simple paragraph to the involved one.

The skeptic may say: “That is all right when you are dealing with simple subject. But you do not mean for this principle to apply when you are writing about complicated subjects?”

Emphatically yes! That is when you need the principle more than ever. A reader has only a limited amount of mental power. If he has to use all this power in figuring out your words and their relationships, he has none left to grasp the complicated thoughts you are trying to express.

RULE NO. 9: BE POSITIVE

State a fact or an idea directly, whenever possible. You will find that vigorous writers use direct rather than indirect sentences. Make definite assertions. Often this is best done by following the natural order of thought: subject, verb, and object.

Avoid hesitating, round-about language. A bureaucrat tends to write: “With respect to the question of pets, Mary exercised rights of ownership over a certain juvenile member of the sheep family. But, a child simply says: “Mary had a little lamb.”

RULE NO. 10: USE THE ACTIVE VOICE

Write most of your sentences like this: Somebody does something – and watch your writing come to life. Why? Because this is the natural order of thought: subject, verb, object. This is normally the way you talk. Very often, it is the natural method by which a person breaks news to another. We call this active voice. It gives snap and punch to your writing. Consider this example from a local paper: (1 Congressmen demanded today the firing of all Namarco officials; (2 The firing of all Namarco officials was demanded today by Congressmen; and (3 The demand for the firing of all Namarco officials was made by congressmen.

The first version has the subject-verb-object combination. It is crisp, simple, and clear. The second version reverses the order: object-verb-subject. The snap of action has almost gone. The third version is a completely backward arrangement. The action has now disappeared. The verb has become the subject of the sentence. Also notice how much longer and indirect the second and the third versions have become. The habitual use of the active voice makes for effective writing. Note also that when a sentence is recast into the active voice, it becomes shorter. Whenever possible, use verbs rather than nouns in your sentences. The reason is simple.

Nouns, especially abstract nouns, tend to be static. But verbs imply action, movement. Verbs make a story sparkle. For instance, the sentence “Newspaper circulation grew steadily” is more brisk and vigorous than “The growth of newspaper circulation has been steady.

Finally, use verbs in the active voice, whenever possible. The bulletin board of a local news-magazine office offers an example of a sentence with a passive verb: “It is requested that the production department be notified of any change in deadline.” This could be simplified to read: “Please notify the production department if there is any change in deadlines.”

The International News Service dispatch below offers one of the most famous examples of an effective lead in the active voice: “NEW YORK, June 28 (INS – Listen to this, buddy, for it comes from a guy whose palms are still wet, whose throat is still dry, and whose jaw is still agape from the utter shock of watching Joe Louis knock out Max Schmeling.

“It was a shocking thing, that knockout-short, sharp, merciless, complete.”

RULE NO. 11: WRITE AS YOU TALK

A very successful editor had a conviction that most people overwrite. So, he required every reporter, returning from an assignment, to come in and recite the story to him first. In his oral report, the reporter tended to give a natural rapid narrative, leaving out non-essentials. Then, the editor would say: “Okay, now go and write your story just like the way you told me.”

The editor had a good reason for this practice. He knew that many people tighten up when they begin writing or dictating. They become stiff and unnatural and impersonal. They choose pretentious words that they would never use in talking: “subsequent to,” instead of “after,” “utilization,” instead of “use,” “optimum,” instead of “best,” and so on to sickening infinity. They shun personal pronouns like plaque. Ditto for contractions like “isn’t” and “you’ll”. They would not think of writing a fragmentary sentence to give emphasis or variety. And their written sentences are twice as long as their spoken sentences. The result is not only dull reading – it is difficult reading.

They use plain words in talking, and they use personal pronouns, contractions, and fragmentary sentences. But they do not use these things when writing, even when writing informal memos and letters.

That is a pity. A conversational tone makes for readable writing. It increases interest. It helps understanding, too. Do not lapse into the stuffy business jargon that has no relation to the way business jargon that has no relation to the way business people talk face-to-face. For instance, a Philippine navy officer had this order posted on the bulletin board of his office:

Effective immediately, the practice of endeavoring by words, gestures, or otherwise, to beg, invite, or secure transportation in any motor vehicle not engaged in passenger travel or hire or otherwise acting as a commercial passenger carrier, by officers or enlisted men or women or both in the naval service at any point within the boundaries of this naval command is forbidden.

And all that he meant was: Do not ask for free rides!

Try this. Next time you have to write something, get a mental picture of the reader. Then talk to him on paper.

RULE NO. 12: USE ADJECTIVES SPARINGLY

Properly used, adjectives can help you write good reports. But, too many adjectives result in rich and ornate prose that is hard to digest and is sometimes nauseating. Young reporters and over-eager public relations men often turn out sentences shrill with adjectives. Read this report on the former First Lady’s state visit – and weep:

KYOTO, Japan, May 25 – A blue-white flash of modern magic today wafted the First Lady of the Philippines away from Tokyo’s withering clangor to the serenity of this ancient imperial realm.

Fan-twirling geishas danced and sang to the sad thrumming of the samisen and Mrs Evangelina Macapagal, with Japanese and Philippine friends, nibbled succulent yakitori and crisp-coated tempura beside an emerald lake.

At the ancient private Nomura gardens, a hidden waterfall whispered amid tall pines and spreading Japanese maples. A white swan glided with arched wings across the water, dappled only by the movement of a great, lazy goldfish tasting the cool afternoon air.

Experienced editors become suspicious when they spot adjective-laden reports. They know that oftentimes, adjectives merely cloak a report’s lack of hard facts. Adjectives also lead the writer to overstate his case. When you overstate, your reader loses confidence in your judgment. Newspaper lawyers know too well that adjectives can send readers rushing to court with a libel case. Words like reactionary, communistic, Gestapo-like, corrupt, dictatorial, paramour, querida are loaded with emptiness.

A cub reporter once wrote: “The National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority had a remarkable record for April – it provided water all day round.”

The editor sent back the report with a note: “Remarkable is not a reporting word. Leave the adjectives to the columnist. We just tell the facts. Write your story so that the readers will say: ‘That is remarkable!’ For adjectives then, the rule is: “Do not use any – if possible. People will understand you better without them.”

RULE NO. 13: REVISE AND SHARPEN

Revising is part of writing. Few reporters, columnists, and executives are so gifted that they can type out copy that does not need revision. That is why we have deskmen. It also allows you to spot a libelous word – or an unfair adjective. This is your last chance to give the reader an even break. So do not feel that revising your writing is something to be ashamed of. Everybody does it.

A very wise editor once suggested that the best result comes from throwing away the first page of a manuscript. What he meant was that so many writers have about that much fluff or superfluous excitement about the shape of the story that they have to work off before they begin their article. A good test for any kind of writing is to read it aloud. This will help you spot words and sentences that should be changed or thrown out.

When you write the first draft, you usually put down words and sentences that seem clear at the time. Later, upon reading it closely, you will no doubt find that you can make the meaning clearer by changing some words and deleting others. You will probably discover that you can leave out phrases and sentences and even paragraphs. Possibly, you can improve what is left by rearranging it. Use scissors and past to arrange the material in better order.

Look for “fat” words that say nothing. Look for worn-out phrases that do not carry their own weight. Cross out all of them. You will be amazed at the crisp sound of what is left. So chop that long paragraph in two. The reader likes white space. Underline important words and thoughts, so the reader can not miss them. Or highlight them by putting them into separate paragraphs. If necessary, repeat your main point to make sure the readers gets it. Then ask yourself: Will the reader be able to understand this without working at it? If not, then, you are not through working on your draft.

RULE NO. 14: WRITE TO EXPRESS, NOT TO IMPRESS

The biggest fault of most writing by young reporters or executives is, they try to impress someone. The editor, maybe, or the boy friend or the girl friend.

So the writer makes sure that he uses a lot of polysyllables. And he writes long sentences and involved paragraphs. He is going to prove that he can handle the King’s English as well as the next fellow. The result is sometimes full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Somewhere, he got the wild idea that this kind of writing makes him appear intelligent. But somewhere he lost the real idea: that he is writing to inform his readers – to get facts from his head into their heads.

When you are writing primarily to inform, use words generally familiar to young readers and keep your sentences reasonably short and simple. Write to express, not to impress. The person who can express complex ideas simple is likely to go farther in the world than the person who writes gobbledygook. Some people may be impressed if you write economic reports this way: “An exercise that seeks quantitative answers relating to a period that is some distance away in the future must by its very nature be highly tentative.”

But your readers will understand this betters if you just write: “What followed was largely guesswork.”

RULE NO. 15: ODDS AND ENDS

Our greatest sin, very often, is lack of restraint in the use of words. Err, therefore, on the side of brevity. After all, the Lord’s Prayer contain only 57 words, but a treatise on “How to Sell Cassava” runs to 30 000 words. Our lack of restraint can lead to other “sins!” Euphemisms, mixed metaphors, jargon, among others.

Euphemism is the use of a supposedly pleasing expression in the place of the simpler or more accurate word. The classic examples comes from Sir Winston Churchill. He told a colleague: “The Right Honorable Member is guilty of a terminological inexactitude.” He meant: “You are lying,” but parliamentary practice forced Sir Winston to avoid the direct statement. However, most of us will never make it to Congress, so avoid euphemism.

A metaphor is the application of a descriptive term to an object to which it is not literally applicable. Mixed metaphors are a combination of inconsistent metaphors. Look at these examples:

1. Scientists at the Philippine Atomic Energy Commission have announced the discovery of a virgin field pregnant with possibilities for future research. No comment.

2. The strong arm of the law is marching after the offenders. An arm does not march.

3. We congratulate the chairman on his skill in piloting the committee’s ship on the solid ground of reality. The pilot should lose his license.

If a word says exactly what you mean and you can not substitute a pronoun for it, then use the word again. It is no sign to repeat a word. If you have to rack your brains for a synonym, the advice is, do not. Remember, the sense of the sentence comes first. Example is the following:

“Carlos Loyzaga took the ball from Tony Renato and had dribbled the sphere to three yards of the goal when…”

Substitute “it” for “the sphere” and you lose nothing.

Thus, we return to where we started – to Saint Paul and his letter to the Corinthians: “Except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken.”