A Few Problems That Get in the Way of Good Writing

Three misconceptions:

• "A simple style betrays a simple mind."
• "Quantity is quality."
• "Abstractions are more dignified than concrete terms."

Three things that derail a writer before he's started:

• A lack of time.
• A lack of purpose.
• A lack of familiarity with good writing.

Five problems of composition:

• Failure to define the audience.
• Failure to research the problem.
• Failure to choose a suitable structure.
• Failure to rely on a "personal editor."
• Failure to rewrite.

These bullet points should serve as a quick summary of the problems that confront everyone who sits down to write. I discuss almost all of these points in three articles about writing I wrote for the Illinois Bar Journal: Improve Your Legal Writing With Five Simple Rules; Five Steps Towards Persuasive Writing; and First Drafts Made Easy.