This is a note from the course "Writing with Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer" by Shani Raja, former Wall Street Journal editor.
One of the biggest problems with amateur writers is pretentiousness. It's usually not their fault. They've read so much pompous and pretentious writing in college and maybe school textbooks that they assume that they have to emulate that style in order to sound mature and intelligent. Unfortunately, many people carry that turgid style of writing straight into the workplace, which is why so much business writing ends up being so boring and unreadable. The main problem with such writing is that it lacks authenticity.
As an elite writer, you need to be real first of all. Always write like you mean what you say. In other words, write with integrity. You wouldn't ask your friend, would you, if you could utilize his toilet? You wouldn't ask a member of your family if, perchance, they knew what time it was. So why would you use such pretentious words in an everyday piece of business writing? If you're going for fancy language, just be very clear on what your motivation is. Is it because it serves some kind of an artistic purpose, or it helps your communication in some way? Or is it simply because you think you might look smarter than you actually are? In other words, is it a noble motive, an honourable one? Or is it just plain vanity? Now, remember this piece of advice, because it's really important in your journey towards becoming an elite writer. As an elite writer, it's never about showing off. Your aim is to communicate brilliantly, not to impress.
The elite writer fundamentally views himself or herself as an artist
They view the page they write on as a blank canvas on which they begin with a sketch, and on which they proceed to paint a beautiful picture. Now, whether it's a report, an essay, or an article that you're writing, you've got to regard yourself as a sculptor of words, a painter of sentences, a composer of narratives.
Now, the mind of an artist is usually directed at creating something of beauty, and that's exactly you should approach your writing, with a commitment to creating something of beauty, even if you're composing something as basic as a cover letter for a job application.
At the beginning it has no depth, no structure, no style, but as an artist, you have to progressively give it all of those other dimensions. Your job is to turn it into a beautiful picture by trimming things down where you've been too, you know, perhaps long-winded, by moving points and ideas around to get the ideas to flow more gracefully, by giving the writing rhythm, by adding shades and textures until it transforms stage by stage into a beautiful picture.
If you really want to wow people with your writing, this yearning for beauty must be your fundamental aspiration. Every comma has to be weighed and deemed to be contributing to the overall beauty of the writing. Every full stop must exist because you've decided that it's more beautiful to end a thought right there instead of connecting it with another in the same sentence. Every capital letter on your page has been evaluated for its contribution to the beauty of the finished piece. Every word you're using has been assessed with the same goal in mind. You have decided that it truly belongs where it is. Every phrase has been scrutinised, every metaphor weighed for its contribution to the lucidity of your message.
Your attention to detail really must go that deep if you want to create exceptional writing. Is this the best order of words, or is there a way I could say what I want to say more simply, more clearly, more elegantly, or more evocatively? I believe simplicity, clarity, elegance, and evocativeness are the key ingredients that will give you the most leverage to create this beauty.
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