I often get caught in the trap of being complicated when I write.

I want to write simple and clean.

I want my points to come across easy.

I want this so I can be percieved as simple and easy to understand.

I want to write like Ken in 3 Prescriptions for Happiness.

Step 1) Ask for what you want, but dont demand it.

I want this so I can apply it to Inward Quest and university. I think if I could write more simple then people can understand me more and I can understand my points easier as well. I want my life to function in a simlle way and I believe a way I can implinent this is in my writing style. A blending of perhaps @Fred but less poetic (I am not negatively judging this on value I am using this for a real example of how I want to write).

AND......I want to stop overthinking when I write, I want to stop over editing, I want to stop over analysing, I want to stop being unnecessarily fancy pants when I write, I want to be more straight forth and direct when I write ****without being demanding or forceful.

What can I practice for 30 days so I can be a simple writer?

I want to write as if Winnie the Pooh had a pen.

asked 07 Oct '17, 22:58

Nikulas's gravatar image

Nikulas
5.4k534156


Talking. Talk to the people around you. You might not realize it, but the moment you connect the act of writing with the process of talking... wow. To write as if Winnie the Pooh you must spend time talking to children in particular. Telling them stories. If you have a relative who is about the age of Christopher Robin good starting point. Remember that the story of Winnie the Pooh was first a child's bedtime story spoken not written. I think that is what you are intuiting by wanting to write like Winnie the Pooh.

Speak to others, with openness and honesty. Speak with kindness and innocence. Leave the pretensions behind. Channel the essence of what Winnie the Pooh is to you. Be the Winnie and you will write the Winnie. The original way that former sentence entered my mind was a bit more childlike humor. I think you can guess how I was inspired to write it. I allow adult editing for those adults who do not understand potty humor. 

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answered 07 Oct '17, 23:23

Igot7's gravatar image

Igot7
74626

Thanks for your answer. I got what I needed. Be the Winnie and you will write the Winnie.

(08 Oct '17, 07:34) Nikulas

*sit in a comfertable place.

*imagine that you're alone - now, i know that you're probebly alone ... but in your mind your NOT. the alone part is meant for you to write for your self and from your inner being and not for other peopel opinions or concerns. when you're really alone in your room, you are free with your writing because there's no one else to judge of oppose (but your self of course but you can write that :) ).

things i belive you can add to that:

  • heart chakra music while you are writing.
  • addopt the belife that when you're alone in your room you dont have to be a perfectionist, you can do what ever you want and how many mistakes you want and still everything will be fine. (and in fact we are alone in this warld.....)
  • its not your obligation to please others, you're completely free in your jurney. you dont have to teach and others dont have to learn and vice versa - meditate on that if youd like.
  • writing if fun, it can be your kind of an expretion of your heart place. maybe say for 30 days "i love writing its the best thing for me, i express my self best when i write etc.
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answered 08 Oct '17, 03:59

myself's gravatar image

myself
2.5k120

edited 08 Oct '17, 07:13

1

What a beautiful answer written by beautiful person. Heart chakra music :)

(08 Oct '17, 07:37) Nikulas

Heart chakra music--love that! Great post myself :)

(08 Oct '17, 15:29) Delphine

thanks :))

(09 Oct '17, 04:06) myself
showing 2 of 3 show 1 more comments

You already seem to be heading there with the way you wrote your question.

As mentioned by Igot7, just write like you talk. Perhaps like you would have done on MSN or Yahoo messenger back in the day (I am guessing it possible by your age).

People naturally adapt and pick up the language around them. So if you want to write simply - then perhaps read some simply written books. Such as young children's books.

For specific exercises, I would recommend a book: "The Brilliance Breakthrough: How to Talk and Write So That People Will Never Forget You" by Eugene Schwartz.

Schwartz was a copywriter who sold, last I heard, about $2 Billion worth of product through his written words. Many of them, incidentally, books on topics related to this site.

Though he was a copywriter, the book has nothing to do with copy-writing or sales directly. It is purely on writing in a clear and engaging manner.

Full Disclosure: I have never done the exercises. But people I know who make a lot of money selling with their written word swear by it.

It's out of print currently (although, I heard through the grapevine it will be back in print soon). Used copies "sell" (I doubt they actually sell, but they are listed...) at $4,000+

It is still available though...

P.S. Nice to see you back.

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answered 08 Oct '17, 02:05

Liam's gravatar image

Liam
6.2k21023

edited 08 Oct '17, 02:10

1

Hi Liam nice to speak with you!

(08 Oct '17, 07:35) Nikulas

Liam do you know what the exercises are?

(10 Oct '17, 09:23) Nikulas

I do. But they would be pretty worthless without the context of the book. The author seems to have designed them to build on each other with each chapter and they refer to the content regularly.

They are mostly "leading questions" to guide someone in practice using words and building sentences clearly...and glancing through the book now, "review" kind of questions on the content.

(13 Oct '17, 18:08) Liam
showing 2 of 3 show 1 more comments

Write haiku. I like the 5/7/5 syllable form.

This teaches you focus, concentration and to use fewer words. A lot of good writing is about knowing what to strike out.

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answered 08 Oct '17, 01:05

Delphine's gravatar image

Delphine
2.5k214

1

Delphine diving now Provides care and word for all Haiku is the way :)

(08 Oct '17, 07:33) Nikulas

Cool, thanks for sharing. Yes, haiku is the way! :)

(08 Oct '17, 15:27) Delphine

I recommend to take a heavily-edited approch to writing as a practice step.

First, write a paragraph as you speak.

Then go over it, and with every sentence, ask yourself: Could this be condensed to something shorter and simpler? Could it be left out? Could these sentences could be combined? Same for words. Does this belong here? Does this add anything to the meaning? Reduce and simplify, reduce and simplify.

To help answering these questions, decide: Who you are writing for, and what the main thing is you want to get across. Pick exactly one- others may still read it, but let them make the compromise.

After having done that, you might rewrite the paragraph conversionally again, and it may flow more easily. Then, do it again- reduce and simplify.

This sounds like a lot of work to write a lousy paragraph- but on the one hand, that just comes with the territory of concise writing- it still is just as heavily loaded with meaning as expanded writing. On the other hand, it's just more work until it gets habitual, then you will eventually need far fewer rewrites because you made "reduce and simplify" writing and conversational habit.

The second issue to watch out for is how much knowledge you assume. The easiest way to avoid it is to briefly explain any jargon or people or company names that you use.

To maintain brevity, find common-language synonyms for any jargon you might encounter that you don't strictly need to use. Use psychic skills do find those- Connect with the central bank and ask it to describe "quantitative easing" in comprehensible terms, and it might say "well, that's when I gift money to banks so they don't go broke". So you write "The Fed, the central bank of the U.S., gave all the other banks lots of money- they thought it would be bad for everyone if they went broke." instead of a bunch of cryptic riddles that commonly express the same sentiment. Note that some experts might not like you for exposing the gist of what they do to non-initiates.

In a spiritual text, you might write: Metatron, the Jewish angel of measurements, is commonly called upon by New-Agers to help heal ailments from another lifetime. This simple sentence could, in meaning, replace an entire book of more reverant language.

You can lose poetry writing this way, but it lends itself to dry wit. Sometimes the clarity exposes underlying comical human behavior so you don't usually have to try very hard.

I suggest to read a lot of "The Economist" for countless excamples of this kind of economical writing- they seem to be taking it further and further every day.

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answered 10 Oct '17, 13:23

cmc's gravatar image

cmc
3.7k6

edited 10 Oct '17, 13:25

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