It is a question every writer faces at some point: Should I dazzle or communicate? Or, put another way, should I try to craft the perfect sentence or write the perfect story? In an ideal world, writers could do both every time, all the time. In the world of writer's block and rigid circumstances, they must sometimes make hard choices.
For years I have generally favored simple over complicated and substance over style. Driven by old habits formed in my newspaper days, when I was advised by editors to report events in language a layman could understand, I have erred on the side of clarity.
This approach, which some liken to the Hemingway style, certainly has its supporters. Mark Twain once quipped: “Don't use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do.” Stephen King says much the same today. In the fifth of his famous twenty rules for writers, he advises others not to obsess over perfect grammar. “Language," he says, "does not always have to wear a tie and lace-up shoes."
Hugh Howey, author of the bestselling WOOL series and the patron saint of self-published scribes, echoes this sentiment. He writes that "readers prefer the clear and concise delivery of an exciting story more than the flowery and sublime delivery of utter ennui."
I believe this is true not only with flowery language but also with things like jargon, slang, and acronyms. Even though I have not read a Tom Clancy book in more than a decade, I can still remember wading through terms like CINC-PAC, DDCI, and NORAD.
I take two steps to improve clarity in my books. The first is to explain unusual references at least once in the context they are made. The second is to run them past my beta readers, who have different backgrounds, life experiences, and areas of expertise.
If one reader does not understand a word or a phrase, I give the term a closer look. If two or more have an issue with the same item, I strike it from the text. I assume readers will be similarly perplexed.
It's not a perfect approach, but it is one that works for me. In the ongoing effort to entertain and inform, it helps me find a balance.
