A non-lawyer friend of mine often jokes
that a lawyer is the only person who will use forty words when four will suffice.
Helen Sword, a professor at the University of Auckland, might
agree. She has developed the
Writer’s Diet Test to
help you “energize your writing and strip unnecessary padding from your prose.”
What does the test do?
The Writer’s Diet works with an algorithmic program that scores
writing on the scale of “Fit” to “Heart Attack.” Professor Sword
notes
that the test uses “algorithms based on more than 1,000 writing samples—a
process of informed evaluation based on extensive reading, rhetorical analysis,
intuition, and, yes, a dollop of subjectivity.”
Each
of the grammatical categories are rated with one of the following ratings:
- Lean: fat-free prose
- Fit & trim: in
excellent condition
- Needs toning: Would
benefit from a light workout
- Flabby:
- Heart attack: May call
for editorial liposuction!
The
test also provides an in-depth analysis of your writing sample. Words that fit
in any of the grammatical categories are highlighted to give you an idea of how
frequently you rely on them.
I tried it out on a section of Scalia’s dissent in
Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003) the result being “heart attack territory.” The dissent could apparently benefit from some exercise overall, but specifically in the overuse of nominalizations long, important-sounding nouns formed from verbs or adjectives), and the words “it,” “this,” “that,” and “there.”
The tool is not designed to tell
you if your writing is good. Good writing, as Helen Sword notes on
The
Writer's DietFAQ site, can use all of the
elements tagged in the tool and can use them well. But often, too many
abstractions and passive constructions lead to some mighty snooze-worthy prose.
Users might find a bone to pick with Sword's categories, which employ flawed assumptions about health and dubious one-size-fits all beauty and ability norms. However, don't let any offense here prevent you from
exploring her tool--you may find it invaluable when it comes time to edit.
Check out the
Writer’s Diet Testand see how your writing shapes up!
