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By Tony in Writing —

Engaging Copy With Less: Maximizing Minimalist Prose

Great writing isn’t talent—it’s clarity. Simplify, hook readers, and build on what they know. History proves brevity wins, but minimalism has pitfalls. This guide helps you refine your voice, avoid vagueness, and write with impact.

When you think of a writer, what do you see? Someone hunched over a cluttered desk, pen in hand?

Or do you picture the opposite? A man crafting magic without effort. But, the truth is less glamorous than these romanticized characters.

Writing isn't about suffering and it's not about innate talent. It's about transformation.

The truth is, that writing is messy. It can be frustrating. But when there's a gap between what you're writing and what you're trying to say, the process can be beautiful.

That's where transformation happens.

It's in those moments, you dig deep. You push yourself beyond your limits. And that's where you uncover the truth.

In those moments of sculpting, your most refined voice emerges.

Forget about perfection. Forget about being the next Hemingway.

Embrace the messiness. Embrace the uncertainty. Watch as your writing transforms — not only in the work, but how you think about it.

Table of Contents

Here's what you'll learn by reading this:

An Example of Transformation

Thousands gathered at a cemetery. Most of whom were expecting the day's main speaker, Edward Everett. But Everett didn't end up being the person that made the impact. Instead something incredible happened.

An unfamiliar man steps forward. He speaks and after 272 words, he transforms the entire meaning of the American Civil War.

When we look at this strange man's past, we see a few unexpected details.

He received little schooling and had access to only sparse educational materials. He didn't even start writing until adulthood. Yet whenever someone received his letters, the reader found themselves transmuted.

We're talking about the American President, Abraham Lincoln. This is a man who understood engaging writing. He wasn't alone in knowing this. Earnest Hemingway, Raymond Carver, and Cormac McCarthy also utilized these principles. And now, so can you.

We will review the three concepts of engaging writing. By grasping them, you can improve your thinking and create a lasting impression. Let's get started!

The Characteristics of Writing Clear

  • Doesn't explain in paragraphs when a word will do
  • Uses familiarity over details
  • Offers a transformative experience every time

Minimalist Writing Techniques

Reading a lengthy sentence doesn't provide clarity, it makes it harder to follow. People over-explain to feel understood. But the truth is — people will comprehend you more when you cut the fluff.

To start, keep it simple.

One Sentence = One Thought

You start seeing problems easier when there are fewer words in the way. You can start making quicker decisions when there are fewer variables.

This leads me to my next point. Making sentences short won't make them have an impact on their own. You need to have an understanding of what your audience already knows. That may sound vague. Let me explain.

You can use a series of short sentences to repeat yourself, but if it isn't progressing your plot, what's the point? When we describe things our audience already knows, the experience feels similar.

Leverage What The Audience Knows

Power doesn't come from being descriptive. Power comes from using what the audience already knows.

Earnest Hemingway highlights this from a different angle:

“If a writer of prose knows enough of what he is writing about, he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them” — Earnest Hemingway

You don't need to write some explanations. The audience will know the smell of cigarette smoke. The audience will know the sound of pool balls crashing. And the audience will know the feeling of their feet sticking to the ground. All you need to say is, "biker bar".

There are times when you need to explain yourself. Let's say you're bringing up The Cantina scene from Star Wars. It has alien smugglers and exoplanet bounty hunters. If your audience is from planet Earth and they don't have experience with that yet, you are going to need to do some explaining.

Now we know — using familiar paradigms can do a lot of the heavy lifting. But using archetypes alone can't simplify a complex story. Allow me to explain.

The Simplicity of Emotional Transformation

Some stories have branching storylines, time-hopping flashbacks, and nested narratives. That kind of complexity is great, but it's taxing.

Stories don't need these qualities to create impact. Having an emotional journey is what makes a story great. Not the convoluted plot line.

“Simple story. Simple people. Simple language” — Raymond Carver

I'd argue that Christopher Nolan's films are great for the same fundamental reason. The audience still just wants to experience the process of change. His complexity is only an embellishment to get his audience there.

Simple stories are efficient — they follow a straightforward sequence.

The reader's job is to follow a chain of reasoning. It's the writer's job to imply emotional complexity.

This is about the process of metamorphosis, not how many twists it took to get there.

Overcoming The Obstacles Created By Minimalism

This section contains:

  • Explore the art of becoming clear without sacrificing depth
  • Understand the importance of clarifying the right things
  • Learn how to create a powerful hook that captivates your audience from the very first line

Let's have a closer look.

Obstacle 1: Being Vague

I noticed when I reduce words, I increase ambiguity. So now I try to prioritize clarity over brevity.

This may seem contradictory at first glance, so allow me to elaborate: we can simplify our content and still make it clear. However, it's best to simplify first and then add tools for clarification where needed.

Solution: Gain Clarity Without Over-Explaining

David Perell of Write of Passage writing school says,

"Use stories, analogies, and examples. Simple as that.
…you just pull from all three of those places, your writing will get so much better. "
  • Stories to illuminate the point.
  • Analogies to solidify abstract ideas.
  • Examples can view an idea from a different angle

Tip: After simplifying, find vague spots, and then add any of the three clarifiers. Instant intelligibility.

Obstacle 2: Clarifying the Wrong Things

Clarifying isn't always necessary. You can craft how well the audience understands your point, but if it's insignificant, it's best to omit it.

The problem is everything seems important. We want to paint a detailed picture, not a knockoff.

Some things need to be unclear to shine a spotlight on what's actually important.

The problem arises from our human imperfections - we tend to become sentimental. We fall prey to the cognitive biases. We assume others should care because we do.

Over-explaining because of our biases can be corrected with the following solution.

Solution: Kill Sacred Cows

I write best when I separate my wants from the audience's wants. In other words, what I want to tell the reader might be different from what the audience needs to hear.

For example, I might want to tell you stories about me and my dog. (He's the best after all). But If my plot is about medieval wizards who are saving the universe, the audience might want to know how my dog ties into the story.

Tip: If the narrative can be pushed forward without it — kill it.

Obstacle 3: You're Hookless, Not Hopeless

If the audience doesn't get past the first line, why bother writing anything else?

This is exactly why the best writers spend most of their time writing their hooks.

Our words should provoke a change in the reader. If the audience is the same person they were at the start of the read as they are after, we are not doing our job.

We must use words that push the reader to think differently. Here's how.

Solution: Start with a Transformation

The best way to begin a hook is by understanding the impact you want to have on them by the end of the reading session.

Think of it like you are challenging their current perspective and offering a new way of looking at things.

Transformation is what captures people's interest. When you reveal to the reader that they can see things differently than the way they see them now, their curiosity is piqued. That's the foundation of an effective hook.

Tip: Start at the end. Where do you want your audience to be? Now, make the start of your post the opposite.

Conclusion

Today, we discussed the transformative power of lean writing and how to effectively harness it. Knowing which words to use and details to exclude is key to this practice. It's about avoiding unnecessary words and letting meaning speak for itself.

By doing this, we can make a stronger impact with less effort. This principle of leverage goes beyond writing and applies to how we consume, approach relationships, and communicate with others.

With practice, anyone can uncover this truth through a few simple edits. Enjoy!

Takeaways

  • Start with a transformation to captivate the audience
  • Focus on clarity by using short sentences
  • Before you describe details see if you can capture it with a word or two. (i.e. Biker Bar)
  • Keep the plot simple (an emotional journey is enough)
  • Don't sacrifice depth for clarity (use the three clarifiers)
    • Stories
    • Examples
    • Analogies
  • Prioritize what is truly important
  • An opening to a story is about a location, an action, and invoking curiosity.

Bonuses

  • Alternate between short and conjunctive sentences to break up the staggering pattern created by a series of short sentences.
  • Writing a subject before an action paints a clearer picture than having it the other way around
  • Start with the end in mind (create the desired behavior at the end and just make the start the opposite)

Additional Resources

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