George Orwell and the Plain English

Cutting the Fog

I keep a copy of Orwell’s Politics and the English Language on my desk as a corrective. It is far too easy to let “sophisticated” language act as a fog that hides a lack of real substance. Orwell’s rules—never use a long word where a short one will do, never use the passive where you can use the active—are not just about style; they are about ethics.

When we use jargon or overly ornate metaphors, we distance ourselves from the truth. Orwell reminds us that the goal of writing is to communicate, not to impress. If your reader has to fight through your vocabulary to find your meaning, you have failed the most basic contract of the page.

The Monroe Minute
Identify the most “impressive” word in your latest page. Replace it with the simplest word that carries the same meaning.

Until the next page,
Sloane S. Monroe

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Sloane Shay Monroe

I don’t write to idealize love, but to explore it honestly, with emotional precision and depth.