MaverickJ
New member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2026
- Messages
- 11
I need to admit something embarrassing: I used to think big words = smart writing. 
Like genuinely. I thought the way to sound academic was to use the longest possible words, the most convoluted sentence structures, the densest vocabulary I could find. I would write sentences like "The utilization of multifaceted methodological approaches facilitates the comprehensive examination of sociocultural phenomena" and feel SO proud of myself.
Spoiler: that sentence is trash. And my grades reflected it.
It took a professor literally writing "stop trying so hard" on a paper for me to realize I was doing too much. She pulled me aside after class and said something I'll never forget: "Writing isn't about impressing people with your vocabulary. It's about communicating ideas clearly. If your reader has to work to understand you, you've failed."
That conversation completely changed how I think about the essentials in writing. I've spent the last year actively trying to unlearn my bad habits and embrace clarity instead. Here's what that looks like in practice:
1. Short sentences are allowed. I used to think every sentence needed to be long and complex to be "academic." Now I mix up sentence length on purpose. Short sentence for impact. Longer one for explanation. Another short one to drive it home. The rhythm keeps readers engaged.
2. I say what I mean directly. Instead of "It could be argued that the evidence suggests a potential correlation," I write "The evidence shows X is linked to Y." So much cleaner. So much stronger.
3. I kill my darlings. When I reread a draft, if a sentence feels fancy but doesn't actually add anything, I cut it. No matter how clever I thought it was when I wrote it.
4. I ask "would my mom understand this?" My mom is smart but she's not an expert in my field. If I handed her my paper and she couldn't follow the argument, that's on me, not her. This test has saved me from so much unnecessarily complicated writing.
The wild thing is: since I started prioritizing clarity, my grades have actually gone UP. Because professors can actually follow my arguments without fighting through my prose. They spend less time decoding and more time engaging with my ideas.
I'm not saying dumbing things down. I'm saying that complex ideas don't require complex language. The best writers can explain complicated things simply. That's the real skill.
One of my favorite quotes is from George Orwell: "Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent." And like... yeah. He was onto something.
Anyway this is just my journey from pretentious writer to clear writer and I'm curious if anyone else has been through this. Did you have a phase where you thought complexity = intelligence?? How did you break out of it??
Like genuinely. I thought the way to sound academic was to use the longest possible words, the most convoluted sentence structures, the densest vocabulary I could find. I would write sentences like "The utilization of multifaceted methodological approaches facilitates the comprehensive examination of sociocultural phenomena" and feel SO proud of myself.
Spoiler: that sentence is trash. And my grades reflected it.
It took a professor literally writing "stop trying so hard" on a paper for me to realize I was doing too much. She pulled me aside after class and said something I'll never forget: "Writing isn't about impressing people with your vocabulary. It's about communicating ideas clearly. If your reader has to work to understand you, you've failed."
That conversation completely changed how I think about the essentials in writing. I've spent the last year actively trying to unlearn my bad habits and embrace clarity instead. Here's what that looks like in practice:
1. Short sentences are allowed. I used to think every sentence needed to be long and complex to be "academic." Now I mix up sentence length on purpose. Short sentence for impact. Longer one for explanation. Another short one to drive it home. The rhythm keeps readers engaged.
2. I say what I mean directly. Instead of "It could be argued that the evidence suggests a potential correlation," I write "The evidence shows X is linked to Y." So much cleaner. So much stronger.
3. I kill my darlings. When I reread a draft, if a sentence feels fancy but doesn't actually add anything, I cut it. No matter how clever I thought it was when I wrote it.
4. I ask "would my mom understand this?" My mom is smart but she's not an expert in my field. If I handed her my paper and she couldn't follow the argument, that's on me, not her. This test has saved me from so much unnecessarily complicated writing.
The wild thing is: since I started prioritizing clarity, my grades have actually gone UP. Because professors can actually follow my arguments without fighting through my prose. They spend less time decoding and more time engaging with my ideas.
I'm not saying dumbing things down. I'm saying that complex ideas don't require complex language. The best writers can explain complicated things simply. That's the real skill.
One of my favorite quotes is from George Orwell: "Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent." And like... yeah. He was onto something.
Anyway this is just my journey from pretentious writer to clear writer and I'm curious if anyone else has been through this. Did you have a phase where you thought complexity = intelligence?? How did you break out of it??