Three paramount characteristics of good writing are Clarity, Effectiveness, and Correctness. Sadly today such writing is too scarce. Some people confuse volume with effectiveness; the opposite is true. Just as volume in music is no substitute for imagination, going on and on in a written piece merely produces boredom, not insight. In November, 1863, Abraham Lincoln’s address at Gettysburg, Pa. comprised only 271 words. His eloquence then has touched the hearts and minds of millions. The other, keynote speaker, that day went on for over 13,000 words and two hours. His speech paled in comparison to Lincoln’s as history has confirmed. His name was Edward Everett.
Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, like Tom Paine’s Common Sense, and Franklin Roosevelt’s December 8, 1941, address requesting congress to make a declaration of war on Japan, are prime examples of superior writing: unmistakably clear, powerfully effective, and demonstrably correct.
Drafting a voluminous piece of word salad with fuzzy-meaning platitudes fails every test. Such drivel reminds me of reading a New York Times editorial, a [translated] Pravda “news” article, or some of the Letters to the Editor of this newspaper. In 1948, George Orwell published his seminal work, 1984. In it he predicted a possible future world where words and meanings were inverted, e.g., hate is good; love is bad, etc. Time has proven his fears unfounded so far.
