Writing style

I once read a piece of advice about writing the same way one talks. Essentially, the simplicity of spoken language not only feels more natural and genuine, but also appears to be more effective in reaching a broad audience. I understand the appeal of this advice, because I occasionally can only tolerate simple writing that doesn’t fry my brain, especially when it’s already at its capacity. It can be frustrating to see writer buffing up their compositions for the sake of sounding smarter while diluting the contents and core messages with fussy and confusing language. Sometimes the message is so simple, yet the reader is expected to jump through hoops to get to it.

I admit I do engage in a bit of this flaunt-writing from time to time. When I reread my previous blog posts in search of evidence for this one, I can see the pretentiousness in some of the expressions that I used. Embarrassingly, I have at least once misused a certain phrase out of my own desire to showcase that I could employ complex language. My own defense is that, in most of the cases in which I opt for the non-direct ways of expressing myself, I do it for the sake of creativity and originality. I’m aware I don’t exactly have a natural gift for language and the skills to conjure delightful, potent prose at the tip of my pen/fingers. Still, it is a fun challenge to get myself to think of ingenious ways to say something, such as the use of clever metaphors or funky word combinations. The comprehension of my own message may get compromised in the process, but I feel a certain sense of achievement in trying to make writing fun and inventive somehow. So yes, I do sometimes embarrass myself when going after silly expressions and uncommon word choices that make little sense to people or completely go over my head. But the thrill of trying to be creative combined with the off-chance of a rare reader actually getting my point is kind of worth the flaunt-writing.

Going back to the advice on writing like talking, I have to also say I am not a particularly eloquent speaker either. In conversations, I tend to ramble and say things in a roundabout, digressive manner without hitting the key points right away. Simultaneously, I jump from one idea to another too quickly and often before finishing a full idea, disrupting my own train of thought and failing to get it across to my listener. This most likely stems from my poor ability to thoughtfully deliberate complete ideas before opening my mouth, but (just for self-amusement) I might as well blame it on the fact that my brain is so fast it far outpaces my mouth. In some ways, I find my writing style quite similar to this confusing, incoherent pattern of speaking. However, with an extra layer of contemplation in typing out words and structuring written text, I can be a little more coherent when I write than I talk. Still, I’ve been told that the run-on sentences I often end up writing can be a tad bit distracting and confusing to the reader. All in all, I’m not even sure if “write like you talk” is necessarily an effective advice for me insofar as the benefits of this advice for clarity and simplicity.

The funny thing is that, while writing this very piece, I have had to self-edit a few times as soon as I realized a sentence was starting to get too long or my expressions had gotten unnatural and obscure. The self-editing, however, makes me consider the plainness and clarity expected of my writing as even less genuine and organic. The advice to write like how I talk in order to be straightforward and unpretentious somehow requires even more effort from me. To achieve the effect that the advice seems to promote, should I train myself to get rid of this apparent cloud of confusion with which I instinctively cover all my points and messages? Should I repress the habit of thinking in metaphors and grow more comfortable with describing things in plain, direct language? Should I curb the impulse to run after unconventional expressions and just admit that these make little sense to most people anyway?

To be quite frank, I’m not convinced that composing text for simplicity and accessibility should be all there is to the practice of writing. At the end of the day, it remains a challenge for any writer to balance mass comprehensibility with artistic expressions/inventiveness. I think it’s worthwhile to consider both of these in producing text for a readership. Any advice that leans more towards either factor reflects the advisor’s personal preference, not necessarily a general rule for all writers and readers alike. As for my own writing, I’m most likely going to stick with several of the habits which I have developed over the years. Still, I have noticed enough advantages for improving the simplicity of my communication (both in speaking and writing) to start working on it. For one thing, perhaps with more straightforward, talking-like writing, I could breeze through my drafts with a bit less effort and in turn get to write about a wider range of topics?