LOGIC IN WRITING

Apuntes

•LOGIC IN WRITING One of the least pleasant aspects of a professional person's job is the need to put things in writing. Almost everyone finds it a chore and wishes they were better at it. Many are told they need to improve this skill to advance. The main reason most people fail to improve is that they assume clearer writing means simpler, more direct sentences. Often, their sentences are overlong and unwieldy. Additionally, their language is frequently too technical or abstract, and their paragraphs can be awkwardly developed. However, these are style weaknesses. Changing one's writing style is notoriously difficult after formal education. It’s not impossible; it’s like learning to type—requiring repetitive exercises most industry and government writers lack time for. Consequently, they keep being told to write more clearly. But there is a second, more pervasive cause of unclear writing that is easier to fix: document structure—the order in which sentences appear, regardless of their quality. If writing is unclear, it’s likely because the idea order conflicts with how a reader’s mind processes information. The easiest order for a reader is to receive major, abstract ideas bef...