Writing Tips In A Nutshell

[cheezMcNASTY]

I've been meaning to make this thread for a while. Strunk and White published "The Elements of Style" in 1918 and pretty much ever since, it has been considered the GO TO handbook for writing. There is a free online version of the book that can be found HERE. In this thread, I will be listing through several points made in the book, as well as several from John Trimble's "Writing With Style" and explaining the points made my own words. I'm not proclaiming myself the guru of writing, but it always helped my writing a lot to read these rules in the simplest form. I'm doing this partly because I am bored, but also because I thought it might be useful for any aspiring writers here. Consider this a brief explanation of a brief explanation of the dos and don'ts when it comes to writing. The underlying theme of these tips is that your writing will read as more confident and clear.

• Topic Sentences - What?

As a general rule, begin your paragraphs with a topic sentence. It's very easy to lose track of your topic sentences in story telling, but the truth is that they can be applied in many different forms. They aren't necessarily a boring, concise statement. The action of a character that starts a chain of events could be the lead sentence of a paragraph just as easily as a highly descriptive sentence full of imagery. As long as you, the writer, can justify why the sentence belongs at the start of the paragraph you're good.

• Use Active Voice - The Death Trap of the Gifted Writer

This bit of advice has to do entirely with verb form. Should you say that you have been to a place, or that you went there? Saying you have been there is an example of passive voice. It's more wishy-washy and its overuse can bore the reader. Use active voice more often. It's a subtle difference for a writer, but a world of difference for the reader.

• Try To Use Positives - Nobody Likes a Negative Nancy

Want to know what you should try not to do? What I just did in that last sentence. Be aware that negative descriptions about what something is not, someone is not, or a placeis not should all be avoided. It is always better to use positives.

Rather than saying
"He did not think that studying Latin was much use,"
you should try saying
"He thought the study of Latin useless."

• Omit Needless Words - Words Are Currency

A sentence should be as concise as you can make it. If I were leading by example, that last sentence would read "a sentence should be as concise as possible." Words are a currency. You need to use them properly to keep the reader's interest. The boiled down version is that adjectives are dangerous when overused. Be verycareful when considering what needs to be described and how much description is necessary.

• Don't Overuse Words - Food Is Only As Good As The First Bite

We all have words that we tend to use in our descriptions. You may have a tendency to describe something scary as horrifying. Maybe you're writing about a bus and lack a synonym so you are using the word "bus" A LOT. Whatever the case, be VERY careful about overusing a word. NEVERend a sentence and begin the next one with the same word. If you need to use it that often, try to rearrange the structure of the sentence so that it is more spaced out.

• Avoid Succession of Loose Sentences - Any Type, Really

Use sentence structure to pace your story. By this, I mean that you shouldn't make every sentence long or every sentence short. Mix it up. Experiment.

"I went outside and shat on the front lawn. The neighbors saw me and called the police."
is every bit as monotonous as
"I went outside. I took a dump. The neighbors saw me. They called the police."

Someone conscious of this rule might have written
"I took a dump on the front lawn. The neighbors saw me and called the police."

• Put Emphatic Words At the End - Finish Your Sentences with Gusto

The end of the sentence is where people get their lasting impression. The other 99% of the sentence is important, but it is also important when composing your sentence to consider this structural tip.

Consider this: "You are lucky because I left my gun at home."
The topic and verb of the sentence is that I left my gun at home but what you are trying to emphasize is that the other person is fortunate. Try reading it this way.
"I left my gun at home, Luckily for you."