Readability is paramount. When I write, I do my best to ensure that it doesn't wander or digress from the story. I know that once a reader begins to feel the urge to. Skip ahead, I've lost them completely.
I make sure that any changes that take place are segued so that the reader can follow it. I try to keep each paragraph interesting and relevant to the story. I have ripped entire sections of good writing from stories because they drifted away from the point, and I try to limit the number of characters so that the reader doesn't become lost. How you name them helps as well. Having characters with similar names is inviting confusion.
This, to me is the single most important trick to good writing. Keep it moving and don't give the reader pause to stop reading. That way, the story concludes before they realize it's over.
I'm a selfish writer.
I am much more interested in how much I enjoy writing it than how much other will enjoy reading it. Sometimes my writing is full of overly complex phrases and long sentences with multiple clauses that are hard to follow—call it an indulgence of mine.
That's not to say that I don't consider readability at all. Of course I want people to want to read my stories, but it's not as important as having written something that I took the greatest pleasure in writing, and sometimes that means sacrificing a degree of readability.
Reading my stories is hard work at times, and I apologise for that, but I'm not likely to change any time soon because I've never yet been disappointed by the reception those stories that I have truly enjoyed writing have received.
I don't care. I just need to get this crap out of my head.
Absolutely of paramount importance to me. I wouldn't finish reading a story that jumped around, was rife with grammatical, tense and spelling errors, or otherwise left me thinking about the APA Style Guide instead of the story itself....why would I subject my (wonderful) readers to such nonsense?
Want to spend some time wallowing in a Recommended Read? Pick one! Or two! Or seven!
I write my stories based on what I'm feeling, who I'm basing the story on, who I'm writing it to. But, having said that, if I publish it then I want it to be read and enjoyed. So I write for me, but want others to like them, otherwise I wouldn't bother publishing them. If I publish them, I want them to be readable.
There's no point in me writing it if you can't read it.
Precision in language is important in my work and this carries over to my creative writing. I agonize to find exactly the right words to express what I want to say, and, with English being such a rich, nuanced language, there are always many choices. I try to write in a straightforward way without convoluted sentences or florid over-the-top language. I hope that all of this makes my work easily readable.
There are two other elements to my writing: character development and description. Characters should come across as believable people, not one-dimensional pawns moving about your story. Their traits can be revealed through the telling of the story rather than all in a single paragraph. Description,whether of a place, a meal, a painting, or anything else is paramount in capturing your reader's imagination. I generally write about things that I know and have experienced and use my sense memory to construct images and descriptions that (hopefully) bring the reader right there. Sometimes a phrase will come to you that encapsulates what you saw, felt, or heard and you know that it will resonate with your reader.
Editing carefully is crucial to readability as well. Other than catching typos and other errors, you can check for repetitive use of words, inconsistencies,and the flow of your story. Even dividing your prose into paragraphs of a reasonable length makes your story more readable.
In the end, other than expressing ourselves, captivating the reader is the goal when we write.
I prefer a conversation style of writing, in both reading and writing. I think some authors like to impress you with their wide range of vocabulary. Eg. "With his trim physique and slender long lines, Troy's friend Chris is certainly very eumorphous." (Well built.)
Most newspapers are written on something like a 4th or 5th grade reading level. Ernest Hemingway wrote books on an 8th grade reading level. William Faulkner wrote his books on a college reading level. Hemingway's books sold many more copies, while William Faulkner garnered Pulitzer prizes and critical acclaim by university professors. Hemingway is ultimately much more famous and has had his books read by many more people.
In college I could read Hemingway almost three times faster than Faulkner. Though reading Faulkner was enjoyable, in no way was it more fun than reading Hemingway.
Most New York Times best sellers are written on a level where the masses can read and enjoy them.
I try to write stories so that most people can enjoy reading them. The fact that a lot of people can have a really good time reading my stories is thrilling to me. As just a very regular guy, I am not interested in trying to make readers think I am a great intellectual. I'd rather they focus on the story and thoroughly enjoy it.
I always hope the fun I had writing comes through for the reader.
Purveyor of Poetry & Porn
I don't think anyone will have to run to a dictionary while reading one of my stories...if that answers your question...
i try not to write words that have more than one sill a bull in them.
You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Thanks very much for all your responses. It has been very insightful, with the majority (I think) placing at least some emphasis on readability, and many who consider it absolutely essential. I've also learned about some elements of readability that I wouldn't have otherwise thought about. Great stuff!!
However, not everybody here writes in the same style, with some using more complex language and plots than others.
