LawProse Lesson #290: The clean line in prose.

How do you create a clean narrative line? Or a clean analytical line? Or a clean persuasive line? A compelling piece of writing contains no clutter, no distractions—nothing to sidetrack the reader. It marches forward in a clear progression of thought without ever tempting readers to rebel. The key unit of clean writing is the coherent paragraph, and the seamless joining of these paragraphs imparts a sense of command and trustworthiness. In Part 5 of Bryan Garner’s ten-part webinar series Legal Writing in Plain English, you’ll work through the eight habits of highly persuasive writers. You’ll do exercises to improve your mastery of these habits, and you’ll acquire a sharper terminology for thinking about and discussing clear writing.