It’s All in the Writing: Third Grade vs. College vs. Eighth Grade

July 5, 2022/Lee Barnathan
blank page on a table with pen to write

It’s all in the writing.

According to the blog Boomerang, communication written at a third-grade level receives 36% more responses. Which paragraph speaks to you?

  1. Me and dad hunt for bears and deers. When my dad gets a deer he cuts them. He always hunts. I go with him too and I see him get them.
  2. My father and I spend copious amounts of quality time in pursuit of Ursus arctos and Servus elaphus. When my father successfully eradicates one of Servus elaphus, he carves up the carcass. He regularly seeks to deprive one of these animals of its existence. I accompany him and witness his pursuits.
  3. Dad and I hunt often together. Our targets typically are bear and deer. After a kill, my dad uses his knife to get at the meat we will enjoy for dinner that night.

The first paragraph is written at a third-grade level. The second is college-aged. The third is closer to eighth grade.

It’s all in the writing.

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Lee Barnathan

Lee Barnathan

Imagine cradling your book in your arms. See yourself thumbing through the pages, reading the words, recognizing that what’s contained therein is your story, laid out for all to see. This symbol of your life is part catharsis and part healing. Your journey is complete, and you’ve reached the people who needed to hear your story.

You have a story that just has to be told. If you don’t get it out of your head, you will regret it. You know that if people just could tap into the wisdom that's inside you, their lives would change for the better.

You’ve probably been feeling like you need to sit down and get it on paper. But you haven’t made it a priority. Maybe it’s because you hate writing or you don’t consider yourself a writer. Perhaps the thought of you dedicating hours a day to organizing and writing your story is too overwhelming when piled on top of life’s demands.

Or maybe you’re beset with terror: "What if my story isn’t interesting or compelling enough to reach a wide audience? Am I good enough to tell it? Can I make it irresistible, a must-read?"

You're not alone. The vast majority of people who have experienced what life has to offer have a story to tell that’s worthwhile, unique and compelling, but they never get to do it for a wider audience.

Why is it so hard? Why are you like the 97% of people who start their book don’t finish it? There is a world of difference between having the story in your head and being able to get it down on paper.

What most people don’t realize is that having the story and writing the story require two different skill sets.

The more worthwhile and compelling your story is, the more critical it is to have a professional writer give it the treatment it deserves so it will touch lives in the way you envision. That’s why it’s so important to partner with a specialist who’s an expert in the art of storytelling. Your story is too important to leave to an amateur.

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