“Smart Bravity” by Jim Vandehei

This book provided tips on clear communication by sharing the following: Cut all non-essential words to one clear, vivid idea using strong, concrete language (short, active words that you can see). Your opening sentence must grab attention immediately with something memorable and essential. Avoid vague terms like “could” or “might” and replace them with precise, active descriptions of what is happening. Always prioritize clarity, brevity, and a human voice—never sacrifice essential nuance or personality for brevity.

• “Whether in a tweet, headline or email subject line, you need six or fewer strong words to yank someone’s attention away from Tinder or TikTok.”
• “Your opening sentence should be the most memorable–tell me something I don’t know, would want to know, should know. Make this sentence as direct, short, and sharp as possible.”
• “In 10 words or less, write the reason you’re bothering to write something in the first place.”
• “Short words are strong words. A general rule: A one-syllable word is stronger than a two-syllable word is stronger than a three-syllable word.”
• “Stronger words are better than soft and soggy ones.”
• “Active verbs ALWAYS.”
• “Learn to identify and trumpet ONE thing you want people to know. And do it in ONE strong sentence. Or no one will ever remember it.”
• “A strong word is vivid, precise and–here’s the big one–something you can see. It’s something real. A weak word is abstract–you can’t see it, touch it, taste it, take a picture of it (like ‘process’ or ‘civics’).”
• “Strong words: Any one-syllable noun (fire, boat, cage, cliff, fish). Any one-syllable verb (chop, taunt, botch, crush).”
• “‘Could’, ‘may’, ‘might:’ Those usually tell you nothing in terms of what’s happening.”
• “‘Almost anything could happen.’ This sentence will do nothing to inform, persuade, convince, delight the whole point of writing something in the first place.”
• “Instead, say what is happening: Is it ‘planned’ or being ‘considered’ or ‘discussed’? Is it ‘feared,’ ‘hoped’ or ‘expected’?”
• “Any of those tells you something useful. Don’t waste people’s time with vague, foggy nothings.”
• “ACCURATE: Confirm that you didn’t lose necessary detail or essential nuance during your editing process. If you did, bring it back.”
• “COHESIVE: Make sure everything still flows. Sometimes elements like transitional phrases get out for the sake of brevity, but at the end, if your communication feels disjoined, reintroduce the more important of those.”
• “HUMAN: Most important, make sure there’s still a sense of voice and personality in your update. The First few times you use Smart Brevity, if your communication feels curt or overly cut, you’ve gone too far. Take a minute to breathe a little bit of life back into your text.”