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Personal Writing Rules

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Bea
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27 Dec 2008, 10:52 pm

Rules for writing? Know the rules, but be prepared to break them.
Just don't be sloppy about it. You can write any way you want, if you do it well.



carturo222
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27 Dec 2008, 11:54 pm

From the style manual my editor uses at OhmyNews International:

Quote:
George Orwell's six elementary rules ("Politics and the English Language" 1946):
A. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
B. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
C. If it is possible to cut out a word, always cut it out.
D. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
E. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
F. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.



Barracuda
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28 Dec 2008, 3:10 pm

I forgot to add these:
Niven's laws on writing (Courtesy of Wikipedia):


1. Writers who write for other writers should write letters.
2. Never be embarrassed or ashamed about anything you choose to write. (Think of this before you send it to a market.)
3. Stories to end all stories on a given topic, don't.
4. It is a sin to waste the reader's time.
5. If you've nothing to say, say it any way you like. Stylistic innovations, contorted story lines or none, exotic or genderless pronouns, internal inconsistencies, the recipe for preparing your lover as a cannibal banquet: feel free. If what you have to say is important and/or difficult to follow, use the simplest language possible. If the reader doesn't get it then, let it not be your fault.
6. Everybody talks first draft.

Number five Is my favorite. I've quoted it before. (some teacher was being an arse, IIRC)


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