Five rules for effective writing
September 1st 2008 03:40
Ernest Hemingway: "Poor Faulkner. Does he really
think big emotions come from big words?"
think big emotions come from big words?"
Good writing is about good communicating, and good communicating is about clear messages.
Good writing is about taking care of your reader, leading him or her from one point to the next in first-class comfort. Don't make your readers stop and re-read sentences to get the sense; they will get frustrated and go read something else. Don't use big words in an effort to sound clever; your readers will get irritated and go elsewhere. Don't use unnecessary words; your readers will get bored and wander away. Don't publish anything without checking and rechecking it; anything else is a snub to the people you hope will read it.
These are commonsense pointers for clear writing, but it is remarkable how little they are heeded, and it is remarkable how difficult they can be to follow.
Perhaps the most important rule for the writer is to keep it simple. And the best-known teacher of this is George Orwell, who created what he called "Five rules for effective writing".
Rule 1: Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print
This is about avoiding clichés, or common expressions which are on their way to becoming clichés. Popular expressions and today's buzz words can be amusing or add colour in speech, but they will evoke little response from a reader. The writer therefore needs constantly to find fresh ways to state the message being presented.
It sounds paradoxical, because good writing should use common words in uncommon ways. But it is not as hard as it sounds. With a little practice and constant vigilance, you can eliminate the commonplaces from your writing, thereby fulfilling Orwell's first rule and giving your message a fresh feel which readers will recognise as good writing.
Rule 2: Never use a long word where a short one will do
Long words are, simply, pretentious. A good writer knows that good writing is about plain language. There are times when long words are appropriate, but it takes a practiced ear to know. If in any doubt, always use the shorter word.
There was a famous feud between two literary giants, William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway. Faulkner criticised Hemingway's "limited word choice". Hemingway responded, "Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? He thinks I don’t know the ten-dollar words. I know them all right. But there are older and simpler and better words, and those are the ones I use."
Rule 3: If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out
Despite decades working as a journalist, I still find many unnecessary words in my writing when I edit it. The first sentence of this post originally read, "Good writing is all about good communicating, and good communicating is all about clear messages." While editing it, I noticed the unnecessary words and removed them. If you don't think this can make a big difference, you are not alone. But make an effort for a while and you will get a feel for the delivery of messages in the plainest way possible, which means in the fewest words. As with many writing conventions, not all your readers will notice, but the discerning ones will.
Another literary giant, Voltaire, put it this way, "The best way to be boring is to leave nothing out."
Rule 4: Never use the passive where you can use the active
Verbs come in active and passive forms. The active is shorter and more assertive. Consider "the dog bit the man", compared to "the man was bitten by the dog".
Ezra Pound: "Great literature is simply language charged with
meaning to the utmost possible degree."
meaning to the utmost possible degree."
Rule 5: Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent
There are obviously times when foreign and technical terms are necessary, but generally they are not. Unnecessary use of such terms again looks pretentious and is less clear. Writing is not about looking clever, it is about clear communication.
Yet another eminent literary figure, Ezra Pound, wrote, "Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree." Every word, therefore, has its place, and any words which are out of place or unnecessary subvert the power of the words.
Edit your work hard and carefully, remembering that in writing, less is always better. Every time you make a correction according to the rules above, you will become a better writer.
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Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
But people still love her and her books are still remembered among people who partake in that culture.
So what do you have to say to Anne Rice with her extravagant writing?
~Dianna
Comment by Chris Champion
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That's an excellent question.
There are two points I would make. The first, and the short answer to your question, is that Anne Rice knows what she's doing
The second point is that I am talking about effective writing rather than literature. I have thrown some literary references and quotes into it, I know, perhaps confusing the intention a little, but the aim was always to offer a guide to the less than fabulously gifted on what consitutes serviceable writing.
Thanks for your comment.
Regards,
Chris
Comment by Dianna G
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And that brings up another point... what do you classify as 'literature'?
*Making a nuisance of herself*,
~Dianna
Comment by Chris Champion
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The writing of Ogden Nash is at first glance childish whimsy, but is so consistently clever and word perfect that many claim Nash as an important contributor to English literature. Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood makes little sense in the normal definition of sense, but is a classic. The posts of Norm here on Orble are also wildly idiosyncratic but, like Dylan Thomas, they work because of clever word play and consistency of style. Annie Proulx's Shipping News is another that dared to challenge the norms and succeeded.
So how can these examples be literature when placed alongside the spare, beautiful, classic styles of Hemingway, Somerset Maugham, Thomas Hardy and the two Vikram Seth novels?
My suggestion, as mentioned earlier, is consistency of style and inventiveness.
Under Milk Wood looks at first glance like the work of a madman. Examine it closely, however, and one sees that it took a genius to create it.
Does that sound reasonable?
Regards,
Chris
Comment by Dianna G
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*Is rather enjoying being a nuisance*
~Dianna
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Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
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Her first couple of books are awful to read if you have any maturity in that department whatsoever. Great for seven year olds. But they get better.
The books grew up with their readers, if that makes any sense
And thank you for entertaining me and my crazy questions.
~Dianna
Comment by Chris Champion
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Comment by Norm
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It's funnier.
So, for bad writing do what Orwell says don't do.
I'm going to try it.
Thanks!
Comment by Chris Champion
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You're too good to be bad Norm.
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Comment by Lara M
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Enjoyed your banter with Dianna too
Easy reading is damn hard writing - Nathaniel Hawthorne
Comment by Chris Champion
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Great Hawthorne quote, thanks. Here's a favourite of mine, by Gene Fowler: "Writing is easy; all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead."
But then, he's talking about literature. Good blogging needs no more than a bit of sweat on the forehead
Regards,
Chris
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