During today’s radio interview with Katherine Reschke of Passions That Pay, we were discussing the fine line between perfectionism-induced paralysis (no writing at all) and going overboard with your corrections until you don’t sound like yourself anymore.
Then, an analogy popped into my head.
If you were to leave your house today while you’re still wearing your pyjamas, slippers and curlers (ok, I’m not sure if anyone wears curlers, but you know what I mean), you’re probably not going to make a very good impression.
On the other hand, you certainly don’t have to pour yourself into an evening gown or tuxedo to take a stroll around the block. You won’t be comfortable, people won’t know how to relate to you and your message will be lost in the distraction of how you’re dressed.
It’s the same thing when you try to sound too smart in your writing, which is an issue I cover in the free report, Readability Secrets for Coaches Who Write.
Instead, take the time to clean yourself up and deal with any glaring errors so that you can make the best impression you can. But don’t try to be someone you’re not. You’ll risk intimidating your readers so they can’t relate to you.
Writing Prompts: Use this 5-point readability checklist as a systematic way to “run a comb” through your writing before you send it out into the world.