Against My Grain

I'm currently enrolled in a course called Business Communications. And I'm currently in the process of learning to resent it. In fact, I'm beginning resent most of the classes I'm taking. In almost every one of them we have discussed writing for business purposes. The point that has been driven home again and again is that one's writing (and talking) should be done in a small manner. Small words, short paragraphs, simple sentences. I understand why this is the case, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

And I don't like it. In fact, I detest it. It goes against everything I am. I am a word person. I use 'big' words. I expatiate on and on about things and go off on random tangents. Words are what I have. Words are what I am. The thesaurus has been my best friend since I was 12. Ever year in school there were papers to be written and every year they became more complicated. Longer. Everything had to be longer. More words. Find new ways to say the same thing twelve times. Paragraphs are not paragraphs unless they contain at least three sentences. Now five sentences. Now eight sentences. Complex sentences. Compound sentences. Compound words. Rare words. New words. Words words words! (and now it the word 'word' doesn't look like a real word)

But now I've ventured into the 'less is more' territory. Actually, it's more like the 'simple is all you can expect people to understand' territory. I get it. I know not everyone has a vast vocabulary. In business you want your message to be clear and easily understood.

The class itself is not very difficult. It's quite easy really. So I shouldn't be complaining. Half of it is grammar lessons, and I pretty much have that down. I know my grammar. (I just don't use it much here because it's a blog; a forum with very relaxed rules)


But understanding why does not change the fact that every time an instructor tells us that we must keep our sentences short and simple, I grind my teeth a little bit.