Clear, Simple Language

 

Clear, Simple Language

In fifth grade, I began my writing career by creating children’s stories for my little sister, writing them in clear, simple language she could follow. 

Later, in high school, my English teacher encouraged me to give up my childish storybook style.  She taught me grammar, syntax, semantics and punctuation until I wrote in standard, proper English.  The teacher gave me an A.  My little sister gave me an F. 

In college my creative writing teacher told me to forget my old rigid style.  She taught me to utilize symbolism, metaphors, stream of consciousness, and free association.  My little sister hated my new style, so I still wrote my letters home to her in clear, simple language. 

When I graduated, I hired an editor who told me to stop confusing the reader with stream of consciousness, free association, symbolism and metaphors, and try to find my own voice. When I found my own voice, my editor sent my manuscript to a publisher.  I sent a copy to my sister.  She mailed it back unopened. 

The publisher said my new voice wasn’t marketable and suggested I spice it up with parallel plots, secondary characters, hidden meanings and broken timelines.  I did so and mailed a copy home.  My sister stopped talking to me. 

My first book only sold a dozen copies.  Just one review popped up, in a small media outlet.  It said I had no real voice of my own, it was just like all the other voices out there.  I gave up.

Disillusioned and broke, I gave up writing and got an entry-level job teaching writing at a community college.  My students wanted to be best-selling novelists, but I discouraged them.  Instead, I taught them to write formal business letters, project reports, create spreadsheets, and fill out job applications.  They used their new writing skills to move up in the business world.  My sister audited my class online and now makes twice my salary.   

I gradually moved up from being a poor teacher at a community college to being an underpaid English professor at a four-year college.  That led to later success as a professional editor, then a successful publisher.  I recently published a bestseller by an upcoming young author.  It’s a children’s book written in clear, simple language by my little sister.