Tuesday Tidbit: Put yourself in your readers’ shoes

Here’s this week’s Tuesday Tidbit,

your 15 seconds of inspiration:

“It has long been a guiding principle of writing that,

if there is any possible way

for readers to misread

and misinterpret

what you write,

they will.

The purpose of laborious

and tedious editing

is to make the writing so precise

that it cannot be misread

and misinterpreted.”

(Kendall Haven; emphasis mine)

That means you, the writer, must put yourself in your readers’ shoes and, for their sake, clarify.

Choose words carefully.

Give specific details.

Be accurate. Unambiguous.

Explain.

Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

Ask yourself, “Will they understand my story? Is it clear?”

Refine your story. Enhance it. Polish it. Make it shine.

If you missed last Thursday’s post, click on “When you say something, make sure you have said it.”