Big Words and Underwear

Don’t divert readers from your message.

A month ago, the Pickles comic strip offered good wisdom for writers. “A big vocabulary,” one character said, “is like underwear. Everyone should have it. But they shouldn’t show it off.”

There’s good reason for this. Showing off — drawing attention to your writing — diverts readers’ attention from your content. That makes your writing less effective. If you’re writing … Continue reading