Wrangling prose through an approvals process can feel like bullfighting. You begin with a simple mission, to right injustice. You have a plan. You express it. And your writing will convince people to support it.
Then the bulls enter the ring. They come for you with their complicated phrases. Their jargon. Their adverbs. They make your sentences hard to read. They use the passive voice. They qualify declarative sentences with their maybes and their tics.
Your prose is in danger of being gored.
At this point, I recommend The Hemingway app. Like Ernest himself in Pamplona, back in 1927, it will help you wrangle your bulls. The app highlights problematic expression and shows you how to make it simpler. It’s free to use…
I’ve been using it for a month or two, and can testify. It’s transformational. If you have a piece you’ve written that needs tightening up, go ahead. Copy and paste. And when a colleague asks in track-changes, “Why did you make that change?”
You’ll have ammunition.
“Because Ernest Hemingway would have written it my way.”
Never mind bullfighting. As a writer, you now have the poise and agility of a six-toed cat. Then add an emoji, if you like 🐈. Why not?
