In school, writing came with minimum word counts. You learned that length = effort, and effort = good.
Because of that, we developed a bias that short writing was bad.
That couldn’t be more wrong.
Writing isn’t about volume. It’s about clarity.
Clarity wins. Every time.
You don’t need more context.
You don’t need more adjectives.
You need to stop smothering your point with explanation.
You become a better writer the day you do two things:
Stop trying to sound smart.
Write shorter.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Most bad writing isn’t ego.
It’s fear.
Fear that if you make it short, it won’t sound “smart.”
Fear that if you leave something out, you’ll be misunderstood.
So you hedge. You over-explain. You bury the point under a pile of just-in-case.
And now your reader has to dig through 400 words to find your idea.
But the best writing doesn’t make you dig. It hands you the gold.
Skip the intro and pleasantries.
If you need to make 4 points but only 3 are critical, kill the 4th.
Use half the backstory you think you need.
Write short. Then make it shorter.
Use a long sentence to draw in your reader. Then a short one. Then punch.
If it feels uncomfortably simple, you’re probably doing it right.
It’s not oversimplified. It’s just finally clear.
Our brains crave signal, not noise.
When you bury the ask under five lines of context, we skim.
When you open with “just following up…” we’re already gone.
Clear writing respects your reader.
And the fastest way to earn respect is to stop wasting their time.