![]() ![]() ![]() The metaphor: the dignity of writing is also due to slashing what you want to say down to what you need to say. The dignity of movement of an ice-berg is due to only one-eighth of it being above water. If a writer of prose knows enough of what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them. It’s an idiom that means a small or visible part of a much bigger issue, and it’s how Ernest Hemingway thought about writing as a whole. I’m trying to strengthen my writing by gearing my style toward a target audience. I’m trying to strengthen my writing with things that sound better to an audience. Pretty much every time you use the word “thing,” you could pick another word that is more specific and precise. After all, you can have too much of a good thing. Your writing will be clearer and more powerful if you use them sparingly. Sure, a 50-cent word here and there can help you convey ideas precisely-for example, “with equanimity” is a lot more specific than “doing a good job and staying calm.” But don’t just toss in the big guys to make yourself sound smart. They remind us that we took the SAT, and despite the tribulations of the egregious experience, passed with equanimity and aplomb. Now there’s a boost to your writing style and your mood.įancy words are fun. You shouldn’t use negatives in your writing. If you’re finding lots of instances of “shouldn’t,” “can’t,” “don’t,” and other variations of “not” in your writing, try to diversify by picking a verb that doesn’t require the word “not.” ![]() Yes, that goes for your mood, but it also goes for your writing. If your writing feels weighed down by long sentences crammed with lots of punctuation, try taking out some of the extras in favor of sentences that are short and sweet. Sure: sometimes a colon, semicolon, or other fancy punctuation-dashes, for example-can help you get a point across it’s elegant and convincing.īut often, shorter sentences are better. Er, that is, emulate interesting writing styles to keep your prose powerful. After all, there are so many interesting writing styles out there. Instead, try to start with yourself or a subject-or better yet, a verb-to focus on the action and the idea. Constructions that start with words like “it,” “here,” or “there,” followed by a form of the verb “to be” fall into the category of empty filler words. In other words, write interesting sentences. There is nothing more boring than a sentence that starts with “there is.” In other words, sentences that start with “there is” are boring. If it doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence in a significant way, axe it. When you catch yourself using one of those words, read the sentence to yourself without it. Here are some of the most common do-nothings in the adverb world: Here’s that sentence without the padding: we recommend taking out the adverbs unless you need to modify an idea. We’re not going to bring devils and brimstone into the picture, but we do strongly recommend that you seriously think about taking out the adverbs, unless you actually need to significantly modify an idea. Stephen King wrote in his book On Writing: Who wants pasta with more pepper on it than cheese? They’re like seasoning: a little goes a long way. Like weasel words, adverbs aren’t evil on their own. But if you want to convey an idea or make an argument, remove words that make your readers think of slimy politicians trying to avoid stating something directly. Weasel words are qualifiers that make you sound unsure of yourself, like you’re trying to create wiggle room.ĭon’t get us wrong: in some cases, you need these words. Or maybe like you’re trying to create a little wiggle room. Specifically, weasel words are qualifiers that might make you sound sort of like you’re not sure of yourself.
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