All bad writers are in love with the epic

Don't fall into the trap

In Death in the Afternoon, Ernest Hemingway writes about his great passion for bullfighting and explains the afición that drove its popularity.

He goes on small tangents about other random things, such as Spanish culture and general writing.

In one quote, he comments on what makes a bad writer:

If a man writes clearly enough any one can see if he fakes.

If he mystifies to avoid a straight statement, which is very different from breaking so-called rules of syntax or grammar to make an effect which can be obtained in no other way, the writer takes a longer time to be known as a fake and other writers who are afflicted by the same necessity will praise him in their own defense.

True mysticism should not be confused with incompetence in writing which seeks to mystify where there is no mystery but is really only the necessity to fake to cover lack of knowledge or the inability to state clearly.

Mysticism implies a mystery and there are many mysteries; but incompetence is not one of them; nor is overwritten journalism made literature by the injection of a false epic quality.

Remember this too: all bad writers are in love with the epic.

It makes sense for the Hemingway, who was obsessively fixed on what is good and true, to make such a criticism.

But he’s not wrong. And this observation applies to copywriting.

When I first started writing, like most people I tried to sound as impressive as possible.

I would even go to a thesaurus and pick words that were even more impressive than the ones I knew.

I’m pretty sure in school we’re encouraged to do this.

“Injection of a false epic quality”

In short — do not try to sound impressive.

Do not try to create value where there is no value. People will see the value if it’s there.

If you’re writing an article, or copy for a business, don’t try to use impressive words that customers won’t understand.

Imagine you’re writing to your nan, who doesn’t understand what the product is.

Is she going to feel confused when she reads it?

Is she going to feel ripped off after she buys the product/service because you oversold it?

Explain things without illusion

Instead, use your writing to explain why they need it.

Appeal to their human side.

How will this make their life easier? And don’t lie. They will know.

For example, don’t say this brand is ‘cutting-edge’ if it’s not.

Martin Amis once said that writing is a campaign against cliché:

To idealise: all writing is a campaign against cliché.

Not just cliches of the pen but cliches of the mind and cliches of the heart.

When I dispraise, I am usually quoting cliches. When I praise, I am usually quoting the opposed qualities of freshness, energy and reverberation of voice.

Write clearly and explain well.

Do not “mystify where there is no mystery”.