Why Good Writing Is Rare
Why good writing is rare, and why clarity matters far more than grammar.
Most people assume bad writing means typos and a weak vocabulary.
Here is what bad writing usually looks like in the drafts I edit.
“We leverage synergistic content ecosystems to drive holistic brand narratives across multi-channel digital touchpoints.”
Read it twice. You will still be guessing what that company sells.
After 12 years and 10,000+ articles, this is the pattern I trust most.
Writers who aim to be understood keep their readers far longer than writers who aim to impress.
Your reader is skimming between tasks, far from an armchair and a cup of tea.
Nielsen Norman Group found that on an average web page, people read about 20% of the words.
They scan, they jump around, and they decide within seconds whether you deserve the rest of their attention.
Most of them are on a phone with a dozen other tabs open.
The question I ask before I touch a single sentence.
I spend my working days reshaping drafts by other writers across finance, insurance, automotive and tech.
Get Rishi Biswas’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
The fix I make most often starts with purpose, long before grammar.
I ask the writer what the business actually does for the person reading.
The answer is almost always one plain, short sentence. That sentence usually belongs at the top of the page.
Why so many smart people write dense copy.
School trained most of us to write for a teacher who had to read every word.
Online, every reader chooses whether to keep going. That changes the job completely.
The rule I follow on every brief is simple. Aim for a grade 6 to 8 reading level.
Your readers are smart. They are also busy. A sentence they understand on the first pass earns their trust faster than one they must decode.
Before you publish your next piece, try this test.
By your second sentence, would a first-time reader know what you are saying and why it matters?
If you hesitate, rewrite.
Now the debate.
Plenty of SEO and content leads still believe sophisticated, technical language signals expertise in competitive industries.
Does complex writing help or hurt content performance in your industry, and has your own data ever surprised you?
Originally published on LinkedIn.
I post one practical idea on writing, SEO and content strategy every weekday on LinkedIn. Follow me there so the next one reaches you first.
Rishi Biswas on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishi-biswas-seo-content-writer/
