You’ve been there before. You’re explaining something—maybe telling a story, pitching an idea, or just sharing your thoughts—and you see it.
That look.
The polite nodding, the slightly furrowed brow, the forced “Uh-huh.”
Your listener is lost, but he or she won’t say it outright. Instead, he or she just smiles and moves on.
You walk away wondering, “Did I not explain that clearly?”
Imagine that happening with your writing. You craft what you think is a solid, well-structured piece, only to receive feedback that suggests otherwise.
Your reader is confused, or worse, unimpressed. You resist the urge to roll your eyes and insist that he or she just didn’t “get it.” Yet deep down, you know there’s truth in his or her critique.
You reread your work and, sure enough, clarity isn’t where you thought it was.
So, why does this happen?
Why are we so much better at spotting flaws in others’ writing than in our own?
Are we missing something here?
The answer is simple: That’s because we read our work with all the context already in our heads.
We already know exactly what we meant, so our brains effortlessly fill in the gaps, smoothing over awkward phrasing, unclear transitions, and missing logic.
Our readers, however, don’t have that luxury. They only have what’s on the page.
This is why according to Joseph Bizup and Joseph M. Williams in the book, “Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace,” two people can disagree about the clarity of the same passage.
The one with more background knowledge will find it clearer, while the other struggles. Neither is necessarily wrong—clarity is subjective.
However, as writers, we can’t afford to let our own understanding cloud the reality of how our words land with others.
So, how do we fix this?
The answer isn’t just rereading—it’s rereading in a way that forces objectivity.
According to Bizup and Williams, one of the simplest techniques is to underline the first seven or eight words of every sentence. If those words don’t clearly introduce a subject and an action, you have a potential clarity issue.
This method helps strip away the mental shortcuts we take as writers and reveals weak spots in our sentences.
Another key strategy?
Pay close attention to the parts of your writing that are hardest to produce.
If you struggled to get an idea onto the page, chances are you weren’t entirely sure what you wanted to say… and if you weren’t clear in your own mind, your writing probably isn’t clear to your reader either.
These rough patches are often where revision is most needed.
Useful Nominalizations
Nominalizations are nouns that are created from adjectives or verbs.
For example: “Interference” is a nominalization of “interfere,” “decision” is a nominalization of “decide,” and “argument” is a nominalization of “argue.”
Bizup and Williams recommend that writers should turn nominalizations into verbs or adjectives as much as possible. However, they also know that it’s impossible to write well without nominalizations.
The trick to using such words effectively?
Knowing which to keep and which to revise!
Bizup and Williams suggest that you keep these types of nominalizations in your writing:
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A “short subject” nominalization that refers to a previous sentence.
– These arguments all depend on a single unproven claim.
– This decision can lead to positive outcomes.
These nominalizations link one sentence to another in a cohesive flow.
-
A short nominalization that replaces “the fact that.”
X – The fact that she admitted guilt impressed me.
✓ – Her admission of guilt impressed me.
-
A nominalization that names the object of a verb.
X – Her request for assistance came after the deadline.
✓ – She requested assistance after the deadline.
-
A nominalization that refers to a concept familiar to your readers.
✓ – Few problems have so divided us as abortion on demand.
✓ – The Equal Rights Amendment was an issue in past elections.
✓ – Taxation without representation did not spark the American Revolution.
These nominalizations name familiar concepts: abortion on demand, amendment, election, taxation, representation, and revolution.
However, you must also develop an eye for distinguishing nominalizations expressing common ideas from those you can revise into verbs:
X – There is a demand for a repeal of the inheritance tax.
✓ – We demand that Congress repeal the inheritance tax.
See?
Clarity isn’t just an innate talent; it’s also a skill you can build!
By adopting a mechanical, almost detached approach to reviewing your work, you can train yourself to spot murky sentences, vague ideas, and structural issues.
After all, writing isn’t about what you meant—it’s about what your reader takes away.
… and the more you practice seeing your work through their eyes, the stronger and clearer your writing will become.
Keep these tips in mind and don’t forget to apply them to your next set of drafts!
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Wednesdays: Write with the Pen of the Masters”
Who doesn’t find content writing to be a skill that requires a lot of practice and effort?
In fact, many people may even find copywriting very intimidating.
However, you can be a good writer as long as you have the right tools. You won’t always get things right the first time, but with enough time and practice, you’ll get the hang of it!
When you write copy for any brand or for your company, your aim is to make an impact and…
… to get people to remember.
Getting people to remember means getting consumers to buy your product or avail of your service.
… and when you get your content to deliver the results you want, THAT is great copy!
Every Wednesday, we publish content based on tips and insights from the masters of content writing, copywriting, and storytelling.
Become more familiar with ways to write great copy that helps you gain ROI from your efforts, drive profitability, and achieve your business goals.
Learn time-tested tactics that better capture the attention of your target audience, and maximize the benefits of great copywriting.
Hope you find this week’s insights interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Wednesday’s “Write with the Pen of the Masters!”
Cheers,
Dyane Diasanta
Senior Content Writer
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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