“The first law of writing,” said Macaulay, “that law to which all others are subordinate, is this: that the words employed shall be such as to convey to the reader the meaning of the writer.” Toward that end, use familiar words—words that your readers will understand, and not words they will have to look up. No advice is more elementary, and no advice is more difficult to accept. When we feel an impulse to use a marvelously exotic word, let us lie down until the impulse goes away.
3 Comments
10/19/2013 04:58:42 pm
Wonderful advice and something to *always* remember :) Good to hear from you again too!
Reply
IngeMeldgaard
10/20/2013 10:17:14 am
Yes and no :) People will often be familiar with words when they see them, even if they don't use them, either at all or very often. In essence, I think it's the concepts that matter, and writing that conveys these well without impinging on the reader is probably the 'best'. We were even taught this when I studied science at university i.e. transparent writing, clear concepts. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
I am a trader of jacks and a jack of all trades!
Do you like this blog? You can have links to blog posts delivered to your e-mail address. Please click here.
Categories
All
Archives
January 2015
|