Train of Thought: What is "good enough" writing?

Image by Gordon Johnson

What is “good enough" writing? Many people associate this with doing the "bare minimum" — filling up the page with relevant ideas that are arranged haphazardly without a logical train of thought.

But what "good enough" writing should really mean is that an “outsider” reader should be able to read and understand the writing without giving up or getting a headache. Essentially, the reader should be able to follow the writer's train of thought.

A train of thought is structured by a series of main points (sequenced logically), with each main point explained through elaboration, supportive evidence, and implications that are tied to the question/topic.

So, how do you identify the main points?

This is where critical thinking comes into play. The thinking moves in the opposite direction from the presentation of the writing: you start by analyzing the evidence to identify the supportive points that will lead you to construct your main points. Therefore, what makes critical thinking and critical writing so challenging is this iterative process of studying the details in the evidence and developing the big picture.

To do it well, there are no shortcuts, and it is not easy.  But this is what it takes to produce a "good enough" piece of writing.

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Lately, I have been delving into the mechanics of critical thinking and writing with my teen students. It has been an enlightening process to witness their transformation. They start by taking shortcuts — extracting what they think is the essence from the evidence and missing out on much of the text that should be interpreted. Subsequently, they stick so closely to the analysis of the original text that they struggle to identify the main points to connect with the question they are tackling. 

Yet, in dissecting their answer and delving into the gaps in their thinking while challenging them to rewrite their answers to incorporate their newfound perspectives, I have been privileged to witness their minds stretching. This is not simply an intellectual process - it involves venturing into an unfamiliar terrain that challenges your mind in a way you are unaccustomed to and undergoing the discomfort of being not good enough but still persevering. My adult clients doing their executive masters theses have been brought down to their knees. It is a humbling process for everyone.

So, what is "good enough" writing? I would say that it is not just an intellectual exercise but also a test of perseverance and resilience.

It is the start of how we cultivate thinking and caring individuals who genuinely make the world a better place.