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Simple Advice on Writing

By Ruben Avila  · August 6, 2019  · @RubenEAvila

During my stay in business school, a recurring theme was to ensure our writing was clear and concise. Most professors focused on concise. If you can condense an essay to a paragraph, do so. If you can condense a paragraph to a sentence, do so. If you can condense a sentence to a single word, do so. At some point, you begin to question, “fuck, do I even need to communicate anything at all?”

Okay, maybe I got carried away with that. But, Scott Adams has some tips for writing that are timeless:

I went from being a bad writer to a good writer after taking a one-day course in “business writing.” I couldn’t believe how simple it was. I’ll tell you the main tricks here so you don’t have to waste a day in class.

Business writing is about clarity and persuasion. The main technique is keeping things simple. Simple writing is persuasive. A good argument in five sentences will sway more people than a brilliant argument in a hundred sentences. Don’t fight it.

Simple means getting rid of extra words. Don’t write, “He was very happy” when you can write “He was happy.” You think the word “very” adds something. It doesn’t. Prune your sentences.

Humor writing is a lot like business writing. It needs to be simple. The main difference is in the choice of words. For humor, don’t say “drink” when you can say “swill.”

Your first sentence needs to grab the reader. Go back and read my first sentence to this post. I rewrote it a dozen times. It makes you curious. That’s the key.

Write short sentences. Avoid putting multiple thoughts in one sentence. Readers aren’t as smart as you’d think.

Learn how brains organize ideas. Readers comprehend “the boy hit the ball” quicker than “the ball was hit by the boy.” Both sentences mean the same, but it’s easier to imagine the object (the boy) before the action (the hitting). All brains work that way. (Notice I didn’t say, “That is the way all brains work”?)

That’s it. You just learned 80% of the rules of good writing. You’re welcome.

Scott Adams

In particular, we should heed the advice about the subject-verb relationship in writing. But, I would caution you to think your readers aren’t smart. Often times, your readers are more capable then you are.

If writing in a clear and concise manner is eighty percent of what you need to know to write well, what is the rest?

Well, in my opinion, the rest will be learned when you start writing consistently. You’ll find, like anything else in life, practice makes perfect.

Brevity is the soul of wit.

William Shakespeare

So it is.

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Ruben runs a boutique digital strategy agency specializing in brand identities, web design and social media.

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  • As a black belt, my first student I was honored to promote to blue belt - the infamous Dieselinha aka The Big D aka @DMTZ4 It's been well over a week since this moment has passed, and yet the artillery of emotions it galvanized has yet to taper off.

I am eternally grateful to @YemasoJJ both for his tireless efforts to mold us, his students @SacramentoBJJ #TeamYemaso, into formidable martial artists and for his communal disposition which leads to collaborative promotional ceremonies of partners.

Truth be told, when I first saw @B.Turner.BJJ tie the belt around @Maymay_13_ & @Manny7634 and @Keala2k tie it around @Reeeanne I was happy for them and their special moments, but it did not prepare me for how big the moment would be for The Diesel and me.

Most don't know, but The Diesel was one of the first females to train with us alongside @C3linamarie way back in the day.  Since then, many have come and gone.  The pressure cooker that produces the #SacramentoStranglers is no joke.  Yet, for the resilient, those that persevere you gain that which can never be taken from you.

I haven't begun to truly consider my own journey, as I've been far too elated to move The Diesel up.  People keep asking me what it feels like to reach the black belt, and really all I can think about is how pumped I am for my caramel Khaleesi.  I wish I could offer everyone more, but that is just what is resonating in my mind right now.  I will address the milestone of black belt, I promise, & do my best to address it with the attention it deserves.

But first comes first, I couldn't possibly be more proud of the moon of my life for reaching this milestone.

I couldn't fit all my thoughts into this post nor all the pictures, so please check: https://thegentleartist.com/promoting-your-first-blue/

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  • 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘴 - 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘵 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘢𝘬𝘦.⁣
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❶ 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱⁣
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When I first went out to @theblogbloc I knew I had to bring backup, since I am a shy person by nature.  Bringing my gf with me was great, because we met people together. She complimented when it was proper; it's hard to talk about yourself, but your friend can do that for you easily and vice versa.⁣
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❷𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗲𝘀⁣
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Approaching others too aggressively can leave a bad impression. Pay proper attention to the people & conversations around you. Be prepared with questions that help you learn about others, hold 𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 interesting conversations & make it easy to share about yourself. Lastly, take care to meet the people that are relevant to you.⁣
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❸𝗦𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲⁣
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It'll make you more approachable and memorable. Your smile & authentic self will go a long way toward a positive first impression. ⁣
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❹𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀⁣
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I don't care to meet a lot of people at events. I rather meet one person that I can spark a connection with than 5, 10, or 100 people that will not remember who I even am. People want to feel that you are genuinely interested in them. ⁣
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❺𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹⁣
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I've found that the best approach for any networking event is to be myself & talk about my hustle in a casual way. When I discuss my business, I always try to share, not sell.⁣
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I'll be using these tactics @metroedge Emerge Summit #spon an epic networking event for young professionals in the Sac area on 9/19/19 #EmergexSac - these easy tactics leave no excuses not to #MakeYourMark so get after it!  Details in my HL.
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