1. Cut the
boring parts
I try to leave out the parts
that people skip. ~Elmore Leonard
Unless you’re writing for
personal reasons alone, you need to consider the attention of your readers.
There’s no point is publishing content that isn’t useful, interesting, or both.
2. Eliminate
unnecessary words
Substitute “damn” every time
you’re inclined to write “very;” your editor will delete it and the writing
will be just as it should be. ~Mark Twain
I used to feel that using
words like “really”, “actually”, or “extremely” made writing more forceful. It
doesn’t. They only get in the way. Cut them and never look back.
3. Write with
passion
Fill your paper with the
breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth
It’s not hard to realize that
unless you’re excited about your writing no one else will be.
4. Paint a
picture
Don’t tell me the moon is
shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~Anton Chekhov
Simply stating something is
fine, but when you need to capture attention, using similes, metaphors, and
vivid imagery to paint a picture creates a powerful emotional response.
5. Keep it
simple
Vigorous writing is concise.
~William Strunk Jr.
Maybe it was all those late
nights, struggling to fill out mandatory 10 page papers, but many people seem
to think that worthwhile writing is long and drawn out. It’s more difficult
(and effective) to express yourself in the simplest possible manner.
6. Do it for
love
Write without pay until
somebody offers to pay. ~Mark Twain
When you’re just starting out
it’s hard to decide where to begin. So don’t. Just start writing. A blog is a
good place to start. The most valuable benefit is the feedback.
7. Learn to thrive
on criticism
You have to know how to
accept rejection and reject acceptance. ~Ray Bradbury
Writing means putting
yourself at the mercy of anonymous hecklers and shameless sycophants. Learn to
make the most of the insults and distrust the praise.
8. Write all
the time
Quantity produces quality. If
you only write a few things, you’re doomed. ~Ray Bradbury
The way you define yourself
as a writer is that you write every time you have a free minute. If you didn’t
behave that way you would never do anything. ~John Irving
9. Write what
you know … or what you want to know
If any man wish to write in a
clear style, let him be first clear in his thoughts; and if any would write in
a noble style, let him first possess a noble soul. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Learn
as much by writing as by reading. ~Lord Acton
Successful writing is all
about trust and authority. It makes sense to write about your area of
expertise. If you don’t have an expertise, reading and writing is the best way
to develop one and put it on display.
10. Be unique
and unpredictable
I owe my success to having
listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing
the exact opposite. ~G.K. Chesterton
Consistency is the last
refuge of the unimaginative. ~Oscar Wilde
Zest. Gusto. How rarely one
hears these words used. How rarely do we see people living, or for that matter,
creating by them. Yet if I were asked to name the most important items in a
writer’s make-up, the things that shape his material and rush him along the
road to where he wants to go, I could only warn him to look to his zest, see to
his gusto. ~Ray Bradbury
Following what works will
only get you so far. Experiment with new styles, even if it means taking
criticism. Without moving forward, you’ll be left behind.
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