Writing
Writing for the Lowest Common Denominator
by Philip Yaffe
Some people have experiences early in life that seem to have nothing to do with their intended careers but later turn out to be crucial. I am one of those lucky people.
I graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1965 with a degree in mathematics and no intention of becoming a professional expository (non-fiction) writer. Immediately following graduating, I spent two years as a math and physics teacher in Tanzania, East Africa. After being stationed several months in a mud-hut village, I was posted to a rather more developed location with electricity, running water, and other modern conveniences.
A colleague of mine still in the bush had an excellent idea. Since most people in rural villages hardly ever left their villages, he thought it a good idea to take his brightest students on a tour of the country to get a feeling of what this new, developing nation was all about. The first stop was my place.
I asked the boy (he was 14 years old) what he really wanted to do while he was in my house. "I want to take a hot running shower," he replied. This, of course, was not just a luxury in his home village; it was not even a possibility. A shower there meant filling a jerry can with water, heating it on an open fire, then pouring it over your head.
We had some friends nearby we wanted to visit. I took the boy into the bathroom and meticulously showed him how to regulate the butane tank (no central heating in my house), how to adjust the temperature and water flow, how to position the shower head, etc. "Now, when you are finished, I want you turn everything off and go to go to bed," I said. We then set off down the road.
About a half hour later, I thought it a good idea come back and check up on him. I went into the bathroom and I was pleased to see that he had correctly turned off both the water and the butane exactly as I had shown him. The light was still on in his room, so I went over to say goodnight. When I opened the door, I saw this poor kid lying on the bed with his hands over his eyes trying to sleep.
Then it hit me. I had shown everything to him except the most obvious — how to turn off the light!
He of course knew about electric lights, theoretically, but he had never actually seen one. His experience was with kerosene lanterns, which you turn off by blowing out the flame. If you have never actually used an electric light, there is no obvious connection between that button on the wall and that brilliant bulb on the ceiling.
The poor kid simply didn't have a clue. More importantly, I simply didn't have a clue either. As meticulous as I thought I had been, it just never occurred to me that I had failed to give him adequate instructions.
I had a number of such experiences in Tanzania, none of which had anything to do with lack of intelligence. Because of fierce competition to get into school in the first place (the country hardly had any schools), these students were not just intelligent, they were the cream of the crop.
Why Simplification Isn't "Dumbing-down"
Someone once said: "Nothing is so simple that it can't be misunderstood." I have always tried to live by this maxim, with my experiences in Tanzania as a constant reminder to simplify to the extreme.
But the objection can be raised: "Isn't aiming at the lowest common denominator patronizing?"
Yes it is, but mainly in the mind of the writer, not the reader. The fact is, no matter how hard you try, you can never know for certain what each individual reader knows and doesn't know about your topic. What you can know for certain is that if you say something they don't understand, you will lose some (if not all) of their attention.
It is of course necessary to make some assumptions about your readers' level of understanding. However, you should make as few assumptions as possible. Those readers who are already knowledgeable about what a particular section of text is saying will either skip it or appreciate the reminder. Those who are less knowledgeable will be grateful for your clear explanation.
Throughout my 40-year career as a professional writer, I have produced press releases, sales brochures, speeches, instruction manuals, training programs, etc. I can recall no occasion where someone complained that my text was "too simple". However, I distinctly recall several occasions where someone said, "I thought this subject would be extremely difficult, but I understood everything you wrote. How did you do it?"
Now you know; it was by aiming for the lowest common denominator — and then some.
Important Tips
1. Make the executive summary the centerpiece of the document
Most technical reports begin with an executive summary. The term "summary" suggests that you write the report first, then summarize it. However, you really should work the other way around: Write the summary before you write the body, at least as a rough draft.
Writing the executive summary first confers some extraordinary advantages on both the writer and the readers.
Advantages for the writer
Writing the executive summary first helps you:
- Determine what information you really need in the body of the report, and what can be eliminated.
- Organize the body into the most appropriate sections and subsections for easy comprehension.
- Present the information in each section in the most logical order, usually descending order of importance.
Advantages for the readers
Because the summary is now the lynchpin of the document rather than an afterthought, it helps readers:
- Get a clear overview of everything the report contains.
- Determine which sections and subsections of the body may be of particular interest and value.
- Decide whether they even need to read the body at all.
Remember, you are dealing with busy people; they have neither the time nor the desire to read the entire report if it is not necessary. What they want is for the writer to clearly identify what they must read (executive summary). Any additional material they may need or wish to read should be left to their own judgment.
To emphasize the importance of this approach, perhaps we should replace the term "executive summary", which implies writing the body first and then summarizing it, by something more appropriate such as "executive briefing", "executive focus", etc.
2. Keep sentences short, but not too short
This is usually interpreted to mean an average sentence length of 15 - 18 words. Not because readers can't handle longer sentences. However, when length rises above this average, sentences are likely to be poorly constructed, thereby damaging clarity.
But remember, 15 - 18 words is an average. Don't shun longer sentences. A well constructed long sentence is often clearer than two or more shorter ones. Why? Because the longer sentence betters shows the logical linkage among the various elements, which would be lost by splitting it apart.
3. Make alternative vocabulary unequivocal
Avoid introducing too much variety of vocabulary. Constantly changing terminology for the sake of variety damages clarity. If several words mean essentially the same thing, pick one or two of them and shun the others. Introduce equivalent terms in such a way that the reader clearly understands they mean the same thing.
Example
A. Confusing
Manned space travel to Mars is once again being considered. The Red Planet has fascinated mankind for centuries. The "God of War" is the fourth planet from the sun - our own Earth is the third - and it is our closest celestial neighbor except for the moon.
B. Clear
Manned space travel to Mars is once again being considered. Popularly known as the "Red Planet", Mars has fascinated mankind for centuries. Being the forth planet from the sun (Earth is the third), it is our closest celestial neighbor except for the moon.
4. Write to express, not to impress
The purpose of expository (non-fiction) writing is to inform or instruct, not to show off your literary prowess. The fact is, the better you write, the less people are likely to notice. And this is how it should be. The reader's full attention should be on what you are saying, not how you are saying it.
***********************
is a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and a marketing communication consultant. He currently teaches a course in good writing and good speaking in Brussels, Belgium. His recently published book In the "I" of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) like a Professional is available from Story Publishers in Ghent, Belgium (storypublishers.be) and Amazon (amazon.com).