“Language is the source of
misunderstandings.”― Antoine de Saint- Exupéry
Yep,
there it is, on a whole lot of levels. Language, writing or speaking, can lead
to misunderstandings of a whole host of varieties.
But
let’s just stick to the reading and writing arena.
Readers,
you read for information, education, entertainment, a whole host of reasons. When
you read you hope what’s on the page before you will be clear and concise. If
fiction it might be gripping and evocative as well, but still has to be clear
so the story can be understood. The simple reality if it isn’t reasonably so,
or in the case of fiction, very much so, then the reader stops reading. Sets
the material aside and goes on to something else.
Writers,
your intent is to inform, entertain and hold the reader whether it’s for
purposes of education or entertainment. If you don’t hold on to your reader for
whatever intent, then the information or entertainment won’t follow. So again,
the simple reality is if the words on the page are scrambled and difficult to
understand the reader stops reading. Sets the material aide and goes on to
something else.
Simple,
right?
Well,
actually, not so much. Sometimes the material, if informative or educational,
filled with something that must be learned or absorbed, then no matter how badly
written the reader will slog on (no doubt muttering and curing to him or
herself), but nonetheless will probably continue. It’s still not good that the
reader is forced to stop, read and re-read to unscramble what’s on the page
before him.
If
you’re a writer of fiction or scripts, then it gets even worse. See paragraph 4
above. The fiction reader is far less patient because, well, he doesn’t have to
be. The script reader will toss your script aside in favor of one he can make
some sense of. The novel reader will curse whatever he or she spent on your
book and your name or an editor will toss your manuscript in the digital
recycle bin.
Writers
read your work, re-read your work, have your friends read it if you can get
them to. Have it professionally edited. Whatever it takes, make sure your
writing flows, that it makes sense, that it doesn’t have places that brings the
reading to a screeching halt. Drop all extra words; cut mercilessly. Read. A
lot. See what makes that writing smooth and seamless. Your story, your
information will get lost if the reader can make no sense of a sentence or a
paragraph.
Don’t
think ‘this is okay’ or fall into the trap of ‘I know what I mean so everyone
else will too’.
Too
much of what I read has words left out, sentences half written or so long it’s
impossible to keep the thought straight. Too much has dialog where it’s unclear
who the speaker is. Put yourself in your reader’s shoes and make sense of the
senseless. Just because it’s the era of texting and twitter doesn’t mean that’s
the language of text book and novel. Focus and your writing will stand out.
