Why you should use the KISS principle in your writing

Are you a KISS fan? (And no, I don't mean the band!) For those who don’t know, KISS is short for 'keep it simple, stupid' (yes, there's a comma before 'stupid'). Like Plain English, it favours clarity, concision, simple language and active voice.

When we were at school or university, we were taught to impress with big words, long sentences and passive voice (because formality and objectivity were the name of the game, right?). And it made us look smarter to our professors and peers.

But in the real world, formal, overwrought language is like tough meat that won’t break down – no matter how long you cook it. Which is why you should avoid it in newsletters, website copy, blogs, manuals or emails.

When I’m editing or optimising copy, I spend more time correcting KISS oversights than fixing grammar or spelling errors. No joke. Not that I’m complaining – it pays the bills. But I’d love to see more people apply the KISS principle so I can focus on more high-level edits and faster delivery!

So here are some repeat offenders – and KISS alternatives you can use:

❌ in relation to

✔️ about

❌ cognisant of

✔️ aware

❌ at a later date

✔️ later

❌ alternatively

✔️ instead

❌ at the present time

✔️ now

❌ in a timely manner

✔️ now

❌ due to the fact that

✔️ because

❌ The Powerhouse Museum was the location of the conference.

✔️ The conference was held at the Powerhouse Museum.

❌ It’s important to read all the instructions.

✔️ Read the instructions.

❌ He acted with celerity.

✔️ He acted quickly.

❌ Give consideration to ...

✔️ Consider ...

As you can see, it's about doing more with less. And making your meaning as clear as possible to avoid confusion or ambiguity. For more guidance on how to do this, see How to fix wordiness (without losing your voice).

However, there are times when KISS can be relaxed. Like when you’re writing conversational copy for emails or social posts. In that case, you can break a few KISS rules, like using crutch words or fillers like ‘um’, ‘well’, ‘right?’, ‘anyway’, ‘okay’ and ‘I mean’. Or throwing in sentence fragments like ‘I totally get that’ or ‘pretty bloody awesome’.

This echoes the rhythms of speech, adds a dash of personality and helps you forge a deeper connection with your audience. Which is what powerful writing is all about, right? (Note my intentional use of sentence fragments throughout this article!)

What are your thoughts on KISS? Love it? Hate it? Got an alternative? Let me know! If you need someone to make sure your marketing copy or book is following KISS principles, get in touch.