3 Principles of Academic Writing
PRINCIPLE 1
Economy
Economy is a matter of using the fewest words to produce the most meaning. It is often the excess of words and ideas, not the lack of them, that dilutes the power of your writing. The composition of your writing should imitate the anatomy of a flower—every part should be necessary and contribute to the whole. Any words that can be cut out must be cut out, and any sentences that can be shortened must be shortened. Ask ruthlessly of every sentence, “Can I express this more simply?” Continue until you’ve reached a point where you have stripped away everything but the essentials.
A sentence is like a mathematical expression: The more it can be simplified, the more beautiful it becomes. There is nothing more fundamental to the artistic writer’s philosophy.
When simplifying a sentence, it helps to follow a methodical process similar to mathematical proofing. When mathematicians approach an equation, they attempt to solve it one step at a time, showing all their work in a logical, descending sequence. By applying the same technique, writers can take a structured approach to artistic writing.
It goes without saying that one’s reading has a strong influence on one’s writing.
It goes without saying that one’s reading has a strong influence on one’s writing.
One’s reading has a strong influence on one’s writing.
Reading has a strong influence on writing.
Reading strongly influences writing.
The evidence is definitely not irrefutable.
The evidence is definitely not irrefutable.
The evidence is not irrefutable.
The evidence is refutable.
It is impossible for him to stop repeating that message over and over again.
He cannot stop repeating that message over and over again.
He cannot stop repeating that message.
Prefer the shorter word to the longer word, the shorter sentence to the longer sentence, and the shorter paragraph to the longer paragraph. To ramble senselessly is a pretentious waste of the reader’s time.
But make no mistake: To exchange meaning for brevity is no better. Concise prose alone is insufficient. If more words are required to express an idea, then more words should be used.
Crutch words commonly manifest themselves in spoken English. Sometimes called “filler words,” crutch words are meaningless parcels of language that writers and speakers alike tend to inadvertently pepper across every sentence. They have become a monumental problem in our age of volubility and must be avoided if economy is to be achieved.
You might argue, “But to write with crutch words is to write naturally! By removing crutch words, wouldn’t I be removing my individuality?” Artistic writers should be able to express themselves without the need for filler language. To write naturally is not to write carelessly, but to write in a way that best reflects your values, aspirations, and ideals. Crutch words rarely clarify or improve your writing, nor do they facilitate expression.
Jaxon would definitely never do that.
Jaxon would never do that.
Macy actually didn’t know what was happening.
Macy didn’t know what was happening.
Richard literally never got tired of playing hockey.
Richard never got tired of playing hockey.
A tautology is an unnecessary (and often un-intentional) repetition of meaning. Tautologies, if not for rhetorical effect, must be avoided. They have no place in artistic writing.
He was met with an unexpected surprise.
He was met with a surprise.
Perhaps it will forever remain an unsolved mystery.
Perhaps it will forever remain a mystery.
It is estimated that two out of every one hundred people, or 2% of the world population, has green eyes.
It is estimated that 2% of the world population has green eyes.
Qualifiers are words or phrases whose purpose is to limit or enhance an adjective or adverb’s meaning.
When used sparingly, qualifiers can improve the quality and precision of your message. However, qualifiers are often abused in writing, strewn across every sentence with the hope of creating a more nuanced piece of work. Rather, the inclusion of too many qualifiers is the ultimate token of the immature writer and signals a lack of conviction. Use qualifiers only when strictly necessary!
It was a rather sunny day.
It was a sunny day.
He was quite tired.
He was tired.
If you think a qualifier is necessary for emphatic reasons, it may be better to change the qualified word entirely.
The dessert was very tasty.
Transition words create bridges between ideas in your writing, linking them together and strengthening their connections. These words are useful but must be employed heedfully and skillfully. When used unnecessarily, transition words become pointless flourishes. Thus, writers should try to streamline their writing in such a way that each sentence leads naturally to the next, eliminating the need for transition words in most cases.
A recent study shows that millennials, on average, check their phones 150 times per day. Furthermore, the same publication reveals that 17% of millennials check their phones during sex.
A recent study shows that millennials, on average, check their phones 150 times per day. The same publication reveals that 17% of millennials check their phones during sex.
Although writing is hard, mastery can be achieved with structured practice. Therefore, by consistently trying to improve your writing, you will become a better writer.
Mastery in writing can be achieved with structured practice. By consistently trying to improve your writing, you will become a better writer.
An outline is an essential part of the writing process. Nevertheless, it is one that many writers overlook. More accurately, it is one that many writers ignore.
An outline is an essential part of the writing process that many writers ignore.
Remove Unnecessary Cases of Which Is and That
The phrase which is is frequently unnecessary and can often be omitted from a sentence without sacrificing any meaning.
Katherine hates shopping during the Christmas season, which is the busiest shopping season of the year.
Katherine hates shopping during the Christmas season, the busiest shopping season of the year.
Paul’s favorite toy, which is a teddy bear, is beginning to fall apart.
Paul’s favorite toy, a teddy bear, is beginning to fall apart.
Jose hasn’t been exercising lately, which is one reason he’s beginning to gain weight.
Jose hasn’t been exercising lately—one reason he’s beginning to gain weight.
That is another word sprinkled recklessly and unnecessarily over many pieces of writing. It is a writer’s nightmare to find every unnecessary instance of that after completing a work. Therefore, it’s best to monitor your usage as you write.
Matt was surprised that Olivia agreed to dance with him.
Matt was surprised Olivia agreed to dance with him.
The word that is abused so often that it eventually becomes an annoyance.
The word that is abused so often it eventually becomes an annoyance.
It is unreasonable to believe that books have souls.
It is unreasonable to believe books have souls.
Double negatives force your readers to uncoil otherwise simple sentences. Remember: Two negatives make a positive. Keep in mind, however, that double negatives often have a place in poetry and rhetoric.
It wasn’t that Sam didn’t care about school. He just didn’t enjoy it.
Sam cared about school but didn’t enjoy it.
Katherine was not unconvinced by his argument.
Katherine was convinced by his argument.
It was not uncommon for James to smoke a cigarette after work.
It was common for James to smoke a cigarette after work.
There never went a day when Joseph did not miss her.
Be Judicious with the Information You Provide to Your Readers
Writers are often afraid they haven’t written enough. However, it is more typically the case that the writer has done too much, written too much. This issue is so prevalent that writers have even coined a term for it: info dump.
In info dumps, writers have taken every chance to coat their writing with senseless baggage that does nothing to enhance their message. In doing so, they have done the reader a disservice.
“So, we’re going on a road trip? Last time we attempted this, we ended up lost in the middle of nowhere for two days straight!” Cathy exclaimed. “I’m not going with you again, Jenna. You almost got both of us killed. And it was on my birthday, too!”
Two hours and twenty-five minutes later, Harry walked through the wooden front door, which had been painted bright red and had two small square windows at the top. He paused for a moment to look at his front yard. To his left were four lilac bushes that had been planted by the previous owners of the house. They looked wilted, almost ugly, and there were only two purplish-blue flowers between all of the plants. On the right was a patch of sad-looking brown dirt, since grass seemingly refused to grow there.
Crime rates are rising in metropolitan areas. Thankfully, rural areas seem to be doing just fine. As this trend continues, cities will have to invest more heavily in law enforcement.
Artistic writers have self-restraint and humility that allows them to tailor the amount of information they provide to their specific audience. They weigh the importance of what they write in relation to their audience’s values, not their own.
It is the author’s responsibility to explain that, and only that, which is fundamental to their case. Tangents, while sometimes fun and interesting, will inevitably distract readers and, therefore, dilute your overall argument. Ask yourself: Is this sentence bringing the reader closer to understanding my point, if only incrementally? If the answer is no, it has no place in your writing.
In fiction specifically, it is the author’s responsibility to find the right balance between explanation and description. Fully imagined characters, of course, have lives before the story begins—a sixteen-year-old girl wasn’t suddenly birthed at the start of the narrative. So, frantically, the author tries to bring their readers up to speed about all sixteen years—on page one. But even attempts at subtlety—such as manifesting her life experiences in dialogue with a friend—end up obvious and forced.
By exposing too much information, they strip their narrative of the ability to develop and their reader of the chance to understand the story in an organic way.
Authors should say enough to strike an image in the reader’s mind, but not say so much that imagination is irrelevant. By writing too much, authors may trap their readers into their perception of the story. This defies the fundamental premise of storytelling—the creative freedom that comes with taking a story and making it your own. The art of storytelling lies not in your ability to tell, but in your ability to withhold.
Writers must be economical in more than their use of words, for words are only the building blocks of language. Writers must also be economical in their use of punctuation.
Like words, punctuation marks must be used sparingly and only when strictly necessary. Humans can only account for so much information at a time. The more commas and semicolons you include in a sentence, the more knots you’re forcing the reader to unwind to grasp your message. Limit the number of punctuation marks in your writing for a cleaner, more effective piece of prose.
Jonathan didn’t like reading; he thought it was a waste of time.
Jonathan didn’t like reading because he thought it was a waste of time.
Melody wanted to be either of two things: a nurse, or dentist.
Melody wanted to be either a nurse or dentist.
It soon became clear: Gary wasn’t his friend anymore.
It soon became clear Gary wasn’t his friend anymore.
Prefer the Active Voice to the Passive Voice
As a rule of thumb, use the active voice for a cleaner, more powerful message.
The active voice is direct and vigorous. In the active voice, the subject of a sentence performs the action.
Martha kissed Gordon.
The police are performing an investigation.
The man waved to the little girl.
The passive voice is the active voice’s shy sister. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action.
Gordon was kissed by Martha.
An investigation is being performed by the police.
The little girl was waved to by the man.
When to Use Active Voice and Passive Voice
The active voice brings a sense of control and forcefulness to your writing. For this reason, it is often preferred in day-to-day writing and in journalism. The active voice is best used when answering a question, addressing an issue, or whenever candidness is your top priority.
(Active) I didn’t eat breakfast yesterday.
(Passive) Breakfast was not eaten by me yesterday.
(Active) The child did not pull the fire alarm.
(Passive) The fire alarm was not pulled by the child.
(Active) Randy didn’t enjoy Sunday mornings.
(Passive) Sunday mornings were not enjoyed by Randy.
However, some writers make the mistake of avoiding the passive voice altogether. Doing this will make your writing sound monotonous, prescriptive, and downright awkward. Do not be afraid to use the passive voice, for one voice is not decisively better than the other.
The passive voice is best used when the writer wants to emphasize the recipient of the action, not the performer of the action.
(Passive) This house was built by my grandfather.
(Active) My grandfather built this house.
(Passive) The building was engulfed by a fire.
(Active) Fire engulfed the building.
(Passive) The ball was caught by Tony.
(Active) Tony caught the ball.
Transparent writing is writing that is lucid and explicit. It leaves no room for doubt and assures the intelligibility of your ideas. A writer’s work can hew to the other three principles but fail to be artistic if it does not conform to the principle of transparency. Writing that lacks transparency does not have meaning. Therefore, make sure that everything you write is written with the utmost transparency.
Bland writing often stems from a lack of clear intentions. The most common plight of everyday writers is the absence of foresight: the ability of writers to develop a sharp mental image of what they are going to write before doing so. Many writers do not take the time to think. Instead, they prefer to just do. Ironically, these writers often ask themselves in the writing process, “Why can’t I think of something to write? Why have I come to a sudden impasse?”
Too many writers overlook the most pivotal step in the crafting of a beautifully written piece: planning! Planning is the bedrock of all great writing. To not plan your writing is analogous to building a ship without a blueprint, drawing a portrait without an outline, or shooting a movie without a script: The final product will be an unequivocal mess.
Do not be the fool who dismisses a comprehensive outline or constructs one only out of sheer necessity. It is often more challenging to devise an intricate outline of a piece of writing than it is to write it.
Form a habit of planning your pieces, if only for five to ten minutes. Ask yourself what justifies your writing’s existence. Once you know why you’re writing something, it becomes much easier to know how you’re going to write it.
In doing these things, you will find that your writing becomes more engaging, you will find an instant upsurge in the quality and transparency of your writing, and you will find that your writing is more structured and beautiful.
Use Figures of Speech Your Readers Understand
Figurative language is the representation of one thing in terms of another to promote understanding of abstract or high-level concepts. Many different types of figurative language exist, but they all serve this purpose. The most recognized type is the metaphor. For example: A writer paints pictures with words.
When used properly, figures of speech can greatly illuminate your writing. However, be wary of overloading your writing with analogies. When you analogize, you force the reader to see past the literal. If overused, however, figurative language can undermine the effectiveness of your message.
When speaking in the non-literal, particularly if this manifests itself as a series of figurative statements, make sure everything you say is contextually appropriate and understandable, both in relation to your topic and in relation to your audience’s intellect and interests.
Jargon is technical language that is used only in reference to a specialized topic. If you’re writing for a general audience—an audience unfamiliar with the literature and technicalities surrounding your topic—it is best to eliminate any jargon from your work. Unless you’re writing an esoteric treatise for a clique of specialists or academics, jargon is empty, often pretentious language that precludes transparency in your writing.
If it is imperative that you use jargon, make sure to define it within the context of what you’re saying.
Forte is a musical term indicating that music is to be played loudly.
UX is an abbreviation of “user experience,” referring to a person’s experience using a particular product in terms of its ease of use, etc.
Left-wing is a political term describing a person with a liberal viewpoint.
Clichés are phrases that have lost their charm due to overuse. Many writers contend with a subconscious urge to scatter clichés in their writing. This inevitably makes their writing appear unoriginal, uninspiring, and lazy. Clichés are expedient but show a lack of creative thought. Whenever one presents itself in your writing, strike it out with the utmost force and readiness.
Laughter is the best medicine.
Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Easier said than done.
Ambiguity is the possibility that a word, phrase, or sentence is open to several plausible interpretations in a given context. It is easy to see how ambiguity stands in the way of transparency, as it can lead the reader to believe something entirely different from what the writer intended.
Writers are often not aware that what they’re saying could be ambiguous. They have a mental image of what it is they are trying to express and take for granted that the reader will have the same. Remember: Just because you know what you mean does not imply that the reader will necessarily know what you mean.
To identify ambiguities, you could try to look at your writing from the perspective of a first-time reader, but this can be a nearly impossible task. The best, and perhaps only, method to reliably pinpoint ambiguities in your writing is by giving it to someone else to read. In the case that this is not a viable option, take a break from your writing and come back to it a few days later (at the very least).
While ambiguity may find its appeal in poetry and fictional dialogue, there is no excuse for ambiguous writing in the realm of informative prose.
The rivalry between Johnathan and Adam has intensified since his promotion to COO.
(Who got promoted?)
Isaac found a bat in his backyard.
(Is the bat an animal or a piece of sports equipment—and whose backyard is it?)
The cat chased the mouse until it could no longer run.
Artistic writing makes sharp contrasts between opposing ideas. The sharper the contrast, the more vivid the distinction, and the more powerful and transparent the writing.
When making a distinction, use diametrically opposed words to establish the greatest possible contrast. This juxtaposition will ensure that the reader acknowledges and understands the polarity between your ideas.
Jerry hated swimming; Martha quite enjoyed swimming.
Jerry hated swimming; Martha loved swimming.
Courtney was bright, whereas her brother was clumsy.
Courtney was bright, whereas her brother was dull.
Zackery was always extroverted, whereas Bethany always preferred being alone.
Zackery was always extroverted, whereas Bethany was always introverted.
When using descriptive language, make sure you are not repeating yourself with adjectives that are too similar in meaning. Redundant adjectives are boring and serve no purpose.
The statue was beautiful, gorgeous, and ravishing.
The manager was hideous, ugly, and unsightly.
The child felt petrified, scared, and alarmed.
Every adjective you use should elicit a different feeling in the reader’s mind. Some adjectives may have similar meanings but different connotations, as in the following example.
Fred was clever, knowledgeable, and wise.
Although the adjectives have related meanings, they each express a distinct idea. Together, they create a more complete description than any one alone.
Make Your Tense Shifts Deliberate
Unmotivated tense shifting throughout your writing confuses the reader and makes your writing ungraceful. It undermines flow and has a jarring effect.
This is not to say that shifting tenses is strictly forbidden. Writers will sometimes shift from past tense to present tense to add to the vividness of a narrative account. In a story, the author may switch to the present tense for immersive effect if a character is experiencing a flashback. In a report, the author may switch to the present tense when relaying a personal anecdote. These are accepted and powerful ways of enhancing the punch of your message.
Therefore, if you switch between tenses throughout your writing, make sure there is always a justified motivation behind it and that it takes place at an appropriate time. Never shift tenses midsentence or midparagraph. Always wait for a break in the writing (perhaps a section or chapter) before doing so.
(Multiple tenses) George said he won’t go to the celebration, knowing it will be the final chance for him to bid Chloe farewell before she departed for New York.
(Single tense) George said he wouldn’t go to the celebration, knowing it would be the final chance for him to bid Chloe farewell before she left for New York.
Be Meticulous with Your Modifiers
Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that give supplementary information about, or modify, another word or word group.
Modifiers are often misplaced in sentences, leading to unwanted nuances in meaning. While these typically go unnoticed, some misplaced modifiers can have substantial consequences.
Michael had a warm bowl of tomato soup for dinner.
Michael had a bowl of warm tomato soup for dinner.
The two friends ate the food they had cooked slowly.
The two friends slowly ate the food they had cooked.
This is particularly relevant when a writer is referring to two different things but using only one modifier. Often, a writer will want to modify one word but inadvertently modifies both by placing the modifier before both words. This is easily fixed by changing the order of the sentence.
William enjoyed lazily watching TV and exercising.
William enjoyed exercising and lazily watching TV.
Stop Making the Reader Do Arithmetic
Especially common in journalism, fractions and ratios force readers to perform mental arithmetic. Writers who use them overlook the fact that not all readers are mathematicians.
It can be fruitless and annoying for readers to have to process an intimidating mathematical fraction describing the probability for a decline in gas prices. Thus—unless the fraction really happens to be simple—it is best, when reporting probabilities or statistics, to use percentages.
There is a four-out-of-five chance the company will fail to release its next big innovation by the end of 2018.
There is an 80% chance the company will fail to release its next big innovation by the end of 2018.
There is a one-out-of-four chance that gas prices will skyrocket in the next month.
There is a 25% chance that gas prices will skyrocket in the next month.
Statistics show that roughly ten out of every hundred people are left-handed.
Statistics show that roughly 10% of people are left-handed.
This is a word often used to refer to something mentioned in a previous sentence. However, using it in this manner can be imprecise.
While the meaning can usually be deduced from the context, you do not want something to be merely deducible, but rather self-evident. Specificity is the key to great writing.
Therefore, whenever using the word this to refer back to an idea, ensure that the reader is aware of the reference. If not, it may be better to simply restate the idea.
Unfair wages, imbalanced work opportunities, a chaotic labor market—this is what’s wrong with society.
Society needs to address its unfair wages, imbalanced work opportunities, and chaotic labor market.
China is under fire for engaging in numerous private trade scandals, potentially jeopardizing its relations with global trade partners. If this continues, China might lose its long-standing reputation in international commerce.
If China continues to engage in private trade scandals, the country might jeopardize its relations with global trade partners and lose its long-standing reputation in international commerce.
The Ontario government has been criticized for its plans to remove sexual education from its provincial curriculum. For this reason, the next generation of Ontarians might have to ask their mothers for sex advice.
If the Ontario government follows through with its controversial plans to remove sexual education from its provincial curriculum, the next generation of Ontarians might have to ask their mothers for sex advice.
Prefer the Concrete to the Abstract
Unless you’re writing a treatise on metaphysics, it is better to write in the concrete than in the abstract. Writing in the concrete allows readers to build a direct bridge between your ideas and their personal experiences. Prose that elicits a vivid picture in readers’ minds is always superior to prose that merely goes to their heads.
Instead of forcing your readers to contextualize an abstract concept, why not contextualize it for them? Doing so is the essence of concrete writing. Therefore, if you wish to have your readers not merely understand but also retain what you say, be concrete!
His face shone with contentment.
He smiled broadly, his eyes filling with warm tears.
Fatigue ran through his body from head to toe.
His posture mimicked that of a weary old man.
Anger rushed through Charlotte’s blood as soon as the revelation hit her.
Charlotte’s face reddened, veins popping out, when her boyfriend said that he had been cheating on her.
Flowery language is an unnecessarily elaborate way of writing. Many amateur writers will use pretentious language as a means of showing sophistication. This simply results in the opposite effect, making writers seem callow, insecure, and disingenuous. All writers’ work will inevitably betray their character. Thus, it is both futile and immature to put on a facade, particularly one claiming higher knowledge than you truly have.
Flowery language, of course, has its time and place. For formal invitations and declarations, flowery language induces a sense of grandeur and stateliness that’s impossible with plain, forthright English. Flowery language also often manifests itself in poetry, where writers can afford to have a more ornate writing style.
But these are special cases. As far as transparent writing is concerned, steer clear of flowery language.
He was baffled by the sheer immensity of her pulchritude.
He was surprised a woman could be so beautiful.
The extent of his equanimity was inconceivable.
He was extremely calm.
His capacity for circumlocution was unparalleled.
He could never give a straightforward answer.
The Pareto principle is a general rule—applicable in all aspects of life—that states that, for any event, 80% of the effects arise from 20% of the causes.
The exact numbers themselves do not matter here. What matters is that most of the output in a given situation is determined by a small fraction of the input. In a basketball game, most of the points are scored by only a few players; in a company, a small portion of the employees yield most of the company’s results.
Therefore, in alignment with the Pareto principle, roughly 80% of all the meaning derived from any sentence comes from 20% of the words. In other words, there are only a few words in any given sentence that convey the bulk of what it’s trying to say. These are the emphatic words of a sentence.
If you place these words at the end of the sentence, even if readers have no clue what your sentence is about, they will at least know the object of its discussion. If they are reading a sentence that ends on the word death, readers will know, after finishing, that the sentence was somehow about death. Conversely, if you place the emphatic words in the middle, readers may have to perform mental gymnastics to find them.
David says pizza is his favorite food.
David says his favorite food is pizza.
John loves the violin, but he plays multiple instruments.
John plays multiple instruments, but he loves the violin.
The emphatic words of a sentence should be last.
The last words of a sentence should be emphatic.
Writing that lacks variety is like food that lacks seasoning: Both are boring and unartistic. Although commonly overlooked, the principle of variety is indispensable in infusing flavor into your writing.
Diversifying your writing means giving it a sense of style and sophistication, resulting in a more pleasurable and stimulating reading experience while delivering your message with flair.
Sentence structure plays an integral role in bringing rhythm to your writing. Consider the passages below: What makes them read so differently, despite the similarities in diction and theme?
Cathy ran to her room. She was tired and angry. She felt that no one understood her. She wanted only to fall asleep.
Cathy ran to her room, tired and angry. Feeling that no one understood her, she wanted only to fall asleep.
The difference lies in the two paragraphs’ strikingly dissimilar structural compositions. The first paragraph possesses little structural variety, essentially being a series of short, evenly sized sentences with no special punctuation. As a result, the paragraph is lackluster and monotonous. The second version, however, has its own distinct rhythm, using commas and different sentence lengths to add spice and improve flow. Many writers tend to get too attached to a few familiar sentence forms. As a rule of thumb, unless done for rhetorical effect, avoid excessive repetition of sentences with the same syntax.
The semicolon and em dash are infamous for their history of misuse in writing. When used improperly, they make your writing look amateurish and awkward. When used properly, however, they can enhance the presentation and flow of your writing.
Sometimes called a weak period, the semicolon is used to link two closely related ideas.
Ethan drives a BMW; Elsa drives a Tesla.
An em dash is an extremely versatile punctuation mark. It is typically used to interject subsidiary information into a sentence.
Elijah called his coworker—who happened to be on vacation at the time—to discuss their project proposal.
An em dash can also be used as a substitute for a colon.
Laughing, helping, empathizing—these are what defines true friendship.
Vary Your Paragraph Structures
When instrumentalists play in an orchestra, they tune their instruments in relation to the sound of the instruments around them. They pay careful attention to their roles in the orchestra Like instrumentalists, artistic writers will tune the length of a paragraph in relation to the lengths of those surrounding it.
While there is no ideal paragraph length—just as there is no ideal volume at which to play an instrument—as a rule of thumb, writers should aim to stay within a difference of two to three sentences between paragraphs to maintain balance in their writing.
However, it is also important to tailor the lengths of your paragraphs according to the role they play in driving forth your overall argument. While longer paragraphs are more explanatory, shorter paragraphs can pack more of a punch. A one-sentence paragraph, for example, can be extremely effective in emphasizing a fundamental proposition or idea, particularly if there are longer paragraphs preceding it.
A lingering paragraph is an unnecessarily long, and therefore unsightly, paragraph. Consider the paragraph below. What do you notice about its structure?
The globalization of technology is becoming an increasingly prevalent issue in modern society. With the gravity of the issue comes a myriad of political and environmental matters that must be considered. Despite the multitude of wide-ranging benefits and resources technology has equipped society with, there are numerous negative repercussions that have come with the skyrocketing interest in technological innovation, especially for countries like Brazil. Brazil is the largest and most populous country in South America, with the ninth largest economy in the world. But despite its growing middle class and flourishing scientific prestige, Brazil faces many challenges, including rampant crime and corruption, poor infrastructure, onerous pensions, a restrictive business environment with strict labor laws that encourage a thriving black market, and a corrupt socioeconomic hierarchy. The ubiquity of technology necessitates an entirely new level of cybersecurity as well as other measures to combat its abuse. Brazil strives to leverage the power of modern surveillance mechanisms to help reduce crime, and has already begun doubling down on its cybersecurity architecture while simultaneously consolidating its emerging power status. Brazil, as a firm believer in technological advancement and its implications for eliciting positive change, holds the notion of a technologically-driven world at the core of its politics. The country aspires to collaborate with other countries to expand the scope of technology in relation to political matters around the world.
The first thing you probably noticed about the above paragraph was its wall-like construction. Perhaps you realized the content of the lingering paragraph could have been better divided into three smaller ones. Perhaps its length intimidated you enough to skip right down to this section. After all, massive bodies of text aren’t particularly appealing to the eyes or the mind.
Readers simply cannot keep track of every idea being expressed in a thirty-sentence paragraph. They will lose themselves and have to reread, possibly multiple times. They’ll wonder, “Is all this work worth it? Why can’t the author be more organized?” It is therefore best to cut paragraphs into shorter chunks to make them easier to digest.
The best way to achieve digestible paragraphs is to plan them out ahead of time. Every paragraph should have a clearly defined theme. Ask yourself: “What am I trying to achieve with this paragraph? How does each sentence play into the theme? How does it fit into the broader scheme of the narrative?” By taking this kind of “first principles” approach, you will ensure that each paragraph is readable, structured, and purposeful.
Word choice is vital in helping writers bring out their voice and style. Words, like paint colors, can shape the way a work is perceived. Bright, playful words can signal cheerfulness and optimism. Dark, serious words can signal gloominess and pessimism. Whatever palette writers choose to use will impact the message they are trying to convey to their readers.
Remember, however, that speculation alone will not help any writer determine the proper diction for their writing. The key is to experiment with different words to see how they affect the way your ideas are perceived.
Variety is especially important for avoiding repetition and improving syntax in your writing. Compare the two passages below, paying attention to their respective flows.
Writing should not be seen as a task, but rather as a fulfilling activity. Why should that be the case? Because, by taking this approach to writing, your writing will improve as you will feel more motivated to write.
Writing should not be seen as a task, but rather as a fulfilling activity. Why? Because, by taking this approach, you will feel more motivated to write and improve as a result.
Keep an inventory of commonly repeated words, striving to replace them with fresh synonyms. The habitual use of identical words, especially when placed close together, dulls your writing.
