Posted by by Stephanie
When students think of esteemed authors, there tends to be this belief that overly complicated sentences make ideas sound more intellectual.
However, when students try to consciously overcomplicate their sentences, their ideas become increasingly hard to follow. When readers don’t know where the writer is headed, key points can get jumbled.
Sentence length variation is important but only if the writer can create them with a clear focus in mind. If trying to excessively vary these sentences makes your writing confusing, it’s time to take a look back at a childhood classic author for inspiration: Dr. Seuss!
Now, you might be asking yourself, “why on Earth would I ever want to write with rhymes and fantastical, fake words?! Would that even be possible in an academic paper?”
But that’s not what I am proposing at all. You see, despite Dr. Seuss writing in his signature style, his overall ideas come across clearly. Granted, there are some sayings that rhyme just to rhyme, but by the end of his books, his messages are easily understood!
Even if I can’t always recall which Dr. Seuss book the above quote is from (it’s The Lorax), I remember the message. Just like Seuss, it’s important to keep our ideas clear; sentences that avoid wordy complications help your audience remember the point of your work.
So: remember to avoid wordiness and to keep your sentences clear, concise, and to the point to emphasize your ideas. You, and your audience, will be much happier for it!
Hooray! Hooray! Let your writing lead the way, but let’s leave the fake words to Dr. Seuss today.
The Write Attitude 