March 3 — Clear writing for strategic communications
Week 7 · Tuesday
Key takeaways
- Submission policy: All written work must be submitted as editable Google Docs (not PDFs) to enable direct feedback and verify revision history.
- Core principle: Good writing is “invisible.” It serves as a clear vehicle for ideas, letting the reader focus on the message, not the prose.
- Primary enemy: “Clutter” — unnecessary words, jargon, and euphemisms — must be eliminated to respect the reader’s limited attention.
Topics covered
Admin and submission policy
- Campaign strategy doc due this Thursday
- All written work as Google Docs with editor access — no PDFs
The “invisible” writing principle
Good writing is invisible: it lets the reader forget they are reading, focusing entirely on the ideas. When the writing draws attention to itself, it’s getting in the way.
Zinsser’s On Writing Well: simplicity and clutter
The class read aloud from William Zinsser’s On Writing Well to introduce core principles:
- Strip writing of clutter to build a strong foundation
- Every unnecessary word competes with your message for the reader’s attention
- Jargon and euphemisms are forms of clutter that obscure meaning
Application to strategic communications
Zinsser’s principles are especially relevant for strategic comms, which often requires writing within strict constraints (character limits, ad copy, social posts). Clarity under constraint is the skill.