Write Clear Sentences

Tips to Improving Sentence Clarity

Don't Bury Your Message

Sentences can communicate complex gestalts or piths. Don't bury your message under a hoard of ideas. Focus on the important elements and ruthlessly discard the clutter.

Build Sturdy Sentences

A weakly constructed sentence will collapse. Use the tools at your disposal to build the strongest structure possible. 

Wrote a shoddy sentence? Rebuild the sentence as many times as it takes to get it right. Read it aloud and listen to the words. Use active language and strong verbs. Look up better words.

It can be tedious but you will build a better sentence and you will write a better sentence next time.

Depart for the Unknown

Start with a simple idea then introduce new information and how it relates to the original idea.

I have a bad habit. Out of nowhere, I'll make a statement like "Can you believe that?" Unconsciously, I'm laying bait for whoever is listening to ask, "What?" So then I can tell them. This is not an effective way to communicate. 

I'm aware of this habit and I fight it. I focus on making declarative statements with the interesting information I want to convey.

Join your Phrases Together

Hook phrases together using transitions, so you create a natural flow.

Focus on the Point

Organize your ideas with care. Don't detract from your purpose by wandering off on tangents like the atomic weight of krypton unless you are writing about krypton or atomic weights.

Confidence

Be confident in your ideas. This is particularly important in fiction writing. If you don't know an answer or your character doesn't know, no one in the world knows. You need to have the answers because you are the one conceiving the answers.