“Nobody told all the new computer writers that the essence of writing is rewriting. Just because they’re writing fluently doesn’t mean they’re writing well.”
“Ultimately the product that any writer has to sell is not the subject being written about, but who he or she is.”
Two of the most important qualities in writing: humanity and warmth.
Stop over-complicating. “The airline pilot who announces that he is presently anticipating experiencing considerable precipitation wouldn’t think of saying it may rain.”
“The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components.”
Clear writing requires clear thinking.
Readers are easily distracted, but mostly because of the writer’s carelessness.
What am I trying to say? Have I said it? Is it clear to someone encountering the subject for the first time?
“Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. If you find that writing is hard, it’s because it is hard.”
Get rid of clutter. “Fighting clutter is like fighting weeds – the writer is always slightly behind.”
A writer will do anything to avoid the act of writing.
Removing the first-person “I” might be good in journalism or academia. But in most writing, it’s boring and dehumanizing.
And if you aren’t allowed to use “I” while you write, at least think it.
The mother of all equivocal sentences: “And yet, on balance, it has, I think, been a qualified success.”
Remember your audience: yourself.
In terms of craft, there’s no excuse for losing readers through sloppy workmanship – but on the larger issue of whether the reader likes you, or likes what you are saying or how you are saying it, or agrees with it, or feels an affinity for your sense of humor or your vision of life, don’t give him a moment’s work.
“Never say anything in writing that you wouldn’t comfortably say in conversation.”
Fear cliché. If you use the same words as hacks, you’ll be a hack.
Imitate good writers with original thoughts, not the reused language of journalism.
Read everything out loud before letting it go out into the world.
PART 2: METHODS
You learn to write by writing. The only way to learn to write is to force yourself to produce a certain number of words on a regular basis.
Unity is the anchor of good writing. Things to keep straight:
Pronoun choice.
Tense.
Mood (Casual? Formal? Humorous?)
Don’t neglect the hook – get your reader interested.
“The perfect ending should take your readers slightly by surprise and yet seem exactly right.”
Use active voice. Cut redundant adverbs. Get rid of wiggle words – “decidedly,” “arguably,” “eminently.”
Make adjectives do work that needs to be done – not every oak has to be gnarled.
Cut qualifiers. Say what you want to say, and if you can’t say it without qualifying it, don’t say it.
“If you want to write long sentences, be a genius.”
Sentence giving you trouble? Try getting rid of it.
PART 3/4: FORMS and ATTITUDES
There’s more to literature than just novels. Most of what is written, and read, is nonfiction.
When describing places, be selective. “Shores have a tendency to be scattered with rocks and to be flown over by seagulls” – give us some useful details or none at all.
Give yourself permission to tell us who you are.
Style is not effortless. It takes constant refining.
Writers who write interestingly tend to be men and women who keep themselves interested.
Nobody can write a decent article about the disappearance of small towns in Iowa – write about one small town in Iowa to tell the larger story. Even within that, write about one store, one family, or one farmer.
Nick Beachy 