Summary
Highlights
Writing is not just for professional writers; it's a fundamental life skill. Despite its importance, many adults, especially in technical fields, fear writing. Writing is essentially 'thinking on paper,' meaning anyone who can think clearly should be able to write clearly on any subject.
Motivation is crucial for effective writing. Students write more willingly when tackling topics they find interesting and for which they have an aptitude. The fear of writing is often instilled early, particularly in subjects like English, making science-minded individuals feel inadequate, and this confidence loss can last a lifetime.
Implementing a system where poorly written but correct answers require rewriting can significantly improve student writing. By making it clear that correct answers must also be well-written, students learn to write more carefully, eventually requiring fewer rewrites and integrating writing as a core part of their learning.
Writing is inherently prone to disorder, much like Murphy's Law, mirroring the second law of thermodynamics (entropy). Noise in writing—ambiguity, redundancy, misuse of words, vagueness, jargon, pomposity, and clutter—pollutes the message. Writers must guard their information against these pollutants.
While obscurity is a grave writing sin, some writers, particularly in academia, intentionally use it out of snobbery. They mistakenly equate simple style with a simple mind. However, a simple style is often the result of harder thinking and more diligent work, aimed at clarity and accessibility.
Song is presented as the noblest and most complete form of self-expression. It allows the individual to connect with their inner self, offering solace and inspiration. In a commercial age, cultivating a love for the beautiful through song helps us appreciate higher, holier aspects of life.
Jargon is the specialized terminology used by those in specific fields, often losing touch with the 'mother tongue.' While specialized terms can be necessary tools (like 'amniocentesis'), they become jargon when users cannot express themselves in any other way, making communication inaccessible to outsiders. Jargon can take many forms, from buzzwords in business and government to overly complex phrasings, obscuring meaning and making ideas sound more profound than they are.
Concerns about declining writing skills in America are often voiced by the educated classes, focusing on the ‘uneducated’ or younger generations. However, even college-educated individuals may exhibit grammatically poor writing. Improving writing quality needs to start at the highest educational levels.
Effective writing is like 'show and tell'; writers should not just tell but make readers 'see.' Active verbs help readers witness events, but simple, Anglo-Saxon nouns (like 'house,' 'chair') are equally pictorial and resonate deeply with human emotion, creating instant connection by presenting familiar images.
Good art writing, like good music writing, helps us perceive and appreciate. It shows us what is right before our eyes. Graphic design is an example: although often misunderstood, its purpose is to create visual communication solutions through words and pictures across various mediums, from price tags to logos.
Writing is a powerful tool in science education, allowing students to reason through problems and teachers to observe their thought processes. By requiring written responses in exams across scientific disciplines, and demanding acceptable English for credit, students are compelled to improve their writing without diminishing scientific content.
Teaching writing effectively is difficult and time-consuming, as correcting errors is more challenging than simply marking right or wrong answers. Explaining principles of good writing in class often has limited impact. True improvement comes from direct feedback and intense individual work on what students have actually written, a process that is both painful for the student and demanding for the teacher.