Intercultural Zone

Cross-cultural communications

What do writing and a wardrobe have in common?

by Patricia

It’s Saturday. I’ve just finished polishing an adaptive translation. I had promised myself that, this week-end, I would – finally! – sort through my closet to make some (much needed) space.

So what can writing and a wardrobe have in common?
Clutter.
Excess.
Useless elements.
Weightiness.
Disorganization.
Lack of style.
Incoherence.
Sloppiness.
Stains.
Redundancy.
And by the way, no this is not my closet .

You can apply techniques used to polish copy to sort out your wardrobe.

Why use three words when one will do? (Just *how many* black pants do you own?)
How can you avoid using the passive voice? (You bought that sweater in Amsterdam in 1981, it’s had a good life.)
Are some sentences too long? Can they be cut? (You keep up this shoe fetish, we’ll start calling you Imelda.)
Do your ideas flow in a coherent order? (No wonder it takes forever to find something, the spaghetti strap dresses are next to the ski pants.)
Are you using punctuation wisely, enhancing readability? (Give it up: you’ve tried for 5 years, the stain on your favorite silk blouse is never going to come out.)
Is there any jargon left you should dispense with? (Miniskirts are not coming back, or, when they do, you shouldn’t be caught dead in one. Pitch.)

Getting the idea?

P.S. Remember: you may no longer need or want these clothes, but they can help others. There are Freecycle groups all over the world and local non-profit groups you can contact.