Many so-called rules of writing should be used as guidelines or suggestions, particularly if adhering to the rule creates monstrous sentence structures.
For example, many of us know the "rule" that you shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition. This is a situation up of which I will not put.
William Safire, the late columnist and language expert offered the following "rules" for writing:
1. Remember to never split an infinitive.
2. Take the ball by the hand and never mix metaphors.
3. Proofread carefully to see if you words out.
4. Avoid cliches like the plague.
5. Don't overuse exclamation points!
And my favorite:
6. Never use a large word when a diminutive word will do.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Write yourself a note
Most of us have heard the age-old advice to carry a notebook with you at all times so you can write down ideas as they occur to you. If you think you'll remember the idea forever, well, let's just say you haven't reached my age yet.
I want to share with you today a related tip I think you'll find helpful - and that's to write notes to yourself while you're in the process of writing. For instance, if you're in the middle of writing your novel or memoir or short story and you think of something you want to mention later on, make a note to yourself at the end of whatever you're writing.
The advantage of having a word processor instead of a typewriter is your note will stay at the end until you move it or delete it. You can write a word or two or a sentence or a short outline of what you want to do later in your text.
Here's another advantage of writing notes to yourself. I've had instances where I knew exactly what I wanted to write next but I was just too doggone tired to continue. So I left myself a note, right where I left off,, so I could carry on the next day without missing a beat.
I want to share with you today a related tip I think you'll find helpful - and that's to write notes to yourself while you're in the process of writing. For instance, if you're in the middle of writing your novel or memoir or short story and you think of something you want to mention later on, make a note to yourself at the end of whatever you're writing.
The advantage of having a word processor instead of a typewriter is your note will stay at the end until you move it or delete it. You can write a word or two or a sentence or a short outline of what you want to do later in your text.
Here's another advantage of writing notes to yourself. I've had instances where I knew exactly what I wanted to write next but I was just too doggone tired to continue. So I left myself a note, right where I left off,, so I could carry on the next day without missing a beat.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Watch out for that
We know that in our writing, there are certain words that can easily sneak into sentences without us realizing that they don't belong, that they don't add anything but clutter.
One of those words is "that." Not only is it often unnecessary, but use of it creates the need for other needless phrases.
Consider our opening sentence. Here is the same sentence eliminating "that" and phrases surrounding "that."
"In our writing, certain words can easily sneak into sentences without us realizing they don't belong. They don't add anything but clutter."
Look how we've improved our writing by eliminating one word - but we eliminated it four times!
So today's lesson is to make every word purposeful. And that's that!
One of those words is "that." Not only is it often unnecessary, but use of it creates the need for other needless phrases.
Consider our opening sentence. Here is the same sentence eliminating "that" and phrases surrounding "that."
"In our writing, certain words can easily sneak into sentences without us realizing they don't belong. They don't add anything but clutter."
Look how we've improved our writing by eliminating one word - but we eliminated it four times!
So today's lesson is to make every word purposeful. And that's that!
Monday, August 8, 2011
How to write the perfect paragraph
Each paragraph is part of a journey for the reader. The writer's job is to make sure the reader doesn't wander off. A good first step is to make sure the writer doesn't wander off. Each sentence in a paragraph should connect some way with the first sentence. Let's use the following as an example.
"There were many similarities in the lives of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. Both were shot and killed. Lincoln was born in a log cabin of poor, uneducated parents. Kennedy was Catholic. Lincoln and Kennedy each had vice presidents named Johnson. Both men's political futures rose as the result of debates. Both were elected in years ending in '60. Lincoln's wife's name was Mary Todd while Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier. Lincoln's secretary's name was Kennedy while Kennedy's secretary's name was Lincoln. Kennedy had thick brown hair. Lincoln had a beard. Lincoln was shot in a theater while Kennedy's alleged assailant was captured in a theater."
Now let's eliminate every sentence that doesn't have some tie to the first sentence. Here is what we come up with:
"There were many similarities in the lives of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. Both were shot and killed. Lincoln and Kennedy each had vice presidents name Johnson. Both men's political careers rose as the result of debates. Both were elected in years ending in '60. Lincoln's secretary's name was Kennedy while Kennedy's secretary's name was Lincoln. Lincoln was shot in a theater while Kennedy's alleged assailant was captured in a theater."
The second example is clear, concise and complete and it has a crispness to it, all because the writer stuck to the point.
"There were many similarities in the lives of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. Both were shot and killed. Lincoln was born in a log cabin of poor, uneducated parents. Kennedy was Catholic. Lincoln and Kennedy each had vice presidents named Johnson. Both men's political futures rose as the result of debates. Both were elected in years ending in '60. Lincoln's wife's name was Mary Todd while Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier. Lincoln's secretary's name was Kennedy while Kennedy's secretary's name was Lincoln. Kennedy had thick brown hair. Lincoln had a beard. Lincoln was shot in a theater while Kennedy's alleged assailant was captured in a theater."
Now let's eliminate every sentence that doesn't have some tie to the first sentence. Here is what we come up with:
"There were many similarities in the lives of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. Both were shot and killed. Lincoln and Kennedy each had vice presidents name Johnson. Both men's political careers rose as the result of debates. Both were elected in years ending in '60. Lincoln's secretary's name was Kennedy while Kennedy's secretary's name was Lincoln. Lincoln was shot in a theater while Kennedy's alleged assailant was captured in a theater."
The second example is clear, concise and complete and it has a crispness to it, all because the writer stuck to the point.
Monday, August 1, 2011
The dangers of "overwriting"
One of the pitfalls of many novice writers is packing too much into sentences and paragraphs. We have referred to this in previous essays as a "suitcase sentence or paragraph," packed so full that you have to sit on it to close it.
I had a student one time who literally was writing about packing a suitcase. A character in the story was going on a trip and was packing. The writer told just about every garment that was thrown in the suitcase and the sentence bogged down to the point of almost being unreadable.
Sometimes writers describe something in such detail, with four or five adjectives in front of the noun, the reader gets lost in the maze of words.
Here's a simple rule to help avoid all of that. Write to express, not to impress.
Each year, San Jose State University holds a funny contest in which it invites writers to compose the worst sentences - and gives out prizes. Writing these sentences is a good exercise in what not to do. Here is one of the winners in which the writer ... well, you'll see.
"With her auburn hair cascading down to her neck, her face gracefully tanned and silky smooth, her lips thin and moist and her lithe contour having the hour-glass figure of a model, Mary's body was beyond description."
Sometimes, bad writing shows up in the form of atrocious puns and plays on words, such as...
"As James worked on his sculpture of Sister Mary, his favorite nun, he encountered difficulty chipping away at her clothing and he thought to himself, `some habits are hard to break'."
And my favorite from the San Jose State contest: "When Throckmorton passed gas in the echo chamber, he knew he'd never hear the end of it."
I had a student one time who literally was writing about packing a suitcase. A character in the story was going on a trip and was packing. The writer told just about every garment that was thrown in the suitcase and the sentence bogged down to the point of almost being unreadable.
Sometimes writers describe something in such detail, with four or five adjectives in front of the noun, the reader gets lost in the maze of words.
Here's a simple rule to help avoid all of that. Write to express, not to impress.
Each year, San Jose State University holds a funny contest in which it invites writers to compose the worst sentences - and gives out prizes. Writing these sentences is a good exercise in what not to do. Here is one of the winners in which the writer ... well, you'll see.
"With her auburn hair cascading down to her neck, her face gracefully tanned and silky smooth, her lips thin and moist and her lithe contour having the hour-glass figure of a model, Mary's body was beyond description."
Sometimes, bad writing shows up in the form of atrocious puns and plays on words, such as...
"As James worked on his sculpture of Sister Mary, his favorite nun, he encountered difficulty chipping away at her clothing and he thought to himself, `some habits are hard to break'."
And my favorite from the San Jose State contest: "When Throckmorton passed gas in the echo chamber, he knew he'd never hear the end of it."
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