Want to see how to transform your writing as you move through the Simplicy-Clarify-Storify process?
Take a look at this passage, drawn from a published piece at an Ivy League management school:
Internationalization represented something of a break with Statoil’s traditional mission to be an instrument in the exploitation of the oil finds on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. To be sure, the company had engaged in significant international operations before the late 1990s, as the company sold its wares on the global market. But as the decade came to a close, Statoil began to also compete for new leases across the globe. Observers argued that the move represented a new understanding of the company’s identity. Rather than being just a tool to develop a particular oil field, one historian of the company noted that Statoil “saw itself first and foremost as a technology company, driven primarily by the purpose of mastering, developing, and deploying technological and operational competences.” Supporters argued that allowing this technological expertise to wither away as Norway’s national oil fields depleted would be wasteful. Furthermore, it would harm those enterprises in Norway that had developed to support the oil industry.
Technically, there is little wring with the passage. Each sentence makes sense, evem if it’s abstract and full of jargon.
But reading the passage is a chore.
So what’s wrong? Here’s a hint: Start by marking every problematic phrase. Look especially for:
- Jargon
- Passive voice
- Vagueness
- Confusing about time or place
- Contradictions
Once you identify these problems, you can clear them out of the passage. You can state, clearly, who did what, where, how, and why.
Then you can simplify this messy passage.
To see how, look at this document.
You will notice something almost magical: The simpler your writing, the easier it will be to find the core idea (Clarify) and give it a narrative structure (Storify).
For more case studies that slow the Simplify-Clarify-Storify process, get in touch.
Email Charlie @ SimplifyClarifyStorify .com