Module 1: Writing Rules
The functional fundamentals: clarity first, short sentences, active voice, one idea per paragraph. Rules as tools, not laws.
Clarity is the whole game
Every writing rule in this module serves one master: clarity — the reader understands you on the first read. If they have to re-read a sentence, you lost. Not because they're slow, but because you made them work. Reading is work, and your reader is doing it for free. Your job is to make it effortless.
The clarity test is brutal and simple: would a smart 12-year-old understand this on the first pass? Not because your readers are children — because attention is scarce and nobody re-reads a business email out of love. Simple words beat impressive words. 'Use' beats 'utilize.' 'Help' beats 'facilitate.' 'Start' beats 'commence.' Never use a long word where a short one works — the long one is showing off, and the reader can tell.
Jargon is clarity's worst enemy. Every industry has its insider words, and every insider word is a small wall between you and a new customer. Read your last email and circle every word a customer would have to ask about. Now ask: did that word earn its place, or was it habit?
Build brief
Pull up the last email you sent to a customer. Circle every word a new customer would have to ask about. Which words were habit, not necessity?
Saved
Short sentences win
The average business sentence is 22 words long. The average readable sentence is 14. That gap is where readers get lost. Short sentences aren't dumbing down — they're respecting the reader's attention. A period is a gift to your reader. Use more of them.
The one-idea rule: one sentence, one idea. When you catch yourself writing 'and' for the third time in a sentence, stop — you're writing two sentences pretending to be one. Split them. Your reader will thank you by actually finishing the paragraph.
Then there's active voice: the subject does the thing. 'We shipped your order' beats 'Your order has been shipped.' Active voice is shorter, clearer, and — this matters — it assigns responsibility. Passive voice is where accountability goes to hide: 'Mistakes were made' is the classic dodge. In business writing, hiding is never the goal. Who did what? Say so.
Clarity
Close the 8-word gap
Build brief
Rewrite these three sentences shorter and in active voice: (1) 'Your request has been received and is being processed.' (2) 'We are committed to leveraging best-in-class solutions.' (3) 'It has come to our attention that there was an error.'
Saved
One idea per paragraph
A paragraph is a unit of thought — one idea, then a line break. When a paragraph tries to carry two ideas, the reader has to do the sorting work you skipped. Online, that sorting never happens: the reader just leaves. One paragraph, one idea. When the idea changes, hit return.
This is also a visual rule. A wall of text is a 'do not read' sign. Short paragraphs create white space — the empty breathing room that makes text feel easy. Two to four sentences per paragraph, then break. On a phone screen, that looks like comfortable chunks, not a homework assignment.
The scannability test: can a reader get the gist by reading only your first sentences? Each paragraph's first sentence should carry its idea, because most readers skim. If your paragraphs pass the skim test, your writing works for the 80% who never read every word — and the 20% who do get the full meal.
Build brief
Take a long paragraph from your website or a recent post. Split it into one-idea paragraphs. Then read only the first sentence of each — does the skim test pass?
Saved
A customer emails: 'Your policy regarding returns and the timeframe within which they must be initiated is unclear to me.' The business replies: 'You can return anything within 30 days. Start here.' What changed?
Your turn: Rewrite your 'About' paragraph (or any page paragraph) using the three rules: clarity test, short sentences, one idea per paragraph. Paste the before and after.
Saved.
Your next 24 hours
Rewrite one real email or page paragraph with the three rules. Count your average sentence length before and after — aim to cut it by a third.
Steal this template
THE CLARITY PASS
1. Read it once, fast — mark anywhere you stumble ☐
2. Circle every jargon word; cut or translate each one ☐
3. Split any sentence over 20 words ☐
4. Flip every passive construction to active ☐
5. One idea per paragraph — split as needed ☐
Module 1 cheat sheet
- Clarity is the whole game: the reader understands on the first read, or you lost.
- Simple words beat impressive words — 'use' beats 'utilize.'
- Short sentences win: aim for ~14 words, split anything carrying two ideas.
- Active voice: the subject does the thing. 'We shipped it' beats 'it was shipped.'
- One idea per paragraph, then a line break — white space is a readability tool.
- The skim test: first sentences alone should carry the gist.
The readability gap