[One Thousand Characters a Day] The Power of 'Transcription' to Improve Writing Skills <4>

Editor's NoteNewspaper articles are clear and straightforward because they need to convey specific information and on-site situations to readers. There should be no room for misunderstanding. Also, articles include the 'Five Ws and One H' (who, what, when, where, why, and how), so copying and analyzing newspaper articles can help beginners develop clear writing habits. However, since each newspaper may have different perspectives on certain issues, it is helpful to compare articles from various newspapers to understand differences in viewpoints and writing styles. Copying different genres such as contributions, articles, editorials, and columns is also beneficial. Word count: 936 characters.

Writing should be clear and straightforward. A should be conveyed as A. However, often what one wants to convey as A is delivered as A', or even B. Is this due to a lack of clarity? Aristotle said, "The first requirement of a sentence is clarity." A sentence becomes clear when written without a shadow of doubt. Most writings have a theme. To convey the theme, clarity that penetrates the core is necessary. Especially logical writing must be clear to convey the writer's intent. When persuading others verbally or expressing oneself, accurate communication is important. The same applies to writing. Everyone has the desire to write as refreshingly as a soda that clears the stomach after drinking. Ambiguous writing lacks communicative power.

Clear writing allows the core content to be grasped at a glance. It is obvious what is being said. Most logical writing is like this. Logical writing has cause and effect as precise as a mathematical formula. Writing must have causality to guarantee persuasiveness. If there is a claim, it must be supported by backing sentences. When these conflict, the purpose of logical writing disappears. If claims and evidence are not connected, the meaning is conveyed inaccurately and becomes difficult to understand. Most beginner writers write complicatedly and list explanations at length. They mistakenly believe that this will help readers understand their writing. Only by using necessary vocabulary accurately can writing become clear.

If you want to write clearly, copying newspaper articles is recommended. Newspapers are media that contain logical writing. Newspaper articles are written by reporters who include only facts and make them easy to understand. Since articles must convey accurate content, paying close attention to reporters' writing is one of the methods for clear writing. Newspaper articles mainly deal with factual relationships and have few unnecessary modifiers. Copying articles helps with techniques for conveying the core, clean sentences without superfluity, and diverse vocabulary. The clear structure of introduction, development, turn, and conclusion also helps understand the composition and flow of writing.

- Kim Min-young, Lee Jin-hee, Kim Je-hee, Kwon Jeong-hee, <Special Lecture on Copying for Writing Skills>, Book by Book, 14,000 KRW