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Simplicity vs detail

  • slugsinthai Level 1
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    Simplicity vs detail

    In both creative and informative pieces, I have been stuck between writing in simple, direct sentences vs long detailed ones. For informative pieces I know direct is often the better choice, but articles and instructions become bland when all the sentences are choppy and small. For creative writing, I get frustrated when my sentences become too long and drawn out. I want to write with a natural flow, but find myself hyper critical of my own. How have you guys managed this? Does the nitpicking of your own writing ease with experience? 

    #Writer #Writing #Creative #Articlewriting Other
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    jayjaydimson

    jayjaydimson

    Well, simplicity is a beauty, but having a detailed article can make things understandable a lot easier.
    6 years ago

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    jeffreyjose48

    jeffreyjose48

    I choose simplicity in writing. Many people wants simplicity than detail. We only have a short attention span. its better to choose simplicity.
    6 years ago

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    ElectorAlexande

    ElectorAlexande

    Yea, people no longer spend time reading bulk details of information sometimes the headlines tells it all.
    6 years ago

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    jayjaydimson

    jayjaydimson

    Yes, I agree with you, as long as the simplicity that you are talking about is understandable then it's way better for me.
    6 years ago

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    mark8625

    mark8625

    And you enjoy it a lot then go for it. I like simple things too. Them ore simple things are the easier to understand.
    6 years ago

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    burgosmichael24

    burgosmichael24

    I agree with you. We need to put all the necessary details needed in our article to make it complete but we also need to consider the capacity of our target readers. Learning how to write your article brief and concise is a great skill that every writers must have.
    5 years ago

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    ElectorAlexande

    ElectorAlexande

    I think simplicity is perfect and most reader don't have the time to read detailed article anymore.
    6 years ago

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    mark8625

    mark8625

    Yeah thats right. Many readers wanted to read a book with simple content. They avoid too much complications when it come to the story. Aside from that it is very easy to understand it.
    6 years ago

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    ElectorAlexande

    ElectorAlexande

    When I read a long article I tend to skip many line because it isn't simple.
    6 years ago

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    focusedwriter10

    focusedwriter10

    The truth is that most readers do not love reading long articles. Thus, simplicity is the best way of making readers be attentive.
    6 years ago

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    ElectorAlexande

    ElectorAlexande

    Simplicity will help you retain your readers and they will love to go and come back when you have need content.
    6 years ago

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    edencaga

    edencaga

    This is right. Simplicity is just right for the readers as complexity and detailed article will make it more complicated and bore the readers. Audience wanted something to read that's easy to understand and direct to the point.
    6 years ago

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    ElectorAlexande

    ElectorAlexande

    Some writing while trying to detail their articles and content may make mistakes and ever write off point.
    6 years ago

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    edencaga

    edencaga

    True. Too much details may lead you to go any direction and go beyond the topic. That leads you to confusion also and may want to skip reading the article.
    6 years ago

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    stormbreaker10

    stormbreaker10

    I think make it simple because if your not to explain simple youve been discussing is like you cant really understand your topic of discussion.
    6 years ago

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    Barida

    Barida

    I agree with you to some extent. Making our contents to be simple is always nice for situations where you are making articles for blogs since the readers won't want to be bored with a whole lot of words while they don't understand what you are talking about. So, I always try to make it simple.
    6 years ago

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    ElectorAlexande

    ElectorAlexande

    That true but I think that should be base on what you are giving your readers to read, I think tutorial should be more detailed than simple to avoid misunderstanding of the writers point.
    6 years ago

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    jaymish3

    jaymish3

    This is not nitpicking. This is a real problem. I do a little transcription on the side. Some sites insist that you use short sentences. However your short sentences can become sentence fragments. Sometimes it's really hard to tell the difference. This is where the English language becomes really. Native speakers insist that this is a problem for people who speak English as there second language but I don't think so.
    6 years ago

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    theresajane

    theresajane

    As much as I want to write in detail and let the overwhelming feeling of writing a long and detailed paragraph consume me, I cannot avoid the fact that many readers would prefer a simple one. Not all readers can read a very long text, but all readers, everyone, can read simple ones. I write depending on the audience that I'm targeting, so mostly, I prefer to write shortly, but, I'm guilty, there will always be times when I cannot follow that.
    6 years ago

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    Barida

    Barida

    It depends on the audience that I am writing to. I always look at how I can make my contents to be as simple as possible. The reason for that is for me to ensure that I cover the key points that I have for each content in the best way that I want. I have not been in that situation where I missed out on such a situation.
    6 years ago

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    ElectorAlexande

    ElectorAlexande

    Yea it all depends on the audience and the content because some contents needs more details than others, how-to content tends to be more descriptive and has more details than just an informative content.
    6 years ago

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    theresajane

    theresajane

    Yes, I agree with you. It all depends on the audience. Most of the readers prefer a simple article over a long and detailed text. But, there will always be people who prefer to read a detailed one as he may be very curious and meticulous with what he's reading.
    6 years ago

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    stbrians

    stbrians

    According to me, I love short simple sentences. Long detailed ones can be a challenge. The writing should dictate how you write.
    6 years ago

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    ElectorAlexande

    ElectorAlexande

    When I go through blog post I hate a lengthy article and can't stand the patient of reading it, I either skim or just move on but with a short and simple content, I can just rush it within a minute. I love simple content more.
    6 years ago

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    amelia88

    amelia88

    I think simplicity in blog content is usually best. But if I was reading something like a high level political analysis, for instance, I'd want the relevant details to be there. I think it is really something that ends up being dependent on the type of writing you're doing and the intended audience.
    6 years ago

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    stbrians

    stbrians

    Simplicity has intrinsic impact. We should be simple and clear. Writing can be enjoyable if done right.
    6 years ago

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    ElectorAlexande

    ElectorAlexande

    Yea thats true @stbrains, we enjoy writing if we do it right not the other way round.
    6 years ago

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    ElectorAlexande

    ElectorAlexande

    Simplicity is the key to keeping more readers to your blog and making them return to still get informed in a fast way than blog that someone will have to spend the entire time reading an article just to understand something he can understand within few minutes.
    6 years ago

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    nrnlss

    nrnlss

    It depends on what kind of article are you writing, there are some article that needed a lot of details, there some that the simpler the better.
    6 years ago

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    allyn2017

    allyn2017

    I agree with you, there are topic that you need write in simple manner and there are some article that you need yo write in detailed manner.
    6 years ago

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    amelia88

    amelia88

    I really think that whether a written piece is simple or detailed depends heavily on the type of piece it is, and what the intended audience is. There's absolutely a valuable place for both in the written world, and both types of writing have their strengths and weaknesses. Knowing your audience and the subject matter you're trying to get across is usually the best way to determine whether simplicity or detail is the right approach.
    6 years ago

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    Corzhens

    Corzhens

    I guess it would depend on the kind of readers that you have. For the younger readers, simple sentences would appeal to them because they are not used to reading complex sentences yet. But for adult readers who are used to reading novels, I don't think they will enjoy reading a story that is full of simple sentences only. With the details, it is imperative for a story to have clearly described details so that the reader can get a good grasp of what those details are all about.
    6 years ago

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    allyn2017

    allyn2017

    That too, it is true because younger readers sometimes gets bored if the article is too detailed.
    6 years ago

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    allyn2017

    allyn2017

    For me, if you are writing a news article it is really important to put a lot of details in it. However, if you are writing a review it is ok to write it simply.
    6 years ago

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    esteban123

    esteban123

    Yes I agree that in writing news article detailed form of wrings are the best tool to use since people want to know more about a particular events that happens for them to easily understand the situation. There is really a big difference when we are writing articles that are regarding into some reviews and a news article because they use different strategies to have more readers.
    6 years ago

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    sonnyisabeast

    sonnyisabeast

    Maybe fuse your skill on both, I've learned working with very sensitive editors that simple statements work best. But they also want information and detail. Taking that information and learning how to present it as simply as you can is the key. What works for me is I get all the details, weed them out to the best two or three, then report them as simply as I could in my article.
    6 years ago

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    cks003

    cks003

    One does not need to be complicated to become simple in writing. If it is a technical piece, it becomes more the reason to be simple and avoid hitting around the bush. Remember when one writes something, especially article about some technical knowledge, always assume the readers do not know anything about the topic. But making it simple does not mean compromising the details, one needs to cling to the flow of the story and construct the sentences in a way that is simple to understand.
    6 years ago

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    vivalavanda

    vivalavanda

    It depends what articles or who are my target people are. For simplicity, you should do it with the news or informative articles because people want to be informed directly and not be confused with the wordplay you are trying to say. In contrast to that, it is much better to write detailed scenarios on your books especially if it's fiction. In that way, your readers can imagine what vision you have for your story. However, don't write too much detail that will bore your readers.
    6 years ago

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    astraherondale

    astraherondale

    I struggled with this for a long, long time! The secret is learning how to strike the perfect balance between simple and detailed, straightforward and creative. Too much of one would be too monotonous and boring, while too much of the other would be unnecessarily complicated.
    6 years ago

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    Jeane

    Jeane

    I'm all for letting your writing flow naturally. That's how everyone should write their first draft. Go with the flow. Read what you've written after you are done. Cut the long sentences, see where using the active voice will be more appropriate and so on.

    Anything written for online consumption, the sentences need to be short but that shouldn't box you in. As long as you know the rules you can break them anytime.

    That is how a strike a balance between simplicity and ornamented writing. Nonetheless I prefer simple writing most of the time.
    6 years ago

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    anyone01

    anyone01

    The number one difference among simplicity and detail may be measured primarily based at the audience, situation rely, languages, expression, and platform on which they base. At the same time as presentation, lucidity, readability, and brevity are a few. The key elements to differentiate them from each different, you also discover the difference of source statistics, spontaneity of expression, and emotional and motivational motives as other factors.
    6 years ago

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    burgosmichael24

    burgosmichael24

    It takes a lot of skills and knowledge in writing in order for someone to write something brief and concise but in complete detail. It is quite possible but you really need enough knowledge and skills to make it more professional.
    6 years ago

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    Kakashi2020

    Kakashi2020

    It depends on what you're writing. But I'm all for Simplicity, because the more detailed the work is, the more longer it takes to finish. While those who write using simple words can finish it in minutes.
    6 years ago

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    coolavender

    coolavender

    Web content usually requires simplicity for better readability. Simplicity doesn't mean doing away with details. You can still provide the necessary information without being verbose. If your target readers are the conventional online content consumers, they have short attention span and they usually just scan the content so you need to KISS. Things could be different if your blog is catering to business people who demand more concrete information.
    6 years ago

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    focusedwriter10

    focusedwriter10

    I prefer simplicity. Short sentences are better compared to long sentences. Actually, simplicity is the only means of improving the readability of any content.
    6 years ago

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    jpk0007

    jpk0007

    Yes, that is very true. most writers like me who are newcomers to this field face the same dilemma. I think it is always better to write short and simple sentences when we write our content. But if one is used to writing long sentences to explain his views then he may find it somewhat difficult to write short, precise and simple sentences in his content. I guess with some conscious effort this problem can be easily solved and all the details can also be covered even if you keep it simple.
    6 years ago

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    esteban123

    esteban123

    I really like to do things with simplicity especially when it comes to article writing, we need to do our article simple because that is what most readers prefer to have. We really need to adopt on what is the trend and their interest to be ale to gain al ot of followers and readers as well.
    6 years ago

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    emiaj55

    emiaj55

    It is good practice to be a good critic of your own work. It helps you grow as a writer. But it reaches the point that it hinders your creativity, then you should look for another critic that is more arbitrary.

    I think that it is a good thing that you could write in your own phase, with a free flow of your thoughts. Don't worry if you drag on just yet. That is what drafts are for. After writing the first draft, it is now the time to review your work. Trim on the details. I think it would help the tip shared by one of the member of this forum. Imagine that you are conveying your article to somebody, explaining to him (or her) your work. Imagine how you want that person to react, imagine what emotions you would want that somebody to feel. Imagine his reactions when you read to them their work. That way you would grasp more or less the writing style that you would be more comfortable with.
    6 years ago

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    hstinscdln

    hstinscdln

    For creative writing, I think simplicity is a better choice. I only write in detail when my purpuse for my writing is to be informative. I feel like my work may not be seen as a creative writing if it goes too long or too detailed so I choose simplicity when writing one.
    6 years ago

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    cmoneyspinner

    cmoneyspinner

    I have come across detailed articles and at the beginning of the article or guide is an outline, almost like a table of contents with hyperlinked text to lead the reader to a specific portion of the article. To me, that's a great help! Sometimes I don't want to or don't have time to read the entire article. But there is a specific sub-topic that I want additional explanation or clarification, that presentation or layout works great!
    6 years ago

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    tophgreg

    tophgreg

    It actually depends on the audience/market you are targeting, if an article is required to have great detail embedded in it then put great detail into it while if an article required simplicity and only general information then you don't need to put a huge amount of effort in putting details in the article. That is all
    6 years ago

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    MomoStarr16

    MomoStarr16

    Depends on the people you wanted to tell your articles. For more information the audience will be older while if the audience are kids so simplicity is the key.
    6 years ago

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    Judas2018

    Judas2018

    I try not to make my sentences too long when it comes to writing. But I also try and add as much detail also. So it usually comes out somewhere in the middle.
    6 years ago

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    Kakashi2020

    Kakashi2020

    If you're writing a story or a novel for adults detailed writing is needed but if it's for kids, simplicity is more appropriate. When writing articles, it's a fact that the more complex the article is written, the fewer readers it would attract. So if you want more readers, just write your content in a simple, easy to understand way.
    5 years ago

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    koki12346

    koki12346

    Find a balance, don't think to much about simple vs details. Just write what you heart tell you to!
    5 years ago

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    knnon

    knnon

    Simple and straight to the point is what people look for these days as not everyone has the attention span to read through a detailed explanation of things. Though detailed is better for some, it's just not ideal for most. Embarrassing as it is for me to say this I sometimes find myself drifting off into another thought whenever I read very detailed articles and I just snap back into what I was reading when I'm done reading through all those details.
    5 years ago

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    Wenkx03

    Wenkx03

    I choose detailed. As a writer, you want them to feel whats in your article. So I think a detailed story yet understandable for the readers would be the kind of story you want to establish.
    5 years ago

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    davedaot04

    davedaot04

    I think I like both simplicity and detail, my advice to you is to mix it up, try both things, listen to your gut feeling. Really if you feel like you want to make it simple then do it as long as that's what you feel but if you kind of feel like you love being more detailed then sure do it there's really nothing wrong doing both, both simplicity and detailed are nice.
    5 years ago

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