Letters, church bulletins, articles, minutes, fliers, newcomers’ leaflets, discussion papers, sermon notes… Almost every day, we face the challenge of having to express ourselves in print. Some people are quite good at it. Here’s an article for the rest of us.

Let me take a risk and begin this article as follows.

Foundational to a right view of the techniques involved in the area of writing is an understanding of some underlying principles. It is the task of the writer, first and foremost, to establish his plans and purposes. This is imperative if he is ever to enter into a relationship with his readers and bear any fruit in his labours. This must be maintained over against those who argue that writing…

Perhaps I should stop before you stop reading. This turgid, cliché-ridden paragraph is my own attempt to capture the flavour of much that passes for written communication in Christian circles these days. The style is quirky; topsy-turvy is the word order; and the passive voice is clung to for dear life. It defies the reader to read on.

The reasons for the development of this peculiarly Christian, peculiarly evangelical mode of writing can be the subject of someone else’s PhD one day, but for now, let me humbly offer a few tips for better writing.

1. Keep the reader in mind

Before you begin any piece of writing, pin a mental photograph of your readers to the corkboard of your mind. Who will read what you are about to write? In what context? What will they be expecting? This will help you to pitch your words at the right level, and to assess, as you go along, how your words will be received. Keep asking yourself this frightening question: Have I given them any reason to turn the page?

2. Eschew obfuscation

Nothing kills the process of communication more quickly than complex or obscure expressions. Strive for clarity and simplicity. This is not easy; as Somerset Maugham put it: “To write simply is as difficult as to be good.” Never use a long word where a short one will do. Never use an obscure or jargon word where a simple, plain-English alternative is available. Getting the message through is difficult enough—you do not need any unnecessary complications.

Contrary to popular opinion, good writing does not consist of flaunting your vocabulary or finding flowery, high-flown ways of saying things. Good writing is almost transparent. It is so bright and clear that the reader is hardly aware of its existence.

3. Choose your words carefully

Words are precious. They can convey meaning or they can obscure it. Words can be a powerful sword, cutting through the preconceptions and apathy of the reader, or they can be like super-balls rebounding from case-hardened skulls.

It pays to choose your words carefully. Choose lots of simple, sharp words that convey your meaning precisely and clearly. This takes time, but who said that good writing was quick and easy? Pascal, the 17th-century mathematician-theologian, once wrote a long rambling letter to a friend, and concluded by saying: “I am sorry to have wearied you with so long a letter but I did not have time to write you a short one.” 

4. Avoid The Department of Redundancy Department

Most of us are speakers first and writers second. And it is natural, therefore, that some of the patterns and habits of spoken English should creep into our writing. This is especially true of those who speak for a living (like preachers).

Very often, good preaching is characterized by elaboration, illustration, and a general ‘padding out’ of the material so that the audience can take it in. Good writing is quite different. It is sharp and economical.

For example, a preacher might say:

We have to acknowledge, and come to terms with, the whole issue of the plans and purposes of God as revealed in human history.

A written translation might be:

We have to come to terms with the historic purposes of God.

After you have written a first draft of anything, go back over it and strike out the redundant words and phrases. Aim for economy. Watch especially for phrases like “the question of” and “the issue of” and “the whole area of”—these are usually completely unnecessary.

5. Stay active

I hate to introduce the spectre of grammar, but I promise to banish it again quickly. Most sentences can be expressed in one of two ways: with an active verb or a passive verb.

The evangelical killed the sentence. (active)
The sentence was killed by the evangelical. (passive)

‘Active’ sentences are more dynamic. They grab the reader’s attention and convey movement and interest. Where possible, always use an active verb in preference to a passive verb. Take this example:

Considerable attention is given in the Pauline corpus to the whole question of ‘justification’.

This could be made punchier by using an active verb:

The Pauline corpus pays considerable attention to the whole question of justification.

We could improve it even further by applying tips 2-4:

Throughout his letters, Paul is deeply concerned about ‘justification’.

6. Go with the flow

The above ideas are not meant to be a straitjacket. Variety is the spice of life and good writing. By stressing simplicity and economy of style, I am not suggesting that your prose should consist only of short, staccato sentences all with active verbs. Occasionally, you might use a passive sentence for emphasis or effect. Cultivate a smooth, flowing style.

Try reading your piece aloud to yourself to see how it flows. There should be a natural rhythm, as if you were speaking it to a friend.

7. Boil it down

All good writing involves the personally injurious process of rewriting. Most first drafts are bloated and unwieldy. They are full of repetitions, redundancies, clumsy phrases and poorly chosen words. They need to be boiled down.

Good writing doesn’t just spill out onto the page in its finished form. It takes painstaking revision. Most people are unaware of just how many drafts professional writers produce on their way to the finished piece. (I changed that last sentence, for example, five times.) Smooth, elegant prose is a product of hard work as much as talent.

8. Read, read, read

It’s hard to be a good writer without being a frequent reader. I can’t put it any better than the American novelist, William Faulkner:

Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out the window.

If you want to read a good book about writing, there are many to choose from. I’d recommend Kathryn Lindskoog’s Creative Writing for People Who Can’t Not Write. It’s written from a Christian perspective, and has a fascinating appendix of CS Lewis’s thoughts on writing.

The following short poem is taken from Lindskoog’s book:

The written word
Should be clean as bone,
Clear as light,
Firm as stone.
Two words are not
As good as one.¹

1. K Lindskoog, Creative Writing for People Who Can’t Not Write, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1989, p. 40.↩