Clutter is the disease of digital writing.
We are a people addicted to unnecessary words. We toss in meaningless jargon and pompous frills to our writing because we think it makes us sound smart.
You can hear it in corporate memos, bank statements, and “simplified” user guides that somehow require a PhD in frustration. Who actually reads all the terms and conditions? Or better yet, when did LEGO manuals become bigger than heavy machinery?
We inflate our words because we think important sounds complicated.
That’s why an airline pilot says he’s “presently anticipating considerable precipitation in the foreseeable forecast” when he could say, “It may rain.”
But the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest form.
Every word that serves no function, every long word that could be short, every adverb that repeats what the verb already says—these are the silent killers of clarity. A sentence should carry no more weight than it must.
Here is the easiest equation for clutter-free writing:
Clear Thinking = Clear Writing
Freedom from clutter begins in the mind.
You can’t write clearly if you don’t think clearly. You might bluff your way through a paragraph or two, but eventually the reader gets lost.
And there is nothing worse for a writer than a lost reader.
Today’s reader lives in a mess of the mind. Their attention is sliced into fragments by emails, podcasts, social media, news alerts, fitness apps, sleep apps, dieting apps, and the endless scroll of notifications.
Their 30-second short attention span doesn’t mean they’re lazy or bored—it means they’re overwhelmed.
When readers get lost, it’s usually because the writer wasn’t careful enough.
Carelessness shows up in many ways:
Sentences so cluttered they collapse under their own weight
Paragraphs that meander with no clear point
Pronouns or tenses that shift mid-stream
Ideas that follow no logical sequence
Words used incorrectly because the writer didn’t bother to look them up
At first, readers might blame themselves. Maybe they missed something.
But that grace doesn’t last. When writing makes people work too hard, they’ll move on to someone who is better at the craft.
Meaning every writer should ask two questions again and again:
What am I trying to say?
Have I explained it clearly to someone who doesn’t know the subject as well as I do?
If the answer to the second question is anything less than “absolutely, yes,” then what you’re seeing is what William Zinsser calls fuzz.
Clear writing comes from clear-headedness. And clear-headedness is naturally given to people. It’s a discipline.
Most people think good writing “just happens.” They imagine it as something you can dabble in on weekends and get paid handsomely for if you’re lucky.
But good writing is work.
Hard, deliberate work.
The clear sentence is no accident; it’s the result of cutting, rethinking, and rewriting. Very few sentences are right the first time.
So the next time you find yourself discouraged.
Remember it’s because writing is hard.
MY BEST FINDS
I scoured the internet, and here are the best things I could find this week. If you find something worth sharing with the rest of the Lab, reply to this email!
🧙♂️ Story
One of the CSL subs shared a podcast called Holy Ghost Stories. A brilliant encyclopedia of stories (Holy Ghost Stories)
21 resources that have helped me with writing and story. Maybe they will help you too (World Builders)
Greg Isenberg’s lead magnet strategy is GENIUS and you’re likely sleeping on it (LinkedIn)
It’s now EASY to grow your email list with this new platform (LinkedIn)
💡 Marketing
Reddit is winning the AI game (CJR)
95% of sellers do not understand this marketing concept (LinkedIn)
Kevin from The Office, first day as CFO, live-streamed from NYC (LinkedIn)
👀 ICYMI
People didn’t hold back in torturing me….okay I did this to myself (LinkedIn)
Why some brands make it and yours likely won’t (Christian Story Lab)
~
Keep writing what matters,
— Payton
P.S. You didn’t start your business to become a full-time digital babysitter. If you’re still cranking out your own emails, it’s time to hand that off. My team can ghost your content so you can get back to growing 👻 VeryGoodGhost(writing) Agency