Been a fan for many years. I’d probably add a number five to his list, rhythm. Great writing has a beat, a pace that keeps a reader moving through the piece. I think all of his advice might come down to learning how to do this by subtraction, removing any element that interrupts that beat. We know about snappy writing, sonorous writing, and other descriptions that echo auditory basics. For me, after forty years of writing, getting a rhythm right is when everything comes together.
"Only 14% of Americans read at high school or higher literacy rates."
What (-and I cannot stress this enough) The Actual Fvck ???
Combined with the insidious influence of Rupert Murdoch, that one sentence alone completely explains Trump and his MagaCult, the Climate Emergency, and the 1% parasitic capitalists who've gotten away with it all.
I read your Medium article on this book, back when I read articles on Medium. My partner [a fiction writer] was not interested in the book. Fine, I'll buy it for me, then. If I ever write anything, it'll be non-fiction. Thanks for the reminder.
Whenever one of my articles get rejected, I read it again and almost always find a whole section I can delete. Sometimes when I find myself struggling with a sentence, I find the solution is to delete the whole paragraph. You want to give your readers as few opportunities to abandon the text as possible :) I haven't read this book, I should give it a look!
Been a fan for many years. I’d probably add a number five to his list, rhythm. Great writing has a beat, a pace that keeps a reader moving through the piece. I think all of his advice might come down to learning how to do this by subtraction, removing any element that interrupts that beat. We know about snappy writing, sonorous writing, and other descriptions that echo auditory basics. For me, after forty years of writing, getting a rhythm right is when everything comes together.
"Only 14% of Americans read at high school or higher literacy rates."
What (-and I cannot stress this enough) The Actual Fvck ???
Combined with the insidious influence of Rupert Murdoch, that one sentence alone completely explains Trump and his MagaCult, the Climate Emergency, and the 1% parasitic capitalists who've gotten away with it all.
Confirming why America is a failed State.
Omit Needless Words. (Strunk & White, "Elements of Style")
Great article dear linda
I haven’t read it. Yet. Going to have to prioritize it. :)
I read your Medium article on this book, back when I read articles on Medium. My partner [a fiction writer] was not interested in the book. Fine, I'll buy it for me, then. If I ever write anything, it'll be non-fiction. Thanks for the reminder.
Buying it right now.
It's a great one, though I'm a classic under-writer. Lots of my pieces, when I look back on them (I try not to,) can't seem to breathe.
I've read it -- but that was a long time ago. Time to reread. That and Stephen King's "On Writing" are treasures.
I'm with Walter--it's the only book on writing that I keep referring back to -- thanks for the reinforcement! ❤️
Whenever one of my articles get rejected, I read it again and almost always find a whole section I can delete. Sometimes when I find myself struggling with a sentence, I find the solution is to delete the whole paragraph. You want to give your readers as few opportunities to abandon the text as possible :) I haven't read this book, I should give it a look!
This book was a must read in my journalism class (I took 100 years ago lol). Still makes a lot of sense. Writing to express, to impress--that's a gem.