Every Wednesday I try to post some words of wisdom on the subject of writing, this Wednesday is no different.A wiser writer than I distilled his writing advice down to these six questions everyone should ask themselves when writing.
Nothing I could add could make it a more effective.
What every writer should be thinking while they are writing by George Orwell:
1 What am I trying to say?
2 Which word will express it?
3 What image or idiom will make it clearer?
4 Is the image fresh enough to have an effect?
5 Could I have written it more succinctly?
6 Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?
My favourite rule is number six. Is something I have written avoidably ugly? If it is unavoidably ugly I think I'd write it again.
I like those!
ReplyDeleteBut #6 confuses me. LOL
Hi Jennifer
ReplyDeleteThe cleverest word combinations are avoidable - perhaps this avoidability is ugly.
Oh, I like those rules. Except #6.
ReplyDeleteIt says to me that the author is unduly worried about offending his readers.
Some topics are "ugly". Some words - verbiage - are ugly. That one is just tooo interpretive.
But I can relate to the other five :)
........dhole
Hi Donna
ReplyDeleteI agree some topics and combinations of letters are ugly. I wonder if he meant messy alliteration, difficult and ugly when spoken.