The KISS principle

One thing that i have always struggled with as an avid writer, reader and aspiring PR practitioner is my extensive vocabulary, which always seems to make a pervasive presence in every type of personal or professional writing that I do. However, whilst once upon a time i would have thought it to be a positive in any situation, I am rapidly learning that there is a time and place for a sharp and succinct style of writing..and i had better be ready for it!

One of my favorite websites on writing, editing and Public Relations - PRdaily.com - has published a few things on mastering this craft or what i like to call, the "Keep It Simple Stupid" (KISS) method, which I thought I might embed in my post today.  One of their articles focuses on the great orator Winston Churchill and the tips and tricks you can learn from studying the work of this inspiring man.

I particularly liked the comparison that the site made between one of Churchill's speeches and a snapshot of a piece of writing written on behalf of Kodak. Check it out below!
 

"I ran Winston’s speech through an online tool that measures readability. It highlights any words with three syllables or more in blue. Here’s what it looks like:


Here’s what the abstract biz-babble from Kodak looks like:


Incidentally, the tool also gives you a Gunning Fog Index number, which tells you the age at which someone would have to leave full-time education to understand the text. Churchill’s figure is 9.698. The figure for Kodak is 26.95.
Lesson: Run your text through the Gunning Fog Index and replace as many long words as you can. Pitch your writing at the primary school level, not that of a PhD."

I thought this was so interesting because:

a) I'd never heard of the Gunning Fog Index before but how helpful such a tool would be for PR practitioners! and b) It is clear that a much more succinct style of writing makes for easier reading, understanding and flow in general.

Of course having said that,  I also think that your style of writing should depend on your audience and there are certainly occasions that do call for a more extravagant use of language, but the key here is deciphering the difference between these occasions, so that whatever you do write is written in a way that your target audience will not not only take interest in, but will in the very least, understand.