Simple Writer: Another great help for writers

by guest blogger Andrew Rogers

Sometimes when I write, people tell me I use words that are too hard. Here is a thing that has been helping me with this. It’s called Simple Writer, and it was made by Randall Munro, who makes the funny drawings XKCD.

Simple Writer knows the ten hundred words we use most. Put in your words, and if one of your words is not one of the ten hundred, Simple Writer will turn it red.

Now, I don’t think we should only use those ten hundred words. This writing passes Simple Writer, and it does sound a little strange. Also, people have told me “ten hundred” is harder to understand than “one thousand.”

Sometimes we have to use harder words just to say the things we need to: Cancer and hunger and homeless and symphony all turn red. But we should always think about the words we use.

“Simple” doesn’t mean dumb. It means people will know what we are trying to tell them.