What is the essence of good writing?

I am quarantined in a hotel and my girlfriend hands me a book. From the first page It is so dull that I have to push myself through. Every sentence is just off, but it’s hard to tell why. I am listening to my intuition and deciding to drop it. Later the same day, I stumble upon another book on a similar topic on Goodreads. 5 minutes into reading. I am shocked by how different the experience is. I feel sincerely curious and immersed. Here are two bites of both.

First book:

“To talk about the plasticity of the brain, it means to see in it not only the creator but also the recipient of the form, but also the factor of disobedience of any standardization, the failure to obey the model.” (Malabou, 2008)

Second book:

"Thoughts and experiences are always the results of a set of neurons that are active at the same time. Every thought you have is the activity of neurons. Everything you see, hear, or feel is also the activity of neurons.” (Hawkins, 2021)

Can you also feel the difference? Why is that?

Simplicity

Complexity is easy, simplicity is hard. Simplifying an entangled idea also crystalizes our thoughts in general. It is worth doing some extra work on our thoughts before sharing them. Simple ideas are easier to grasp. They replicate better. Retelling them is easier. There is less information to misinterpret. The sentences in the second paragraph are simple. One author is a neuroscientist, he knows a lot about brains. Good writing is simple.

Exploration

Writing is a way to store and grow our culture’s ideas. We share the wisdom and learn from mistakes. It’s what other animals can’t do. Author is responsible to become competent before contributing to the whole culture. Ph.D. is an overkill, but at least a profound exploration and research has to be done. The first author, though, had to disguise her competence by tricky language. And it shows. Good writing is exploring.

P.S.

Imagine another dimension. Ideas there look like geometrical forms and fractals colored with paint we can’t visualize. The mature and complete ideas are stunning and in harmony. Others are still forming or decaying without a proper form. Act of thinking itself gives us access to this dimension, and writing polishes our skills to manipulate it. Let’s create and explore the most beautiful of them.