Plain Language Editing: Lifting the Weight of Words

When we write, we ask our readers to carry a load. Each sentence adds something to their working memory: the subject, the verb, the modifiers, the structure, the argument. For some readers, that load is light and easy to balance. For others, it competes with stress, fatigue, distraction, or the constant weight of systemic inequities. The heavier the load, the harder it is for the message to get through.