Problems from writing that is not clear

- Ever heard the expression as clear as mud? It's intended as a humorous, or a sarcastic way of saying something is difficult to understand. Or, entirely unclear. The expression gives us a visual image, you're looking into a muddy pond and certainly can't see the bottom. Or you see, perhaps, a murkiness. If you'd lost something in that muddy pond you won't be able to retrieve it easily because you can't even see it. Seeing through mud is impossible. Think about that analogy when thinking about the problems created when writing is not clear. It's murky, at best. And completely impossible to understand, at worst. So let's examine three problems created when your writing doesn't meet the plain English guidelines. First, it may not even be read. That's certainly a problem, whether you are the writer, or the intended reader. As the writer, you're giving information about a new company policy that employees need to know. But if it's not read, the employees won't follow the new procedure…