...."The Science of Scientific Writing" by Swan and Gopen --
The Science of Scientific Writing wants to the reader to understand that writing must be presentable. And that simple reason right there is why readers tend to get lost. Writers often present themselves in a way that is not understandable to their audience. As a writer, one should not try and feel superior to their readers. If there is not enough context the reader may become confused. Also, if the writer is trying to be better than the reader it may make them feel badly about themselves. As a writer, Swan and Gopen make a good point that text can be interpreted by the readers much more easily when it is placed where the reader expects to find it. Writing must have concrete order and flow. Does the first sentence of the paragraph connect to the last? Does the first sentence of the essay connect to the last? Gopen and Orwell also warn writers to not put all the exciting material in the start of a piece. The ending is just as important as the start because it is the impression the reader leaves off with. As writers, we want to leave the reader with positive feelings towards our work.
...."Politics and The English Language" by George Orwell--
Although Orwell spends plenty of time essentially warning his readers about what not to do in your writing, he is not attempting to scare writers from writing, but rather he is simply being practical. Orwell wants to empower his readers to think clearly and simply. He also wants his readers to look more closely at careless writing.As writers, we have the power of language and Orwell seems to be advising that we take full control of that. In the essay, Orwell states that true meanings are not revealed in many writings because of simple phrasing and wording errors. After reading Orwell's essay I would advise other college students to think about there meaning first, and then choose the language to match that. With that in mind, I would also advise college student writers to truly keep it simple. Don't try and trick your reader by using words with hidden and unknown meanings. Use words that you as a writer, and your readers can really understand. Rather than choosing the bigger, more vague, and foreign words, just keep it simple and specific.
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| #simplicity is key |
I think you made some great points in your post. I also walked away from those essays with a greater understanding of the power of an author. I never really stopped to think about it before but it is so true. I need to remember that it doesn't matter what I want to feel, what matters is what I want my readers to feel. Although, they could be the same feeling. I also agree that the author shouldn't try to be smarter than the reader. I hate feeling inferior because I have no clue what a word or string of words mean.
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