Your Goal as a Writer Is To Fade Into the Background

“Good prose is like a windowpane.” -George Orwell

Growing up, my idea of a writer was someone who had a large vocabulary.

I thought big words made people sound smart, so I was pleased with myself when I used words like “perspicacious” instead of “perceptive,” or “quagmire” instead of “dilemma.”

Then I realized that when I’m the one reading, I hate it when people write like that. I noticed that there are many writers whose egos are higher than their IQ — writers who prioritize sounding smart over helping readers understand their message.

There’s a reason why authors like Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell, and J.K. Rowling are so popular. They convey profound messages in simple ways. They don’t waste ink on fancy words. They get out of the way and let the story speak to the reader.

“Classic prose is a pleasant illusion, like losing yourself in a play,” says Steven Pinker. “The writer must work to keep up the impression that his prose is a window onto the scene rather than just a mess of words.”

A window onto the scene. I love that. If you write well, the reader will not even know you’re there. They will be so caught up in the story that you will slip into the background.

Do you know the easiest way to smudge the window? Using big words, complicated phrases, or poorly written sentences that will make the reader stop reading.

“Remember that the reader must know what you mean because of what you have written and not in spite of what you have written,” says Bill Glavin. “Clarifying complex concepts is the writer’s job. If the writer fails to do so, the reader will leave the piece.”

Here are three ways you can improve your writing by fading into the background:

1. Don’t get caught up in flowery language. Keep the ball rolling.

“When a reader puts a story aside because it ‘got boring,’ the boredom arose because the writer grew enchanted with his powers of description and lost sight of his priority, which is to keep the ball rolling.” -Stephen King

Whether you’re writing a short story or a 50,000-word novel, you must keep the story moving. Pacing is vital.

Sometimes it’s necessary to spend a paragraph or two describing the setting or a character’s clothes. Most of the time that’s not necessary.

Each writer has a different perspective on how much can or should be pruned while keeping the trunk of the story intact. Some writers think it’s sufficient to pull out a nail clippers to snip off some of the smallest leaves — the tiny details — of the story. Other writers yank out the big gardening shears and prune entire branches of their story, leaving only the bare necessities.

Learn to discern what is core to your story, and cut anything that is not core.

2. Prioritize simplicity over sophistication.

“If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can’t allow what we learned in English composition to disrupt the sound and rhythm of the narrative.” -Elmore Leonard

Have you ever noticed that great writing often contains slang words, contractions, and other things that would have driven your English teacher crazy?

It’s not an accident that those things often make for great writing. It’s easier for readers to relate to writing that sounds like speech.

Do whatever it takes to help your readers understand and relate to your message, even if that means bending one or two rules.

3. Use small words in big ways.

“Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.” -William Butler Yeats

Many of the best writers in the world use small words to great effect. And it’s not only writers who do this. Many public speakers, lawyers, and marketers do the same thing.

Don’t write at the level of a graduate MFA student. Write at the level of an eighth-grader. Doing so will expand the size of your audience.

If you write well, the reader will not even know you’re there. They will be so caught up in the story that you will fade into the background.

Using simple words to convey complex topics will also require you to understand the topic well enough that you can simplify it, rather than just regurgitating technical jargon.

Are fancy words separating you from your readers?

If so, drop the flowery language, prioritize simplicity, and use small words in big ways. Take the focus off yourself and have the courage to fade into the background.