Write Simply: http://paulgraham.com/simply.html
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It would be fun if you wrote a second version of the same essay using non-simple writing to show how much worse it is.
Interesting idea, but I just tried to think of how I'd rewrite the first couple sentences, and it was freakishly hard. As hard as it is not think of a polar bear when someone tells you not to think of a polar bear.
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It's easier to pare down something wordy and complex into something simple (I always do it after re-reading a document a day after writing it), but kind of hard to add back in the fluff and sophistry after the fact.
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But I can demonstrate something similar: all the crap that gets removed in the process of writing. This is all the keystrokes of an essay being written. The characters in yellow will ultimately be deleted. http://byronm.com/13sentences.html …
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Have you seen Orwell's piece on this? He roasts some verbose and complex passages.https://newrepublic.com/article/73258/george-orwells-politics-and-english-language-guide-writing …
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From: "I try to write using ordinary words and simple sentences." To: "Yours truly endeavors to communicate utilizing accustomed terms together with uncomplicated pronouncements."
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Now I see how certain words come off as “empty”
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You should check out http://wordtune.com , which suggests ways to rewrite (and simplify) your sentences.
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What are some ways in which you reduce the complexity of your initial drafts? Are there any signs you can identify that mean you should work on a particular section more?
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