I like words. I like phrases that catch on my tongue. I like sentences that stop me, spin me sideways, and knock me on my ass.

I write. It makes sense.

However, I don’t think writing needs to be complicated. I mean, writing is inevitably complicated, but reading doesn’t have to be.

I’m not trying to say we should all read every Twilight book (though I have), or burn every copy of War and Peace (also a good read).

I like a doorstop of a novel just as much as the next girl. I just don’t think everyday writing should fall into the doorstop category.

People incapable of communicating clearly frustrate me. Why is it so hard to say what you mean?

Unless you’re writing the next David Foster Wallace novel or an article for a medical journal, your writing should be simple and easy to understand. Jargon should be avoided. Points should be made quickly.

There is a whole genre of books dedicated to the art of writing clearly. Hello Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style. If you’ve taken a writing class in college, there is a good chance you read this book. And if you’re a writer, you probably own this book.

Perhaps one of the most well-known rules is, “Omit needless words.” Solid advice. By omitting extra words, the writing is simpler and clearer. In the back of my head, I always hear one of my journalism professors, Judy Polumbaum, saying this.

The semester I was in her class, I sharpened my editing skills considerably. I also learned to cut the word “that” mercilessly. Here’s the rule: If you remove “that” from your sentence and it still makes sense, you don’t need “that.”

When I proofread writing, I am like a serial killer with “that,” and Judy is still behind my shoulder, raising the hatchet.

Thanks Judy.

I understand not everyone went to journalism school and learned from a Judy. It still doesn’t excuse some of the bad communication I see on a daily basis. I’m talking about people that send you long-winded emails without stating what they need from you. Or people that call you on the phone to clarify things, and then inevitably, just dance around what they want to say.

Or a bank employee who delays processing a loan, and when you ask if she needs more documents, she just ignores the question. Then five days later when you call, why yes, she does need those documents.

Sounds frustrating right?

My point is, we could all try a little harder. About to send an email? Read it through once. When I do, I inevitably find a word forgotten, or a sentence that needs clarification. Or maybe just maybe, making a phone call might be a better way to communicate. (I can hear my Millennial friends cringing as I say this. But let’s be real, sometimes it helps.)

Working on a paper or a presentation? Try printing it off, and proofreading the paper copy. It is astonishing how many more things you catch when you aren’t reading something on a screen. Or try reading it aloud. When you read something to yourself, it is easier to find words you left out or phrases that sound awkward.

I have written my share of unclear prose. But each day, I set out to do better. I think about Judy, and then we drop the hatchet, sentence after sentence.

This week’s video is “Psycho Killer” by the Talking Heads. It’s a great song. I hope it inspires you to take a hatchet to your prose.