Write of Passage Weekly - IKEA Words

Write of Passage Weekly

​Hey Writers,

Write of Passage Weekly is 10 weeks old! Happy Birthday to this grand ol’ newsletter—week after week, bringing you the best writing advice on the Internet (trying, at least).

Speaking of 10, do you know the ‘numerals rule’ in writing? You spell out small numbers ranging from one to nine (some say it’s ten), and use numerals for numbers 10 and above. Always teaching, even when we’re celebrating.

Just 62 days until Cohort *9* begins. You’ll start hearing more from us on this in a few weeks.

*Psst… did you notice the hypocrisy in that last statement? We just told you to spell out small numbers and we went and did the opposite. How dare us! Here’s why: “Cohort 9” is a title, a proper name, therefore we can name it as we wish—and this is what we wish!

Last week in Metaphorically Speaking—we talked about the power of metaphors and how to shape them. This week, we continue on a language journey with (drum roll…), IKEA words. IKEA words refer to our instinct to default to easy, pre-packaged, accessible language. What effect does it have on our writing?

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The Write Way
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We wanted to start off this edition with a fun challenge. What does it look like when you shape an idea entirely out of “prefabricated” language?

At the end of the day, writing is a pain in the neck. You use every fiber of your being to think outside the box, but the words get stuck at the tip of your tongue. To combat the problem, we reach for cliches like low-hanging fruit, and our article becomes as dull as dishwater, as flat as a pancake. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time, but you can go the extra mile and speak from your heart.

That paragraph is vomit-worthy; a cringe salad. Not because of the ideas behind the words, but because of the unrelenting festival of lazy language. It clocks out at 3 cliches per sentence (triple cringe). This is illegal in some states, and warrants arrest in others.

You can break down “prefabricated language” into cliches, idioms, and euphemisms.

• Cliches are phrases we overuse, like, “Better safe than sorry.”
• Idioms are popular word combinations that make literally no sense, like, “Break a leg.”
• Euphemisms are sayings that mask emotionally tough ideas, like, “They passed away.”

Write of Passage alumni Andrew (formerly known as Arthur) Plainview coined the phrase IKEA Words to unify these different kinds of ready-made phrases.

We’re all guilty of using cheap language. Like IKEA furniture, it’s convenient. It’s quick, it works in a variety of situations, and everyone (kind of) knows what you mean. IKEA words are everywhere. However, once you notice them, you can’t unsee them. It’s quite possible that after you read this edition, you’ll find yourself in an existential crisis. “Am I a slang parrot?”

Don’t be too hard on yourself! You don’t have to sing in golden prose when you order breakfast at a diner. But when it comes to writing our essays, we want to be very intentional with our word choice. It doesn’t matter if we have Nobel-Prize-grade-ideas, if we render them through IKEA words, they’ll feel stale and below their potential. Fortunately when we write, our thinking is frozen on the page. We can investigate our words and imagine better alternatives. The power of text! The power of editing!

The first step is to become aware of our writing habits. We tend to rush through sentences, and default to the patterns we learned in school or work. As you’re writing a sentence, pause. How else can you convey that? Over time, and with practice, you’ll develop a playful love of language. You’ll learn to craft your own metaphors, to alter cliches and make them your own, and ultimately, to show instead of tell.

Nicolas Gomez Davila, a Colombian philosopher, distills this perfectly: “Words are the true adventures of the authentic writer.”

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Writer's Toolbox
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• One from our alum: Write of passage alum Andrew Plainview just published an essay called IKEA Words: How Not to Furnish Your Digital Home. It’s a creative exploration that questions why we’re all drawn to cheap, re-usable, and safe language. By comparing writing with modular Swiss furniture, he gives life to a metaphor that’s hard to unsee. Andrew proposes some methods to break our bad habits. If we can pause, pay attention, and personalize our language, we can develop a unique voice that adds color to our Personal Monopoly.
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• One from us: Andrew’s writing on IKEA Words is influenced by David Perell’s essay, The Microwave Economy. “We’ve overwhelmingly used our wealth to make the world cheaper instead of more beautiful, more functional instead of more meaningful. We don’t value what we can’t quantify, so our intuitions are given short shrift. In the name of progress, we belittle the things we know but can’t articulate. The result is an economy that prizes function over form and calls human nature “irrational”—one that over-applies rationality and undervalues the needs of the soul."

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Thanks for reading. If you have any burning questions about writing online or Personal Monopolies, send them over! We’ll feature the best ones in future newsletters.

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Write of Passage Weekly brings you the best writing advice on the Internet. Each edition is 100% devoted to helping you improve your writing, find your people, and build your Personal Monopoly. We’ll answer your questions, curate links, share tools, and give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Write of Passage. Thanks for having us in your inbox. Happy writing!