JUST STARTING TO WRITE? Keep it short and simple.

JUST STARTING TO WRITE? Keep it short and simple

If you’re just beginning to write for the public, do not attempt composing lengthy or complex pieces. If you’re interested in poetry, do some lines of free verse or simple rhymes if you have the flair for that. As for stories, do small pieces that focus on one or two people and a simple incident or part of an incident.

Work on something interesting or unusual, like an enlightening conversation you had with someone or one you overheard; a rare or largely overlooked incident you observed; a quarrel, an act of kindness …; something that can be easily reported or fabricated without the need for too much context.

When you master writing several paragraphs with few or no mistakes, then you can proceed to longer and more complicated pieces. But however much you grow ultimately, you will find that simplicity or readability and brevity are elements of good writing. Unnecessarily complicating or elongating your writing serves no useful purpose unless your priority is not to be read and effortlessly understood.

JUST STARTING TO WRITE? Keep it short and simple.

And before you conclude, read over to be sure your writing makes sense. If you appear to be rambling, ask yourself what exactly you want to say and see that it’s reflected in the piece. Here’s an example of a short fictional piece.

“WHERE ARE YOU?”

I was unable to sleep. I checked the time on the wall clock in the sitting room for the umpteenth time: it was 11:58 p.m. Soon, it would be the top of the hour and the 10-second chiming of the clock would begin.

I loved that sound before but I’ve come to dread it every night when I would wait for Ted to come home and the hours would pass with no sign of him. I think I’ll find a way to stop the chiming and just sit in the uncomfortable silence than have my heart wrung every time the clock plays its sequence.

I went to the windows facing the street to peep as I’d done a dozen or so times before. The street was as quiet as it should be. No cars were driving past and the lights in the two houses I could see were off, save the security bulbs outside.

So, I was the only one awake yet again. Ten days in a row. Nine days of married life. Married to a player who swore I was all he needed. That he had settled down for good. That I would never regret taking a chance on him. Lies, lies, lies! If only I’d listened to my parents.

Now, I have to live with my choice, with every night a vigil. I sat down on the sofa, hugging one of the throw pillows as though it were Ted and whispered, “Where are you? Can’t you see how hurt I am waiting here for you? Where are you, Ted? This isn’t what you promised me. Come home to me, my love! Come home, Ted!”

By then, I was sobbing. “I promise I won’t nag. I won’t scold. I only want you here with me. Come home, Ted.”

And the tears flowed like they do every night. Rivulets coursing down my face, ruining the makeup I’d applied after 10 p.m. hoping that it would be a good day and he’d be home before midnight.

As the clock struck twelve, I lost all control and began to wail, “Where are you? Ted, where are you? …”

-The end-

Ⓒ Edith Ugochi Ohaja 2021

Takeaway: If you’re new to writing, keep your pieces short and simple.

Further reading:

Simplicity is a virtue, even in language

The virtue of brevity in writing

179 comments

  • Ezeh chimezie Amos

    Yeah… This is will be helpful for beginners. I think what causes lengthy writing in beginners is because they just want to prove themselves. But I don’t think their is anything to prove just yet. Small works can turn out to be the best. In fact the best poem I have read was just a ten line poem.

  • Ugochi

    Keep it Short and Simple(KISS). Thanks ma

  • oforgu ifeanyi Augustine

    Simplicity the oil on the wheel of understanding.
    I must applaud the subsequent, it’s concise and of apex imaginative frame

  • Michael Abije

    Thank you very much ma. Once again happy Easter to you

  • Paschal Odigonma Victoria

    It’s the story example for me. I got engrossed reading. Had so much emotions in it.

    Sometimes it gets really hard to keep it short when you are trying to be very descriptive. To convey a particular emotion. But you did just that effortlessly, even while keeping it short and simple.

    • The thing about description is that one is often tempted to describe everything in a scene or on a person. That is not necessary. If you limit your description to what helps you tell the story you’re writing, you will be able to tell a concise story most of the time.

  • Oihoma Jesse Onyemocho

    Good and helpful write, thank you ma’am.
    But like you said ma, beginners should start by writing “small pieces that focus on one or two people and a simple incident”. What of situations where the beginners wants to analyze or give their views on big issues such as; religion, politics or cultural matters. How should they go about it?

    • You can say what you think about a matter without going into detailed analysis which you cannot handle.
      I do cursory commentary on issues of public interest on Aunty Edith, my Fb page, but you will need to scroll down to see them.

  • Well said ma!

    Simplicity is one hallmark of the elements of good writing skill that helps beautify a writing in a way that any person that comes across such write -up would be to read without getting confused or even get bored while reading.
    It also saves time.

  • Nkan David Ita

    Good Afternoon Ma, a lovely piece filled with suspense, and a little piece of comedy at the end…In as much as it’s concise, and straight to the point, I also appreciate your use of simple words and sentence, so that one can easily understand the story..

  • Ugwuama Daniel chinemerem

    Thanks ma, for that piece of writing “where are you” it was captivating.
    Glue to my phone until I was done with it. A lovely piece.

  • Sambo Deborah Friday

    Simplicity, brevity and accuracy are all important elements of writing, especially journalistic writing.
    And all these elements have to be used by a writer, so that the readers can easily understand it

  • Good evening ma, I enjoyed this lesson. I want to ask if it’s okay to use acronyms in writing

    • Only well-known acronyms so that you carry your readers along. But in formal writing, you spell it out at least once, putting the acronym in brackets after it. Subsequently in the piece, you can then use just the acronym. God bless you.

  • Adebanjo Adenike Rebecca

    I love what I just read, eye opening !!kudos ma

  • Chukwuemeka pepertua

    Thank you ma,but what do you mean by the virtue of brevity in writing?

    • Hi! Check the meaning of brevity and virtue. I will not be helping you if I tell you the meanings of simple words you can check up by yourself in your dictionary or via Google. Read the article too to understand the context in which the words were used. Cheers!

  • Good evening ma, i’m well pleased to be here to tap grace from you. In line to always keep our write up concise and and straight to the point, while writing a poem is there any stipulated numbers of line that should make up a stanza of a standard poem?

    • There are different types of poems. The ones with two lines per stanza are called couplets, four lines per stanza, quatrains, etc.

      Some poems even have some stanzas with a certain number of lines and others with another.

      Take a look at the works in my Poems Category on this blog for illustrations

  • Chibuife Isaac Chukwuebuka

    Such a wonderful piece! It’s not just for writers to prove their worth by writing lengthy piece but also to appeal to their readers so that they will want to read more of their work. Thanks ma’am for this. Very insightful.

  • Ibaro Harrison Chidalu

    No doubt, simplicity and clarity of thoughts and expressions are some of the major characteristics of good writing. Thanks so much for this, madam! This is really a good guide for beginners.

  • Aroh Anthonia Ifeoma

    Thank you very much, ma. Whenever I want to write, a lot of ideas just keep flooding my mind and I have difficulty choosing which word comes first and how to convey my message with just a few words

    • Pray before you write. Then, make an outline if you can. Whether you do that or not, write the words as they flow. Some may be for the Introduction or explaining one of your points. Just arrange them loosely under their respective subheadings with spaces for adding more material in between.
      When you finish your first draft, begin to revise it- adding and removing stuff, rephrasing, etc. When you’re satisfied, you can then post it. Hope that helps.

  • Sochi

    I felt disappointed when I saw “The End” because I was engrossed in the story and was hoping to read more.The story was short,easy to understand without consulting a dictionary and filled with suspense.It’s also a perfect example as it helped me to understand the importance of simplicity

  • Intriguing write up ma, the flow of the story had me scrolling down in anticipation. I mostly agree to the second tip on writing on something interesting or unusual, it certainly keeps readers glued to a write up, just as the short story was interesting.

  • Eze hyacienth

    In order to maintain clarity by keeping the story short and simple, how do we maintain the flow of ideas starting from the introduction to the end of the story and also keeping the readers on suspense and what can actually trigger one to write good stories with wild appeal. Thank you, ma.

    • You asked too many questions questions. Let’s take them one by one.

      Ideas for stories that appeal can come from inspiration, observation and conversation. They are all around us, we just need to take note of them.

      Building suspense is a bit tricky. It requires leaving some questions unanswered as you tell a story to make the reader want to go on reading. However, it should not be overdone. Some questions should be answered along the way to encourage the reader while leaving the major ones to the end. See my short story series, “Will You Marry Me?” and others like it to see how I built suspense in them.

      Clarity comes from making sure that there are no confusing holes or jerks in your story. Adding necessary details, like names, age, occupation of characters; location and time of events, etc. improve clarity.

      As for flow of ideas, you need to plan your article before writing. If you want to write about how to be happy, you can decide to write about things to do to ourselves to be happy and then what comes from outside- e.g. people in.our lives…. If you don’t plan, you will mix them up. There is something called logical sequence. How can I meet people comes before how can I form good friendships with people.

      Thank you!

  • So true ma because for your audience to enjoy your writing you must also be consistent in ur write ups which also helps the audience to easily understand. Thank you

  • Ezema Johnmartins Kelechi

    Ma, this is a nice write up.
    But I have a question to ask. For beginners, sometimes one would have the idea of what to write about but can’t get him or herself writing probably because s/he don’t know where and how to start. And again, when one successfully starts a story, as a beginner, at a time into the story, one would be lost along the line, (like, the story tends to lack direction and the motivation to continue). And then, do you think it is nice to have an outline first before starting a story as a beginner or you should just flow along with the development of plots?

    • Hi! Read my responses to other questions. I’ve answered what you asked about outline and flow already. In future posts, I’ll give examples of how to start different types of articles. You can summarise a related incident that takes you to the one you’re writing about or you can ask a question or questions that provoke engagement and personal involvement of readers with the story, for instance. Look around this blog at different types of articles and how I started them. That should help.

  • Ejiofor Emmanuel

    Starting small is important. Writing is a gradual learning process. So, as you said, starting with short stories is better for beginners.

    Simplicity in writing is best too. Readers don’t want your article stressing them. As a writer, your job is to make the write-up easy for them to understand.

    • I agree with you, ma. As beginners, our sentences should be short, simple and straight to the point.. making use of complicated words will confuse our readers. As writers, we should know the type of audience we are writing for because that also determines their level of understanding.

  • Eze Chinalurumogu Success

    This is a typical example of short and simple. Let me add “interesting” too. It didn’t cut corners or try to describe the lady’s outfit that day or how her marriage journey had started. I’m sure those details are important but I get the message you’re passing here and that is for the newbies in the writing world to keep it short and simple and progress to complex things when they’ve mastered the simpler ways.

    Ma’am, would keeping it short and simple require your not writing in dialogues. That is, the use of all ’em quotation marks. Some stories might need dialogue writings especially if it’s a story about two people or more. For a newbie, is it best to keep it in a story telling mode or dialogue mode?

    • If you’re able to write dialogue correctly and what the characters say is crucial to telling the story, why not? The problem is that many new writers mix up the dialogue with their narration and sometimes, what the characters say is inconsequential and bogs the story down.

  • Ossai Judith Mmesoma

    The story is interesting and simple and with this story I have learnt that simple and short stories are more comprehensible.
    Well done ma.

  • Irawaji Itongikunyiowaji Praise

    This is so helpful. Sometimes while trying to write a blog post on my blog, I’m always cracking my brain to think of the best suitable way to keep it short and simple. This post alone has gone a long way for me. Thank you ma.

  • This is very helpful Ma. The use of too many high sounding words isn’t necessary as one would want to reach out to a wide and heterogeneous audience. Thank you.

  • Makwe Covenant Nkiruka

    The key to effective writing-KISS( Keeping it short and simple). A very important point to take note of.

  • Keeping your sentences short and simple is necessary while writing. Kt is one of the basic rules to apply when writing.

  • Agbowo Emmanuel chiagozie

    I agree with you ma, as communicators we should not subscribe to amphiboly

    • Yeah. Hope you don’t use “amphiboly” in your news stories though. ??? Ambiguity is a separate problem altogether and we hope to discuss it in this writing tips series.

  • Simplicity is one of the very first things I became conscious of as an upcoming journalist.
    Thank you for re emphasizing it’s importance.
    But then,how do you maintain simplicity without having to say too much but still pass your message across?

  • Abiayi Ifeonuchukwu

    This is very helpful. Keeping your story short and simple as a beginner helps to begin and end well without deviating from your theme. Thank you Ma.

  • Odumuko Oluchukwu Victoria

    Simplicity is key. Also, the need to read over the piece after writing cannot be overemphasized because it helps you sift out unnecessary words. Thank you ma

  • Thanks Ma,
    It’s necessary to keep your stories short and simple because it is one of the basic keys to writing and for clarity.

  • Ossai Judith Mmesoma

    The story is interesting and simple and I have learnt that simple stories are more comprehensible

  • Simplicity is the key to writing.
    A journalist does not write to impress his or her readers instead he or she tries as much as possible to keep the grammar short and simple for better and quick understanding

  • Aṅulika Iwoba

    Thank you very much for this post ma.
    It really helps.
    The tips are very practical and I’ve been using some of them for quite some time now.
    When I’m stuck on a line, and can’t find ways to set and express the context in lengthy and more complicated writings, I pause and ask myself the fundamental points I would like the readers to note and this helps in two ways: it makes for simplicity, and gives me a sense of direction.
    And the story is just a brilliant example.
    One would most assuredly come up with something just as good or even better after noting the suggestions and following them.

  • Keeping your writing simple and short makes it interesting and easy to comprehend

  • Thank Ma,am really enlighten by this.
    Simplicity is about keeping your writing short and simple,and not the long use of words or sentence, Especially the use of active voice for easy understanding.

  • Udo Faithful Uche

    Nice write up ma. It’s a very interesting piece. It actually amazed me how simple it was but still maintained it’s beauty. I have noticed that writers have this mindset that the bigger and ambiguous the words are, the more thrilling and interesting. I was almost thinking like that actually. Thank you for reminding me that Simplicity and brevity will always be the qualities of good writing. I don’t need to stress my life out trying to sound so big.

  • Anekwe Paschaline

    Thank you Ma for always exposing us to the most important things to help us improve.

  • Dick- Unegbu Jennifer

    This is a very helpful piece in writing , keeping the words simple and short will surely make writing more comprehendable to the audience. It is just like a summary of a Long piece of writing or an ambiguous story, broken into bits for easy understanding, Thank you Ma , this will surely improve our ways of writing.

  • Indeed it is of great importance to always keep our write-ups simple and concise, especially as the beginners in the field.

    More importantly, i picked a valid point from this your writing ma. Where you said we should always crosscheck our work (write-ups) before disseminating to the public to avoid errors thanks ma.

  • Nwatu Vera Chisom

    The story was a very good example of how a beginners’ write-ups should be, short and precise. The writer should also still be able to pass a meaningful message. My major problem in writing is my inability to keep my writings short and simple I always have the urge to put down even the smallest details in my writings so my targeted audience can have a clear picture of the point I am trying to make, but I have come to realize that most people don’t like reading long posts so the best way to capture a readers attention is by keeping it short, simple and interesting. With the guiedlines you listed out in this blog I hope I can do better. Thank you ma’am!

  • Nwugwu Jennifer Somtochukwu

    Nice work Ma,
    This short story protrays a good use of simplicity and brevity.

  • Williams Blessing Ngozi

    Wonderful write up ma.
    Simplicity is an inescapable element in journalistic writing because it adds more meaning to a person’s write up.

  • Ugwuanyi Charity Ugochukwu

    Indeed, it should be a feature of every writer/journalist to keep his or her work simple and straight to the point for better and easy understanding by his or her target audience

  • Chioma Peter

    As a beginner, I always felt long and complex write-ups would make a better impression, but halfway into the story,I lose direction and motivation. I just learnt that long stories don’t do the trick, simplicity does.

    And that story is really cool.

  • Chinweuba Blessing Oluchi

    The concept of Keeping it Short and Simple does not only improve the urge to read but also allows clear understanding of word.In times past,when I write and I don’t use complex words,i classify the writings as not suitable.
    But the samples u gave buttress the need for simplicity and brevity.

  • Obong Phebe

    Based on personal experience, I noticed that I couldn’t write much at first not because I know the rules of writing short and simple. So I think its quite natural and necessary to be short and simple as a beginner. Thank you ma, for the teaching.

  • Okwa Ihuoma Jessica

    Simplicity in short familiar topics and constant practice will go a long way in making us better writers.
    Thank you ma for this piece

  • Ezeobi Chisom Success

    Well written and understood..
    Simplicity is really a beauty of every write-up.

  • Asogwa Christian Tochukwu

    I just learnt that making use of ambiguous and high-sounding words in order to impress the readers is not necessary in journalistic writing. You are a great mentor,madam!. Thank you.

  • Nwoye Chiamaka Favour

    Thank you very much ma. Its true especially for learners that they keep it short and simple. If they begin to lengthen a story , because they are not pro’s it could lead th to wrting a confusing piece, a boring one even.

  • Nmesoma Njepuome

    Another beautiful piece yet again!!
    The story used as an example above is not only captivating but also very insightful.
    I’ll add this to the already existing knowledge i have on the subject.
    Thank you ma.

  • Sambo Deborah Friday

    Gud morning ma, pls I have a question, can a write-up be long and still be easy to understand?

  • Adebanjo Adenike Rebecca

    As a practice writer in training, simplicity should first be one’s driving force and using those short sentences. All these doesn’t mean one should just focus on writing short story, without being direct to the point. Say it simple and straight to the point.

  • Chukwumalume Ozioma

    What an intriguing story and a perfect example for this piece. Even as the simplicity and readability of a piece of writing is important, proofreading is quite imperative. Proofreading helps the writer identify and remove grammatical errors and ambiguous words that are likely to make his article unreadable. Thank you for this educative and interesting piece.

  • Ajah Ugochi Agnes

    Indeed keeping your write up short and simple is very good as your readers tend to understand them well. This is will be helpful for beginners as it will be a check-mate for errors. Keep it short and simple (KISS)

  • Ibaro Harrison Chidalu

    Keeping our works short and simple won’t just make it easy, but at the same time makes it professional. Much thanks ma!

  • Chilaka Vivian

    Simplicity and brevity as an element of good writing makes a writer’s story short and simple yet the meaning is understood by the readers.

  • Obiosa Oluchukwu Reward

    Nice one ma.
    keeping your story short and simple, is not only a good way to start. it is also a way to captivate the attention and interest of the Audience. I won’t want to waste my time in writing and my story is read halfway or ignored.

  • OKORO UGOCHI ANGEL

    keeping it short and simple make it easier for readers, if even u have lengthy story u can bring it out bit by bit in a way people will be looking forward to the next story. Thank U ma for educating ur children.

  • I really appreciate your efforts on how we can improve our writing techniques, keep it short and simple is really best way to present write-ups that will attract readers. God bless you ma.

  • Ibeh Lorretta Chiamaka

    KISS keep it simple and short. This is one element that ensures a writer to make use of short sentences to make it’s easy and simple for the readers and to avoid complicating the message. Thanks Ma for this

  • Dick-Unegbu Jennifer

    Really inspiring, especially to the beginners in writing, keeping the kids write-up short and simple, definitely helps alot and it will enable them satisfy their audience.
    Thank you, Ma.

  • Nwoke uchenna

    Been direct In articles just makes it easy not only for the writers but for the readers also. Very insightful ma.

  • Olusola Esther

    I love the short story example…. Simple, straight forward and understandable

  • Eze Nelson Emeka

    Avoid Jargons,Keep it short but simple and interesting. Nice one ma.

  • Eze Esther Nzubechukwu

    Nice write-up
    Long and ambiguous words bore the readers mind , keep it simple and short

  • Obiora Miracle onyinyechi

    In journalistic writing brevity is also applied in writing to keep it simple, and as a beginner we should keep it simple and not lengthen, well done ma.

  • The simple nature of a writing attracts readers, so for beginners like me, I will use this ways then when I become an expert, I will make my writings more broad. Thank you Ma

  • Emmanuel Eze

    For upcoming writers this surely helps as bothering your audience with too many irrelevant details may backfire

  • Chukwu Blessing Uzoamaka

    -A very nice article you have here. After reading this beautiful article, I’ve come to the realization that one of the things that can keep my reader fully focused on my article is the use of simple words and illustrations too so they can imagine everything I’m saying as they are reading my article

  • Start writing with the main point that will help the reader to understand.

    • Ede Ndidiamaka Patience

      You are right ma. These days, it seems people are always in a hurry,they don’t like reading lengthy stories nor the one that will require them looking up for meaning in dictionary.

  • Orazulume udochukwu victoria

    Thank you ma .these are guidelines that equips us in writing, keeping it short and simple.
    Then to make it interesting. We give incidents or examples.
    So that are audience can follow up and understand better.
    Thank you once again ma for these piece.

  • Maureen

    Nice piece ma’am, knowing this now will be of great help to me

  • Maureen

    Yes ma, I get the point that you were trying to give an example of what you meant by keeping it short and simple, but that story? So catchy and intriguing, I wish you continued… Smiles

  • Nwokedi Fortune Odinakachi

    This is quite understandable.
    Personally, keeping a story going is a huge problem; especially long stories; this is actually an eye opener for me! And the example, thanks for adding it to explain everything you meant

  • Njom Kosisochukwu Irene

    We have 5 elements of journalistic style..they are clarity,brevity,accountability,simplicity and consistency. This is a nice write up ma. Have a nice day.

  • Jemimah Okwute

    The story was really simple and short. It just went straight to the point.

  • Uchegbu Ogechi Elizabeth

    Every reader is impatient, sometimes it the suspense that kept them going or how interesting the beginning is. Keeping your story short and simple will make the reader want to read more of your post.

    Thanks ma.

  • Ede Ndidiamaka Patience

    You are right ma. It seems everyone are in a hurry these days. Keeping it simple and short is the best, because people don’t like lengthy stories nor the one they will start looking for dictionary to check up meaning .

  • Ebeyi Emmanuel

    The story was short,easy to understand without consulting a dictionary and filled with suspense…. Thank you very much ma……

  • Ugwu Mmesoma

    Most people actually get bored while reading lengthy articles ,thank you ma for this reminder

  • Obajie Chinonyerem

    Keeping it short and simple is definitely the way we can attract a lot of audience to our work. Thank you ma’am.

  • Phillips faith

    What a very nice write up.Having being thought this in keeping it short and simple;we are advices to start writing with the main points for it to be understandable to people and target audience. This is really helpful especially on the part of beginners. This portrays simplicity and other elements or key points in journalistic writing .

  • Simplicity is the core element of good writing. Keeping your work short, simple and straight to the point is very necessary in writing. Thank for this ma

  • Ibrahim Mariam

    Wow… simplicity an important feature in writing especially journalistic writing,all grammers are clear and simple, especially the use of active voice which helps in understanding without difficult…nice one ma.

  • Nnaji Esther uchechukwu

    The story is short thou and simple but I think it will bring curiosity

    D fact being that it was twelve already yet the tef is not yet back d piece of writting is not complete but is very intriguing and simple ??? keep up the good work ma’am

  • Onoh Chinenye

    I really needed this, ma. I’m a new writer and I’ve been told countless times by editors that I suffer from purple prose; a kind of writing problem that arises when you don’t know how to keep your story less complicated, brief and words simple.

  • Iwuchukwu Vivian Chinagolum

    This was quite interesting. Most writers forget it’s not about the length of their stories but the quantity. They’d be fuzzing about writing so many and forget to give quality contents.

  • Elijah Akuma

    Most times beginners tend to neglect the power of simplicity. Thank you Ma for this piece. Keeping our pieces short and simple helps to master the skill of writing and also easily convey our intended message.

  • Chinenye Enwerem

    As a budding writer, it really necessary to keep your stories short and simple and possessed with quality materials.

  • Chisom Efobi

    The story I just read is very short and straight to the point within few minutes I could grasp the meaning out of the story.

    I think the problem with me and beginners at large, is trying to show we know it when we don’t.

    This write up has been most helpful thank you.

  • This short story had a bit of everything an aspiring writer needs… The story was captivating, short, simple, not to lengthy, understandable and straight to the point; Thanks for these tips ma’am!

  • Peter Chinecherem Nathaniel

    Keep it simple and short ( kiss)
    Thank you for the beautiful piece ma especially using the example you gave and a line caught my fancy “Now, I have to live with my choice, with every night a vigil” emphasis on “with every night a vigil”.. Thank you ma

  • Chukwuma Ifeanyi Williams

    Beginners tend to go right to the tough part of writing instead of starting small and simple.
    The short story shows how important simplicity is.

  • Ugwu Bridget

    The key to effective writing is simplicity. It makes a story easy to understand.i will remember to keep it short and simple. Thank you ma.

  • Victoria Chigere

    Simplicity and clarity are good features of writing

  • Chukwukanne chinecherem winner

    Keep it shot and simple.simplicity and gravity help readers understand your writing and it will help writer to master the skill of writing.

  • John Adoyi

    Simplicity to me, is the beginning to a great write up.
    Thank you so much Ma.

  • Manifest Eja

    Wow, This is awesome!,
    No need for too much grammar, keep is short and simple.

  • Iyorakpo Dorathy

    Keeping one’s story short and simple is very important because nowadays 90% of people do not have time to start reading something so lengthy, they just want something straight to the point and still passes a message across.

  • Agbo Peace

    Lovely!Its necessary to keep your stories short and simple because its the basic thing that enhance understand to the reader and makes the work light for easy assimilation

  • Igboka chidimma

    Short, simple and straight to the point is the key to good writing. Thanks for the info ma.

  • Nwikwu chidera judith

    Keeping your work simple and short makes the readers understand the write-up without difficulties.

  • Zita Ezechi

    Simplicity is very important in writing.
    Thank you for this piece ma

  • Nwafor Cynthia Chinenyenwa

    The story in this post is precise and short. This made me read the story to the end with ease. Keeping stories or journalistic writings short and simple is the best. Kudos ma?

  • Nweze Somto Maryann

    Well written ma, keeping your writing simple and short is really very necessary and makes our writing to be easily conveyed to our readers. Thanks.

  • Uwadiegwu Mercy Amarachi

    Wow…….This story is interesting and also very simple and short. As a beginner when we go through this, it will help us write well. When your writing is simple and short, your story becomes easy to read and it will make the readers understand fast. Thanks Ma.

  • Nnochiri Chinecherem Nnabuike

    Start with a short piece as a beginner, when you master the writing technique you can now increase the length of your write up. This is very helpful. Thanks Ma

  • Nweze Somto Maryann

    As a beginner you should try to avoid lengthy or complex pieces, keeping your writing simple and short makes it easy to comprehend.

  • Chukwukanne chinecherem winner

    Nice one ma. Keep it short and simple one of the things I learnt as a student of mass communication student 100 level. As a writer we should learn how to keep our writing simple and short for easy understanding among our audience.

  • Ugwu comfort

    This story is short and simple, very much interesting, straight to the point with no elongating and too much grammar. Ted’s wife in regret of not obeying her parents advise not to marry Ted. Love this story thank you Ma.

  • ONAH IFEANYI CALEB

    thanks so much ma, i have afore time thought good writing was all about lengthy works full of ambiguous words, which will pass a message of you being a seasoned writer, but not again, this has changed my mindset, i know i can make up interesting write-ups with few lines of words accurately put together, thanks so much ma

  • Mercy Nnenna Otisi

    This points out essential tips on how to effectively write for the public…kudos ma’am.

  • Ekeh ifunanya Cynthia

    Keeping it short and simple grabs the attention of the reader and makes the story easy to read and understand.

  • Ojobo somtochukwu praise

    Keeping it short and simple is necessary in every write up. No one would want to read through a very long article especially when it is boring and complicated.

  • Josh-mba Amara

    The key to become a good writer is simplicity in your writing. It is important to keep your writing simple and short

    • Uhmmm, I said it’s the way to start. I didn’t say it’s the key to becoming a good writer. It is important, but there are other important things too, like writing accurately.

  • Chinonyere Emeka

    Absolutely correct. I love this piece, keeping your writing short and simple as a beginner makes your work easier to read. Let’s not forget the simple diction too.

  • Emeka Nnaji

    Keeping it simple and short is all it takes.
    Complex and lengthy write ups are usually boring.

  • Udoji Oscar Obinna

    In as much as it’s difficult atimes to apply the short and simple strategy… especially when it’s a critical story with technical scenarios.
    It was well illustrated ma!
    Thanks for this!

  • As a beginner, do not write lengthy or complex articles to avoid grammatical errors but keep the writing short and simple .

  • Uyanna Joseph

    As a writer or a journalist we must adhere to the fact that we ought to keep our writings simple, clear and short and also apply brevity to it so as to keep readers interested and intrigued. The write up
    that you used as an example really got me intrigued and captivated that I wish I could enter inside the story and console the woman who was waiting for Ted because he doesn’t deserve a woman like that.

  • Nweze Somto Maryann

    Keeping your writing simple and short makes your work easy to comprehend..

  • This will be very helpful for the beginners and will be a guide to them because simplicity is very important in writing.

  • Stephen Ofojeh

    Keeping write-ups short and simple is very important, especially for new writers

  • Tosin Ojora

    Every writer must try to master the skill of keeping their writings simple and straight to the point as this helps to achieve clarity and a reasonable level of comprehension in the side of the readers.

  • Akobi Chisom Emmanuel

    And you made the work look so perfect. The story was short and simple as well yet making sense. I was like, why did she end this story here like this because I want to read more of it. Ma, pls I’d like to read the full story.
    I learnt that If you’re just beginning to write for the public, do not attempt composing lengthy or complex pieces.

  • Esther Sopuluchi

    Keeping your story or work short and simple is a good way to start,it is also a good way to get the attention of your readers or audience. Simplicity and brevity is very Important in writing…. keep it short and simple ( KISS)

  • Idoko Charles Edicha

    Thank you ma for reminding us that simplicity is the key.
    The story did Justice to that.

  • Onuzulike Chukwuebuka Prosper

    The use of short and simple sentences helps aid understanding about the content message. Thanks Ma

  • Eze hyacienth

    I can imagine graphically the mood of the woman and the loneliness in the house without her husband who promised to always be there for her .we keep trying till we learn . thank you once again for this piece ma.

  • Olenyi Nnamdi Paul

    I love this! I know we are trying to keep it short and simple but the suspense is too much, would like to know what happened next

  • Goodness Oluebube Nwaneji

    As a beginner, keeping it simple and short has really helped me.

  • Making use of ambiguous and high sounding words in order to impress the readers is not necessary in journalistic writing.
    You are a great mentor,madam!
    Thank you.

  • Okwa perpetual chidimma

    Keep it short and simple, this means making your work short and simple, easy to comprehend and well constructed for meaning to be achieved from your writing. Avoid using big vocabularies as a beginner.

  • Assumpta Anachu

    Enjoyed reading ‘Where are you?’ 😌

  • Sunday chibuike

    I totally enjoyed this particular post ma. Writing is not all about penning down a lengthy stories with passing any useful information. Being short and simple makes it even more appealing to the readers

  • Thank you so much ma i will make it short and simple.

  • Chukwuemeka Lydia Ogechi

    Very necessary, in order not to lack coherence, keeping it simple and short is the key…. Thank you ma for this knowledge

  • Monday Favour Nnanke

    Advice for beginner writers
    * Keep it simple and short(KISS)
    *The storyline should be intriguing and interesting

  • Monday Favour Nnanke

    I find it hard to complete a story no matter how much I try, it’s like I start with a great surge of emotions finding expression in the revealing ink of my pen but half way through the 3rd or 4th paragraph, I lose connection with my thoughts, though I still feel the emotions, I still feel inspired but I can’t just find the right words to use, I can’t put my emotions in words, I become short of words and sentences elude me. So I just close my book, another unfinished project abandoned.

    • Perhaps you should read more and pay attention to the stories you read. You’ll learn something to move you forward.

      Besides, my new series on writing fiction should help you.

      God’s grace!

  • Kosisochukwu divine Ndulue

    Keeping your work simple and unique is under rated ..and it’s one of the components of writing as a beginner……So it’s best advised that the purpose of the writing is imbedded in it ….whether short or long ..as we are taught .. starting with short write ups are more explorable.

  • Keeping it simple makes one’s writing interesting and draws the attention of the readers.

  • Esogwa Jubilate Aghachiluru

    This is really friendly and encouraging article that motivates one to start writing without fear or hesitation.

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