Three Strategies to Help Writers Say More With Less , by Tomislav Kraljic
You’ve put your idea on paper and crafted your first draft. And your second. And your third. Maybe even a fourth or fifth. But how do you know when it’s ready? You’ve already addressed the big picture—higher-order concerns like purpose, audience, main ideas, and the structure of your arguments and evidence. But it doesn’t stop there.
To make it shine—you need to zoom in. This is where lower-order concerns like word choice, tone, and voice matter. Whether you are writing a research paper, blog article, or essay, these final touches can elevate your writing from “pretty good” to “I can’t stop reading this.”
Let’s look at three simple but powerful strategies to help you get there.
- Be Frugal with Your Words
Imagine you’re sending your work to a copyeditor who charges $0.50 per word. You want to minimize costs without losing any important content. This is how you should approach word choice.
Good writing respects the reader’s time. That means trimming the fat. Ask yourself: Is there a shorter, sharper way to say this?
Take this clunky phrase:
“Due to the fact that…”
It’s wordy and roundabout. Swap it out with:
“Because.”
Here are some other examples:
“At this point in time…” → “Now.”
“In order to…” → “To.”
“There is a possibility that…” → “Might.”
When it comes to writing for a general audience, every word should earn its place on the page. If it adds no value, remove it.
- Avoid Passive Voice
Passive voice isn’t grammatically wrong—but it is often vague and wordy. It can also obscure who’s doing what, which can make it harder to follow.
Consider this sentence:
“A decision was made by the manager to implement new procedures in the office.”
That’s a mouthful, and the subject (the manager) is buried in the middle. Let’s revise it:
“The manager implemented new procedures in the office.”
Cleaner. Leaner. Meaner.
When you use an active voice, your writing becomes clearer and more dynamic. It’s easier for readers to follow the action—and easier for you to make your point.
- Know Your Audience and Avoid the Curse of Knowledge
When you know a subject well, it’s easy to forget what it’s like to be new to it. That’s the curse of knowledge—and it’s one of the fastest ways to lose your readers.
Who are you writing for? What is their base level knowledge of this topic? You want to meet your readers where they are at.
Let’s see an example:
“Expansionary monetary policy increases the money supply, decreasing interest rates and encouraging aggregate demand.”
For those without a background in economics, this may be too technical and difficult to understand. We are assuming that the audience understands terms like “expansionary monetary policy”, “aggregate demand”, or “money supply”.
Instead, we can rewrite this as:
“When a country wants to grow its economy, its central bank might lower interest rates, so people and businesses are more likely to borrow and spend money.”
This is easier to understand, and the reader feels included—not excluded. After setting the foundation, we can introduce more advanced concepts. This allows your reader to feel included—not excluded.
Here is what it would look like:
“When a country wants to grow its economy, its central bank might lower interest rates, so people and businesses are more likely to borrow and spend money. This strategy is what economists call “expansionary monetary policy”.
If you are writing for a general audience, jargon-free prose is generally the best approach. However, this isn’t always the case as it is audience and situation dependent. For example, in legally binding agreements or terms of conditions, jargon and specialized language is not only acceptable—it is required. The use of this language helps address complex, nuanced scenarios and provides the necessary protection under the law.
Writing isn’t just about putting words on a page—it’s about making choices that serve your message and your reader. The strongest writing is clear, purposeful, and tailored to its audience.
By being frugal with your words, you make your writing tighter and more efficient.
By avoiding passive voice, you bring clarity and energy to your sentences.
By knowing your audience and avoiding the curse of knowledge, you ensure your message is accessible and engaging.
By applying these strategies, not only does your writing improve, but you improve as a writer too.
