5 Rules for Effective Writing

4 Comments 11th June, 2007; Category: Authors, Writing Hints

Most writers strive to be better writers. I certainly do, and I am sure that most writers also have this simple goal with their writing. But having such a goal and achieving this goal are two entirely different matters. All writers can benefit from learning more about the craft of writing and their readers will bless them for it. How can your writing be effective? A simple search on the internet with the term effective writing brings up over half a million possible articles. Most of these will offer no real benefits to the writers seeking to improve their work. However, many years ago George Orwell wrote an essay in which he outlined five rules for effective writing. Here they are with some brief personal comments: 1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. It is so easy to fall into the trap of using hack phrases, like fall into the trap and hack phrases. To make your writing truly sparkle, make the effort to think of new ways of saying things. A memorable new metaphor or simile will bring your readers swarming back for more, like mosquitoes targeting a bare arm at a pool party. Keep it fresh. 2. Never use a long word where a short one will do. I have very few problems in this area. After 35 years of attempting to communicate with reluctant students aged from 6 to 10, I have developed a simple way of getting ideas over to my readers. It seems to come naturally to me. Many writers, however, need to work hard at this skill. Trying to impress your readers with long, uncommon words will just turn off the majority of them. Keep it simple. 3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. This is a very simple and effective tool to use. Many writers think they are better writers because they write many words. Be ruthless in your editing. Cut out all unnecessary words. Keep it short. 4. Never use the passive where you can use the active. I must admit that I watch this potential problem very carefully. I know I lapse very easily into the passive voice. I do not know where this comes from perhaps from all those years of writing school reports. In fact, when I look back over this post, many of the sentences

are in the passive voice [oh horror!]. I must break this rule more than I observe it. Be patient; Im still learning. Keep it lively. 5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. This is similar to number 2 above. I worked for many years in an environment where jargon was king. It really turns me off when writers use foreign words to show off their knowledge. All it does is muddy their writing. Communication relies on clarity. Keep it

understandable. My thanks to John Wesley who wrote a similar article on this topic called George Orwells 5 rules of effective writing. It was this article that inspired my article.

Writing is not just about generating income, it is also an art that should be made closer to perfection with every words. Below are some tips that I see effective writers apply.

Tip #1: Avoid redundant sentences.

Image by: Charlotte D

If you havent noticed yet after reading the first tip, the first paragraphs first and last sentence talk about the same thing: what readers want to read. It should not go like that, once or twice is pardonable but several of those redundant sentences would just irritate your readers. Doing such congests their minds.

Tip #2: If theres a word for it, use it.

Image by: Simon Cataudo Words are made to shrink thoughts in form of phrases. Make it faster to read and understand. Instead of writing it was an unprecedented event that caused this say it was an accident. Writers, especially those who are very particular with SEO, would always think of word count and use all possible keywords which might exhaust the readers that would make them just go away. An eloquent writing is best for instructional and creative writing. This will also balance quality and quantity.

Tip #3: It is always your not our.

Image by: Andrew Beierle You are the writer, you tell; your readers will gain more confidence on you and your writing if it seems to them that you are in a far away place and not among them. Say your website will look great with this add-on! instead of saying our website will look great Besides, your sounds better. Tell your readers things that will make their life better in every faculties possible. Make them feel important, because they really are! (Really, YOU are important!)

Tip #4: Do not command, just suggest.

Your readers dont want you to be commanding them to do things. Instead of saying use this tool say I find this tool very useful. Although the phrase points to you finding the tool very useful it will give the reader an idea that it is indeed good, and might use it. Everyone has their ego to protect, yes it applies here too. A declarative sentence is more favorable than a command sentence.

You should follow these steps for you to be a good writer. Instant turn-off.

Tip #5: Strong words, strong memory.

Image by: Artem Chernyshevych Make your sentences strong enough so that you wont have to repeat it. Doing this will automatically earn you your medal for abiding by Tip #1. People quote favorite movie lines, or from a book, because these impacted them in a way so strong they cant just simply forget. Keep in mind that a strong word is sometimes backed-up by another word next to it, or before it.

Tip #6: Let them guess.

Image by: Rose Ann Do not give it all on the first half of your post; add an air of mystery, leave a question, excite them and they will want for more. In a novel this is called a page-turner and in a blog post it is what makes readers stay and finish the whole post. Think that visitors are busy people with a very short time to spare for a post without excitement, they might not stay longer than 60 seconds. Keep on making them think, or say, whats next? whats next? but your goal should be awww I want more!

Tip #7: Figures of speech.

Usually when a writer explains a piece of very complicated material there is always the worry of boring the readers to death. One time I was asked to proofread an article about physics, specifically about the Higgs Field, I almost turned down the offer because thats the first time I heard of the scientific term. But being a science enthusiast I accepted. What followed was pure hell. In the end I understood what Higgs Field is because of an analogy, he compared it to a swimming pool and I was able to do the job. Now what I just said is boring, here it goes: its like trying to understand what income tax is when it can be explained by it is your contribution to the governments budget.

Tip #8: Humor.

Image by: Mary Ellen Rynes You may add humor to lighten up the subject and make your readers feel at ease with you. It should not be forced, it should appear as naturally as possible. People deserve to smile while reading, and they will like you for making their hectic day lighter. And because you are hurrying to read the tips you havent noticed that there is actually no Tip #5. Now you are smiling.

Tip #9: Try before suggesting.

Nothing beats experience, really. I will not suggest things to my readers which I have not yet tried and proven. I fear seeing a comment below my article saying &#^(@# that ruined the whole development process!!! or read That is so outdated. Your credibility as a writer is on the line in everything you write, it is subject to many criticisms so better be cautious and share only what you have experienced first-hand or has a good knowledge of, even theoretical.

Tip #10: Read others work.

Image by: Ove Tpfer Not only does this increase your knowledge about the current happenings, it also gives you an idea on what people want to read and what they try to avoid. There is actually no such thing as I didnt learn anything from that because you just did, you just learned it wasnt effective (in a general sense). I have never seen anything so insubstantial that I never learned something from.

In a Nutshell:
1. Avoid redundant sentences. 2. If theres a word for it, use it. 3. It is always your not our. 4. Do not command, just suggest.

5. Strong words, strong memory. 6. Let them guess. 7. Figures of speech. 8. Humor. 9. Try before suggesting. 10. Read others work.

In our society, the study of language and literature is the domain of poets, novelists, and literary critics. Language is considered a decorative art, fit for entertainment and culture, but practically useless in comparison to the concrete sciences. Just look at the value of a college degree in English versus one in computer science or accounting. But is this an accurate assessment of value? Language is the primary conductor between your brain and the minds of your audience. Ineffective language weakens and distorts ideas. If you want to be understood, if you want your ideas to spread, using effective language must be your top priority.In the modern world of business and politics this is hardly ever the case. In many instances, imprecise language is used intentionally to avoid taking a position and offending various demographics. No wonder its hard to make sense of anything! This is hardly a recent problem, and as George Orwell wrote in his 1946 essay, Politics and the English Language, the condition is curable. By following Orwells 5 rules for effective writing, youll distinguish yourself from competitors and clearly communicate your ideas. 1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. This sounds easy, but in practice is incredibly difficult. Phrases such astoe the line, ride roughshod over, stand shoulder to shoulder with, play into the hands of, an axe to grind, Achilles heel, swan song, and hotbed come to mind quickly and feel comforting and melodic.

For this exact reason they must be avoided. Common phrases have become so comfortable that they create no emotional response. Take the time to invent fresh, powerful images. 2. Never use a long word where a short one will do. Long words dont make you sound intelligent unless used skillfully. In the wrong situation theyll have the opposite effect, making you sound pretentious and arrogant. Theyre also less likely to be understood and more awkward to read. When Hemingway was criticized by Faulkner for his limited word choice he replied: Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? He thinks I dont know the ten-dollar words. I know them all right. But there are older and simpler and better words, and those are the ones I use. 3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree (Ezra Pound). Accordingly, any words that dont contribute meaning to a passage dilute its power. Less is always better. Always. 4. Never use the passive where you can use the active. This one is frequently broken, probably because many people dont know the difference between active and passive verbs. I didnt myself until a few months ago. Here is an example that makes it easy to understand: The man was bitten by the dog. (passive)The dog bit the man. (active).The active is better because its shorter and more forceful. 5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. This is tricky because much of the writing published on the internet is highly technical. If possible, remain accessible to the average reader. If your audience is highly specialized this is a judgment call. You dont want to drag on with unnecessary explanation, but try to help people understand what youre writing about. Yo u want your ideas to spread right? 6. Break any of these rules sooner than saying anything outright barbarous.

This bonus rule is a catch all. Above all, be sure to use common sense.These rules are easy to memorize but difficult to apply. Although Ive edited this piece a dozen times Im sure it contains imperfections. But trust me, its much better now than it was initially. The key is effort. Good writing matters, probably more than you think. I hope you find these rules helpful, and through their applica tion were able to understand each other a little bit better. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to read Orwells original essay. It contains many helpful examples and is, of course, a pleasure to read.

The Nine Rules of Effective Writing - How Many Do You Break?

1. Do not put statements in the negative form. 2. And don't start sentences with a conjunction. 3. If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing. 4. Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do. 5. Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all. 6. De-accession euphemisms. 7. If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is. 8. Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky. 9. Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.

Effective Writing
More Grammar Rules:

Rule 1
Use concrete rather than vague language. Vague: The weather was of an extreme nature on the west coast. Concrete: California had very cold weather last week.

Rule 2
Use active voice whenever possible. Active voice means the subject is performing the verb. Examples: Active: Barry hit the ball. Passive: The ball was hit. Notice that the responsible party may not even appear when using passive voice.

Rule 3
Avoid overusing there is, there are, it is, it was, and so on. Example: There is a case of meningitis that was reported in the newspaper. Correction: A case of meningitis was reported in the newspaper. Even better: The newspaper reported a case of meningitis. (Active voice) Example: It is important to signal before making a left turn. Correction: Signaling before making a left turn is important. OR Signaling before a left turn is important. OR You should signal before making a left turn.(Active voice) Example: There are some revisions which must be made. Correction: Some revisions must be made. Even better: Please make some revisions. (Active voice)

Rule 4
To avoid confusion, don't use two negatives to make a positive. Incorrect: He is not unwilling to help. Correct: He is willing to help.

Rule 5
Use similar grammatical form when offering several ideas. This is called parallel construction. Correct: You should check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Incorrect: You should check your spelling, grammar, and punctuating.

Rule 6
If you start a sentence with an action, place the actor immediately after or you will have created the infamous dangling modifier. Incorrect: While walking across the street, the bus hit her. Correct: While walking across the street, she was hit by a bus. OR She was hit by a bus while walking across the street.

Rule 7
Place modifiers near the words they modify. Incorrect: I have some pound cake Mollie baked in my lunch bag.

Correct: In my lunch bag, I have some pound cake that Mollie baked.

Rule 8
A sentence fragment occurs when you have only a phrase or weak clause but are missing a strong clause. Example of Sentence Fragment: After the show ended. Example of Sentence: After the show ended, we had coffee. ARE YOU READY FOR T