Writing with vigour. In The Elements of Style, William Strunk Jr. created sound advice for authors. Originally written in 1918, this book has been mined for information for a long time. The 11 Elementary Principles of Composition are the keystone of good writing. “Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.” – William Strunks
Of the 11 elementary principals, there are 6 absolute elements:
- Write in paragraphs - change when you introduce a new person, place or time
- Use the active voice.
- Put statements in positive form.
- Use definite, specific, concrete language.
- Omit unnecessary words.
- Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end.
I have learned so much during the writing process. I only really understood one of these key principles at the start.
