How to avoid bad writing

Most people can write. At least most of them think they can. But there are many things that distinguish a good writer from a bad one. 
Here are a few criteria that will help you fathom where you belong with respect to writing and what you can do to reach the spot you want to.

Avoid words that inflate the subject
A UK-based satirical magazine, Private Eye runs a regular column that ridicules the abuse of the written word where the issue is made to sound graver than it is actually. To illustrate the magazine once mentioned how “Innovative solutions for wound management” actually stands for the word “bandages”. This kind of word inflation devalues the writing greatly and dwindles the creditability of the writer and interest of the readers.

Avoid words that complicate matters
For some illegible reason, people are afraid to write the way they speak. In an attempt to make their writing sound well-researched, mature and thought about, they bring in big words, long sentences and multiple clauses. For example, at a school board meeting we came across this piece of art: “The Governing Body are agreeing this budget as the financial devices to support the education procedures of the school as identified in the school development plan and will adhere to the best value principles in spending its school funding allocation.” In short these 40-odd-words meant: We approve the budget.

Too much of flabby vocabulary
A good writer always ensures that the unnecessary flab is cut, clauses axed and only apt words used. Good writers write as closely as spoken language. These are made-up quotations that bear no resemblance to normal speech. For example the statement: Nortel has established a legacy in innovation and will continue to push the envelope. Try to say this to a friend at a sit-down and your friend would possibly collapse.

Stop lying
It is absolutely essential for writers to speak the truth. People are forming an opinion by what they read and this is serious business to say the least. Any amount of faking it or being imaginative (unless it is fiction) will put you, your publication and all the people involved in bad light. So check when unsure and if that is not possible apply the golden rule - when in doubt cut it off.

Stop ignoring the reader
As a writer, the greatest skill is to think about what the reader would like to read, hear about and say. You have to know the pulse of your target audience well before you begin filling pages. And for this it is essential to chart out what you have got to say, to whom and how you choose to make your readers wiser.

Avoid verbal diarrhea
Most writing can be improved drastically by liposuction. The unnecessary epithets, too much of description is good for classics but not for modern writing especially if it’s for the web.  Limit your word count and deliver excellence with a few words.
 

Stop being incoherent
Good writing always has a strong purpose, smooth flow and a direction. The writer has to be clear about how to reach the conclusion and what he would like to convey. Bad writing has absolutely no direction or has too many directions.

Avoiding these mistakes will definitely make you a better writer.