The Writing Post

Often, beginning writers write long, winding sentences that lose track of their meaning. Typically, this happens because novice writers have a lot to prove, and simply do too much. What budding writers forget is that writing simply for clearer meaning is important. Writing simply is an important function of writing because it shows that the writer has a direct command of language. In this way, they are able to say more with less. It is okay to write big, long sentences with lots of punctuation and conjunctions from time to time. Yet, it is an entirely other thing to write simple, direct sentences that pack a lot of meaning.

How Can Writers Write Simply for Clearer Meaning

To start, a simple sentence has a subject and a predicate, and this also makes it an independent clause. Both terms are interchangeable: simple sentence = independent clause.

A sentence is independent because it can stand on its own. So that also implies that a simple sentence should start with a subject and end with that subject doing something. After all, a simple sentence is a subject and a predicate. Therefore, simple sentences are very direct.

Henry played his guitar loudly. The flurry of music filled his head and he smiled.

The above sentences are simple but tell a great deal. We learn about Henry, that he is a musician, and that he loves music. He is probably very good at playing guitar, too, because the writer used the words “flurry” and his appreciation of this is apparent. In this instance, simple sentences help writers write clearly, stay on track, and convey meaning.

Let’s look at an excellent example of writing simply from Ernest Hemingway’s In Our Time:

“They shot the six cabinet ministers at half-past six in the morning against the wall of a hospital. There were pools of water in the courtyard. There were wet dead leaves on the paving of the courtyard. It rained hard. All the shutters of the hospital were nailed shut. One of the ministers was sick with typhoid. Two soldiers carried him downstairs and out into the rain. They tried to hold him up against the wall but he sat down in a puddle of water. The other five stood very quietly against the wall. Finally the officer told the soldiers it was no good trying to make him stand up. When they fired the first volley he was sitting down in the water with his head on his knees.”

I believe this passage is perfectly simple, and it tells the audience exactly what the need to know. Of course, if you were a writer who focuses on more flowery passages, this excerpt could be made into something more purple. Hemingway wrote in a very straightforward manner (perhaps too straightforward according to some). So, here is a reedit connecting some of the simplicity while still maintaining its thrust and meaning:

“They shot the six cabinet ministers at half-past six in the morning against the wall of a hospital. There were pools of water in the courtyard, and there were wet dead leaves on the pavement. It rained hard. All the shutters of the hospital were nailed closed, and one of the ministers was sick with typhoid. Two soldiers carried him downstairs and out into the rain. They tried to hold him up against the wall, but he sat down in a puddle of water. The other five stood very quietly, and, finally, the officer told the soldiers it was no good trying to make him stand up. When they fired the first volley he was sitting down in the water with his head on his knees.”

Both passages are simple enough. One is very Hemingway, while the other connects the ideas and avoids repetition. The first is the author’s voice, while the second is creating greater flow between ideas. Both work, and both are simple in construction. They both convey the same meaning.

Verbosity and Grandiloquence

There are writers that use long, complicated words to create mood and to set the tone of writing, and that is totally fine. Those writers are conveying different moods and tones through their use of syntax. However, those writers (Joyce Carol Oats, Flannery O’Connor, Charles Dickens, etc.) have had a great deal of experience writing. And, practically speaking, as a budding writer, the focus on simplicity should be paramount. In other words, writing simply for clearer meaning should be crucial for a beginning writer.

One thing a writer learns eventually is that a thesaurus is not necessary to be a good writer; though, they do come in handy. Yet, one’s eye is much more clear than the ocular device on one’s head, if that makes sense. Thus, grandiloquence is also not necessary for a writer to make a clear statement. Similarly, a large amount of words for wordiness’ sake is just wasting somebody’s time. Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey is a great example of this verbose idea. Wilde loved words and using lots of different, complicated, ones to convey meaning.

Conclusion

What needs to be said is this: a beginning writer needs to cut down the length of their sentences and their word count in order to discover what is essential. In this way, the writer can see the simple message of their story or essay. Writing simply for clearer meaning allows the writer the freedom to evolve. From a simple passage, they can continue honing the story itself or begin to add more flowery passages while connecting ideas with more creativity and clarity.