False economy What’s in it for me? Understand what makes the

Do I make myself clear
What’s in it for me? Get your message across 
with clear and concise communication.
Is there anything worse than dragging yourself 
through a contract, trying to understand the 
dense legal language regarding matters that 
may be of the utmost importance to you? Or 
desperately trying to stay awake while reading 
an academic paper on a potentially fascinating 
subject, but being unable to enjoy it because of 
the jargon and obscure vocabulary?
These days, in a digital era without word limits, 
we have to endure more inscrutable prose than 
ever. Gone are the days when a writer or editor 
had to make their message crystal clear in the 
space of a paragraph or a page.
In these blinks, you’ll learn the rules of clear 
communication. In the process, you’ll not only 
improve your prose; you’ll rediscover the beauty 
and importance of clarity.
You’ll also learn

Why you should avoid using the passive 
voice;

How to remove any words that cloud 
your message; and

How to slay “zombies” and “flesh-
eaters.”
There is an abundance of bad writing on the 
internet, but good, clear writing can be 
learned.
If you’re a long-time fan of good journalism, 
there was probably a time when you looked 
forward to reading the latest issue of the New 
Republic magazine. When it existed in print 
form, each issue was a guaranteed good read, 
filled with sharp and engaging writing.
But in 2012, the publication was purchased by 
Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, who hired 
new writers and moved it strictly online. Many 
people worried that the quality would suffer, and 
these worries were pretty much confirmed when 
the new venture was described in a cryptic press 
release as a “cross-functional collaboration” to 
“align 
themselves 
from 
a 
metabolism 
perspective” as a “vertically integrated digital 
media company.”
Sadly, this kind of mumbo jumbo is found all 
over the internet.
Take another example. The Financial Times 
asserts that their online content is “improving the 
efficacy of measurable learning outcomes.” Say 
what now?
In the days when print newspapers were the 
leading source of information, there was a 
limited amount of space that a writer could use 
to get his message across to the reader. This 
meant that the writer had to be clear, and get 
straight to the point.
Online content, on the other hand, generally fills 
up space using a lot of words to say very little, 

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especially now that it includes clickbait and fake 
news.
But it isn’t just websites and Facebook that are 
to blame; TV news reporting and academia are 
also home to some of the worst writing around.
However, It doesn’t have to be this way. 
Contrary to what some might say, writing isn’t 
some talent with which one is imbued at birth. 
Like any other skill, writing can be improved if 
you’re determined and put in the effort.
Even the Bard himself, William Shakespeare, 
worked hard to improve his writing.
From his unspectacular early work, to later 
works like King Lear and The Tempest, 
Shakespeare’s career is representative of how a 
dedicated writer can improve his craft.
And this is something you can do as well. In the 
blinks ahead we’ll look at a variety of tips and 
tools you can put to work today.