Hacks for 100% Clear Writing [+AI Prompt]

This formula guarantees crystal clear writing

Generated by Author through ChatGPT. Hand held out, holding a transparent crystal, minimalist black background.

At this point in my professional life, I’ve probably digested 1000s of articles.

The most common problem I see? Unclear writing. It’s not even a new writer thing. A lot of very professional, “erudite” people make this mistake.

It’s easy to understand why. We all want to have crystal clear writing, but it’s famously elusive. What does “clarity” really mean? How do you achieve it? Can you use tools to get it?

That’s what this edition will tackle.

What is clear writing?

Ever heard of the phrase, “The pen is mightier than the sword”? That’s only true if your words are sharp, just as the sword is sharp.

In simple terms, clear writing is easily understood, easily read.

More specifically, clear writing:

• Saves the readers time. Your audience is trading their most valuable resource — time — to read your article. They don’t want to waste it. They want maximum value for the least time possible.

• Delivers high-value information simply. A genius makes complex topics simple, while the fool makes simple topics complicated, so says Einstein.

• Resonates quickly. Clear writing doesn’t just deliver information, it touches the heart. Emotion drives readers to action, and vagueness doesn’t achieve that.

Clear writing ensures engagement and trust. Readers stick around, finish your articles, and even share them — raising your readership metrics. They believe you’re an authority because your writing feels so polished it shines.

Clarity hacks

Sharp writing is complicated. Fortunately, I’ve had a lot of experience teaching this to beginner writers and accomplished professionals alike.

In my view, these three rules will make your writing 100% clearer.

Use as few words as possible

Every word should serve a purpose.

Ask yourself: Can I say this in fewer words? For example, “In order to” becomes “To.” “Due to the fact that” becomes “Because.” One strong word often does the job of three clunky ones.

Conciseness respects the reader’s time. It keeps your message focused.

How to practice: Rewrite bloated sentences until they’re sharp.

Example:

• Bloated: “This is a topic that we will be discussing in detail later.”

• Clear: “We’ll discuss this later.”

Use the simplest words possible

Big words don’t impress readers. In fact, they don’t impress anyone.

I have a friend who uses words like “per se” and “amongst” and “hence” in daily conversation. Every time she does it, I get the urge to slap her.

Big words are condescending. No reader wants words they don’t understand. No reader wants to feel dumb. So, simplify. Use conversational English — yes, even when you’re talking to CEOs and professionals.

Remember: quality lies in the complexity of your idea, not in the complexity of your words.

Example:

• Complex: “Optimize your utilization of available resources.”

• Clear: “Make the best use of your resources.”

Ensure idea flow

In most digital writing, ideas must flow in a single way: from big (main idea) to small (supporting ideas).

Without proper flow, your piece will seem “off.” It won’t be easily understandable, and it will exhaust readers.

What is a “main idea”? It’s simple: it’s summarizable in one sentence. If you can’t do that — if it needs other sentences to make sense — it’s not a main idea. I call this the One Sentence Rule.

From there, build your house.

Your main idea = foundation. Then, add supports: walls, beams, roof. Then add the finishing touches: the windows, doors, etc.

Without foundations, you can’t build a house. Without main ideas, you can’t build an article, section, or paragraph. Build your house properly.

Example:

• Main idea (big): Building your own audience is a must in the information age.

• Supporting idea (small): A dedicated audience helps you monetize easier.

• Supporting idea (small): You’re exposed to more opportunities.

Hack Writing Clarity With This AI Prompt

Now that you understand the benefits and principles of clear writing, I’ll give you the shortcut.

Note: I put this last for a reason. If you dive straight into using the prompt without understanding the principles, your writing will still be terrible. Learn — even practice — the principles first.

Prompt:

I’m writing [your piece].

This is for [personal and demographic info of your audience] so that they can [general goal]. Specifically, please discuss [specific goal]. To do that, please rewrite the following paragraphs for clarity:

“[insert your text here]“

Write as concisely as possible. Write in a way that is accessible to [ideal reading level]. Ensure high Flesch scoring. Ensure that you use second person POV (“you”) appropriately. Ensure idea flow, ensure sentences flow from general main ideas, to specific supporting ideas. Minimize enumerative sentences with too many commas, focus and develop on one idea. Ensure engagement.

Final Thoughts

This prompt will make your text clearer — but it’s going to sacrifice your voice. The final outcome might be a tad too robotic. Thus, you need to go over your text and “humanize,” without sacrificing clarity.

Nonetheless, this is easier than spending hours editing for clarity.

What do you think of the ideas, and the prompts?

Tell me in the comments.