{"id":70109,"date":"2018-06-07T16:20:45","date_gmt":"2018-06-07T15:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/insight\/making-the-complex-simple-top-tips-for-writers\/"},"modified":"2025-03-07T17:17:28","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T17:17:28","slug":"making-the-complex-simple-top-tips-for-writers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/us\/insight\/making-the-complex-simple-top-tips-for-writers\/","title":{"rendered":"Making the complex simple: top tips for writers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The point of good content is to convey information to the reader in the simplest and most direct way possible. This is pretty easy to do if you are writing about relatively simple concepts, but becomes more difficult if you\u2019re writing about scientific, legal, tech or financial topics (as we often are).
\nThe people who work in these industries, creating innovative products and writing technical documents, are experts in their fields. This means that they have a deep knowledge of a particular area. It also means that they can often appear incomprehensible when explaining their field to a layperson.
\nA really good example of this is the recently established, and currently flourishing, blockchain market. One of the characteristics of blockchain companies is the use of dense, intentionally difficult technical language. Here is an example from a company called Decred<\/a>, explaining their core offering:
\n\u201cOur modular codebase offers unique adaptability and can scale to the latest blockchain technology. Decred\u2019s technology enabled the world\u2019s first successful direct on-chain user-activated consensus vote. This represents a revolutionary approach to stakeholder governance where our community directs the project and makes decisions together.\u201d<\/em>
\nWhat does this mean?
\nDon\u2019t worry if you can\u2019t decipher what Decred is claiming to do. As we said earlier, the language being used has been chosen deliberately.
\nSo, how would you summarise what this company does so that a reader with little knowledge of what a blockchain is would be able to understand?
\nHere are our top tips for writing about complex topics.<\/p>\n

Get some context<\/h3>\n

Nothing exists in isolation, everything is connected to something else. An important first step is putting the subject you are writing about in context.
\nThis not only helps the audience get a better handle on the subject matter, but it is important for understanding why the audience needs to know about it in the first place.
\nThe context here is blockchain, so let\u2019s start with that.
\nBlockchain technology is an innovative way of storing and distributing information. Instead of a piece of data being stored on a central server and then retrieved by each individual device that needs it, on a blockchain network the data is distributed (not copied) across every device in the network. This means that it cannot be tampered with without everyone in the network consenting, validating and recording the change.
\nThe technology is currently taking the financial world by storm as it could greatly speed up transactions. The shipping and logistics, pharmaceutical and real estate are also actively piloting the technology.
\nSo Decred\u2019s claim of \u201cunique adaptability\u201d means that blockchain technology can be applied to a wider range of scenarios.<\/p>\n

Break it up<\/h3>\n

The best way to learn about something is to break it up into its smallest constituent pieces, before building it back up again.
\nIn Decred\u2019s example, the smaller chunks of quick research could look like this:
\nModular codebase >> blockchain technology >> \u201con-chain\u201d >> \u201cuser-activated consensus vote\u201d >> stakeholder governance <\/em>
\nBy researching each of these phrases individually, you would end up with something like this:
\nProgramming code that can be broken into smaller, distinct pieces for use in a variety of applications >> an innovative new way for transferring data >> cryptocurrency transactions that occur on a blockchain >> a method for allowing users to directly control matters relating to the network >> decision-making process defined by participation of multiple independent parties <\/em>
\nEven just this brief outline begins to present a much clearer picture of what the company actually does.<\/p>\n

Jargon out!<\/h3>\n

This is perhaps the most important step. Jargon is an internal language used by particular groups and professions and, as such, is normally not of much use to a layperson. Stripping out jargon and replacing it with words that are easier to understand can often be the step that increases accessibility.
\nThis is not always an easy task.
\nDepending on the kind of industry you are dealing with, jargon can be specific industry terms or technical terminology. Coming up with a viable alternative is not always possible, and some bits of jargon pass into the public consciousness (such as \u2018moving forward\u2019, \u20189-to-5\u2019 and \u2018AWOL\u2019).
\nFinding the balancing act between jargon that alienates the reader and that which is absolutely necessary is an important skill. But if you really can\u2019t avoid using a piece of jargon, just explain it.<\/p>\n

Focus on readability<\/h3>\n

There is nothing more intimidating then a long, dense paragraph. If there is one thing that is likely to send a potential reader running to another webpage, it is content that looks like hard work.
\nThe best practice rules of content are even more important when dealing with a complex topic. Short sentences that don\u2019t deal with too many separate points chunked together into concise paragraphs help guide the reader through the topic.
\nIf you have successfully managed to get rid of as much jargon as possible, this kind of simple structure should make the bare facts shine through.<\/p>\n

The big reveal<\/h3>\n

So how has our Decred paragraph ended up? If we apply what we\u2019ve talked about, we end up with something like this:
\n\u201cDecred offers businesses code that can be adapted to match different kinds of blockchain technology projects.<\/em>
\nThe company\u2019s technology enabled the world\u2019s first successful direct stakeholder vote over on a blockchain network. This means the Decred community actively directs the project and makes decisions together.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The point of good content is to convey information to the reader in the simplest and most direct way possible. This is pretty easy to do if you are writing about relatively simple concepts, but becomes more difficult if you\u2019re writing about scientific, legal, tech or financial topics (as we often are). The people who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":58229,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[305],"tags":[537,454,502,507],"class_list":["post-70109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-content-strategy-us","tag-complex-language-us","tag-content-us","tag-legal-writing-us","tag-technical-writing-us"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMaking complex language simple: top tips for writers - Stratton Craig - Global Copywriting & Content Marketing Agency<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Good content conveys information in the simplest and most direct way possible. This becomes difficult when you're writing about highly technical topics. 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