Facts tell, images move. A reader’s heart generally doesn’t respond to abstractions. It is aroused by images that stir the senses. Consider the difference: “It was cold,” versus, “Frost clung to the windowpane.”

We’re often told to keep our writing simple. Yet it’s crucial to understand that simplicity doesn’t mean dumbing your writing down, or removing depth or texture from it. Simplicity's purpose is to remove what obscures meaning or what creates unnecessary weight. A well developed vocabulary used well, for instance, doesn’t complicate your prose or add useless baggage. It actually refines your ability to choose words that help balance the four ingredients of great writing: Simplicity, Clarity, Elegance, and Evocativeness. Consider: “Buy” is SIMPLER than “acquire.” But “acquire” may be CLEARER when describing a company purchasing another; more ELEGANT if it improves the rhythm of your writing; or more EVOCATIVE if you’re after a more formal tone. Likewise: “Help” is a plainer word than “nurture.” Yet “nurture” carries more warmth and intention, a choice that may better serve the emotional or aesthetic aim of your sentence. So, the point isn't always to choose the shortest or simplest word, but rather the right one for the job you’re trying to do. Simplicity alone produces clean, spare prose that steers your writing away from needless fanciness, verbosity, repetition, officialness, or complexity. But without the support of the other three ingredients, it risks making your writing too thin. A richer vocabulary, therefore, gives you more levers to pull for precision, rhythm, and resonance. That’s why the four ingredients are not rules to be applied in isolation, but rather levers to be used together, each shaping the others until the language feels just right to you. [Watch "Writing With Flair" for the full breakdown of simplicity, clarity, elegance, and evocativeness tactics.]

A very happy new year to you, my friends! I mean it when I say I'm blessed to have you all on this journey with me. This year is going to be a fascinating one for writers like us. We're facing a moment like no other in the history of our craft. AI has changed the playing field beyond recognition, as writers everywhere struggle to get their heads around what it means for us. I’ve had a few people ask when my book on the subject, The Alchemy of Prompting, is coming out. I wanted to share a little of what’s been happening behind the scenes. When I first began writing it, I imagined a practical guide; a clear explanation of how to prompt well, supported by a few examples and frameworks. The deeper I went, though, the more I realised a simple overview wouldn't suffice. As I wrote, it stopped being merely a book about AI and began turning into the story of where writing itself is heading. Eventually, I realised the book was doing something quite new and remarkable. It was building a bridge between two formerly separate disciplines: the timeless craft of writing and the emerging craft of prompting. The raw material needed for that bridge was what I'd been teaching students like you for the past decade or more, namely, the four ingredients of great prose: simplicity, clarity, elegance, and evocativeness. As the book grew, it became more demanding, as I realised the subject deserved more than just shortcuts and enthusiasm. It required a proper treatment that honoured the intelligence of writers who'd want to use these tools without surrendering their literary voice or artistic integrity. I'm glad I let the idea mature before publishing a "good enough" book too soon. Now, I feel this may well become the definitive book on the subject, at least for a while. The final version is currently in the capable editing hands of our own @Nicolas J. I just wanted you to know that the delay isn’t because the book is stuck, but because it's turned into something I believe is far more valuable.

1. Which is the best edit? Original: The reason why she resigned was because she wanted to spend more time with her family. a) She resigned because she wanted to spend more time with her family. b) She resigned for the reason that she wanted to spend more time with her family. c) She resigned so she could have the opportunity to spend more time with her family. 2. What’s the main problem here? The manager emphasised the need for better communication between team members, noting that communication was the key to project success. a) Overuse of jargon b) Excessive use of passive voice c) Word echoes 3. Which has smoother flow? a) She picked up the phone. She dialled the number. She waited. b) She picked up the phone, dialled the number, and waited. ANSWERS: 1. a) She resigned because she wanted to spend more time with her family. - Cuts redundancy (“the reason why… was because”) while preserving meaning. - Option b replaces redundancy with formality, which doesn’t improve the sentence. - Option c adds unnecessary padding. 2. c) Word echoes - “Communication” appears twice in close succession, creating a clunky rhythm and making the prose feel lazy. - Repetition can be powerful when deliberate — but here it’s accidental and dulls the sentence. 3. b) She picked up the phone, dialled the number, and waited. - Combining short actions into a single sentence prevents a staccato rhythm that can feel mechanical. - Flow often comes from knowing when to link actions to create a graceful progression.

I saw this post on X. Can you spot the needless repetition? "We're close to decoding dolphin speech using AI. If we do, we are opening a new chapter in understanding animal intelligence that's never been achieved before."