Have you ever wondered about your writing? Is it too formal, overly descriptive, or perhaps, too simple? You can analyze your writing by using the Flesch-Kincaid readability test, which indicates comprehension difficulty when reading a passage of contemporary academic English. Be prepared for a surprise if your writing scores high, it means it’s easily understood by an average 11-year-old student. What? Yes, a high score indicates easy readability.
Should you be embarrassed if your writing is geared toward high school students’ comprehension levels? Consider this: Ernest Hemingway, an icon of American literature, wrote The Old Man and the Sea at a fourth grade reading level. So the takeaway is simple writing is a good thing. It encourages reading and allows readers to comprehend and retain our stories more reliably.
For a more in-depth look at this subject, read this article: Why History’s Best Writers Wrote for Middle Schoolers. And to find out about your writing’s readability, use this free reading calculator: Readability-Score.com. Now, get to it!
John M. Wills 