Make your prose lean in 2015
At the start of a new year, like many of us, I groan with the post-holiday feeling of having eaten more chocolate and cheese—and exercised less—than I should. I feel the burden, real or imagined, of excess calories slowing me down. And now that the parties are over, the holiday candles back in boxes, the red and green sweaters safely stowed, I’m eager to refocus and trim down, leaner and sleeker than the year before.
Teaching Plain Language: 5 Challenges
One of my professional roles is to teach legal writing. And in spite of what you might think, most of us who teach legal writing try to teach law students to use plain language (to some degree or another). But term after term, I’m dismayed at the final assignments’ lack of plain language. So what’s standing in the way? I’ve identified 5 obstacles here, although I’m sure there are others. Whether you’re a plain-language coach, some other kind of teacher, or someone who’s just trying to get people to climb on the plain-language train, maybe some of the suggestions here will help. Although some of them focus on legal writing, I’m sure you can draw analogies to your own field.
December 4 webinar will help you prepare for the 2015 ClearMark Awards
The 2015 ClearMark Awards will be here before we know it — and we want to make sure you have all the details you need before the entry period begins on January 1, 2015. If you have questions about your nomination or the Awards in general, register for our first-ever webinar on Thursday, December 4 at 12:00 p.m. ET.
We’ll provide advice to help you ensure your application stands out — and has all the necessary information. And, we’ll have an open Q&A period where you can find answers to any lingering questions you may have.
Informed consent – or is it really informed??
We have all done it. Gone for a medical or dental test or procedure. Not looking forward to it, a bit nervous about it. And then someone on the staff gives you some papers to sign authorizing the procedure. Often they simply say, “Sign here,” and seem puzzled when you take the time to read it.
Emotional responses to financial information
According to the recent Edelman Trust Barometer (2013 Annual Global Study: Financial Services Industry Findings), U.S. trust in financial institutions is at a low of
The man in the middle: How to make it all the way up the chain
Getting an organization to start using plain language shouldn’t be all that hard, should it?
Simply get the folks at the top to buy-in, train all the writers, and after a bit of learning curve, all new and revised documents should start to be clear and concise.
Right?
Well, maybe not.
Seems one critical piece is missing in that rosy scenario – the reviewers.
The source of bad writing
Author – Steven Pinker
[Reprinted from the Wall Street Journal with the author’s permission]
Why is so much writing so bad? Why is it so hard to understand a government form, or an academic article or the instructions for setting up a wireless home network?
The most popular explanation is that opaque prose is a deliberate choice. Bureaucrats insist on gibberish to cover their anatomy.
Hill visit
I’ve visited Washington D.C. several times in my life, but my most recent trip felt the most rewarding. As an intern for the Center for Plain Language, I’ve learned quite a bit about what plain language is, and why it’s important. The Center has been fighting for plain language in our government for years, an effort that culminated in the passing of the Plain Writing Act of 2010. Now, the Center is supporting a bill that Representative Braley introduced to the House of Representatives, the Plain Regulations Act of 2013.
Plain language classes at Texas state agency welcomed by employees
I’ve been a journalist and a writing instructor all my career, so I’m familiar with the need to write clearly. But I didn’t hear about Plain Language as a movement until early last year, when I began working as a technical writer for the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, an agency that provides services for people who have disabilities. Shortly after starting my job, I took a class in plain language offered by our Center for Learning Management. That was the first time I realized that clear writing is a political issue…
The assignment was simple
The assignment was simple in theory–choose one of the article options given to us by our professor, apply the method of plain language to it, and create a clear and concise piece explaining the message. Each of the text options ranged from 8-10 pages and were so laden with filler sentences and convoluted language just reading the intro was a headache.
Queen for a few days
My group won the ClearMark Grand Prize in 2013. We were thrilled! My colleague and I graciously accepted the award and headed for champagne at the bar next door. I lugged the trophy home to New York and proudly displayed it for everyone to see. Our new medical director seemed impressed—nothing like getting a few brownie points with the new boss.
I won employee of the month for leading health literacy/plain language efforts at the March of Dimes. This got me flowers, my name on a plaque, a free lunch and an up-close employee-of-the-month parking space. I was the queen of plain language. I had the trophy and the parking space.
Before and after: Describing a law — without legalese
Joe Kimble is a pleasant oddity. He’s a law professor and author who says the law presents less risk when it is written clearly. We followed his advice to redo this legal notice.
Look what can happen when you ask a few questions. Working with attorneys, we cut through the clutter of a 61-word sentence. The new version is easier for readers to grasp and use the information…