ShmoopTube

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[Dino and Coop singing]

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Have you ever picked up a book only to realize it would be way over your head? [Guy tosses a book over his head]

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You know the ones – where every word has five syllables and you’d swear the author

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is using a made-up language of their own? [Complicated sentence in the book]

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The ones that definitely weren't written for kids…or for anyone who wasn't born and

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raised inside of a life-sized dictionary. [Picture of a kid inside a dictionary]

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Okay, so those books might be confusing, but they can also teach you a valuable lesson [Girl is hit in the head by the book]

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– that it's important as a biographer and writer to know who you're writing for. [Coop pointing at a blackboard]

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Think about it – if you were writing a book for very small children… [Dino pointing at a blackboard]

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…you’d probably want to use really short words and keep things simple and straightforward

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so they can easily understand. [Young girl reading a book]

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For people your own age and a bit older, you'd use something a little more sophisticated…

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…but while maintaining a casual and conversational tone, so that you can convey

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your information in a way that appeals to the given age group.

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All right…there’s such a thing as trying too hard to sound cool… [Nerdy guy talking in slang]

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Adults, on the other hand, would likely be more comfortable and interested in reading [Man reading a book on a couch]

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more in-depth details…

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…or in reading about an exciting controversy or scandal in the person's life.

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In this case, don't be afraid to shy away from the biggest words you know, and feel

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free to include more primary sources, like letters and diary entries.

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But you probably shouldn't actually make up any words, no matter how smart they might sound… [Person typing a made up word on a computer]

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When you're writing, always take into consideration who it is you're writing for, and then write for them. [Girl writing thinking of a baby]

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If your writing is too simple for your audience, they might get bored.

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If it's too complicated, they'll get lost.

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But if it's just right, well, hopefully they'll be in it for the long haul. [3 bears looking over a girl in bed]

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