Hi!
My mum and dad sent me this digital news clipping from The Times. Scientists looking atāamong other thingsā64,000 dissertation titles, suggest specialist language could be a sign of insecurity.
They give a popular example from the business world. People talk about ādisintermediating existing physical retail channelsā instead of ānot selling in shopsā
Hereās the full, short article.
I think Defoe would agree.
"If any man were to ask me what I would suppose to be a perfect style of language, I would answer, that in which a man speaking to five hundred people, of all common and various capacities, idiots or lunatics excepted, should be understood by them all, and in the same sense which the speaker intended to be understood."
Defoe
Although, I would prefer idiots and lunatics to be included. I think that would make a great explanation for how to write wellāāwrite to idiots and lunatics.ā
I was inspired by Jack Butcher on Twitter, who started a new profile called āadvice, invertedā. Hereās an example.
I found this simple switch powerful.
It might be because itās written in the imperative. Being commanded to do plainly ridiculous things might just be more effective.
Donāt worry about things you canāt control = āOh yeah, easier said than done!ā
Worry about things you canāt control = āAbsolutely not!ā
Iām going to try it every now and again with writing advice.
My new writing project is called ā100 words to the writerā.
So far Iāve captured 54 ideas that help me stay on a good writerly track. Hereās one of my favourites.
If youāre interested, here are the other 53.
Have a great week. Take control of words and write your future.
John
p.s. Iām giving away the first chapter of my book, 10x Your Writing, for Ā£0.00. The first chapter shares my 9 writing principles. To get it, just head to johnharrison.io.