Comments on: “Write for yourself, edit for your readers” http://www.sindark.com/2009/09/04/write-for-yourself-edit-for-your-readers/ Temporarily Torontonian Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:01:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: . http://www.sindark.com/2009/09/04/write-for-yourself-edit-for-your-readers/#comment-116732 . Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:54:39 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=6267#comment-116732 <a href="http://www.indiauncut.com/iublog/article/vs-naipauls-advice-to-writers-rules-for-beginners/" title="VS Naipaul’s Advice To Writers - The India Uncut Blog - India Uncut" rel="nofollow">VS Naipaul’s Rules for Beginners</a> 1. Do not write long sentences. A sentence should not have more than ten or twelve words. 2. Each sentence should make a clear statement. It should add to the statement that went before. A good paragraph is a series of clear, linked statements. 3. Do not use big words. If your computer tells you that your average word is more than five letters long, there is something wrong. The use of small words compels you to think about what you are writing. Even difficult ideas can be broken down into small words. 4. Never use words whose meaning you are not sure of. If you break this rule you should look for other work. 5. The beginner should avoid using adjectives, except those of colour, size and number. Use as few adverbs as possible. 6. Avoid the abstract. Always go for the concrete. 7. Every day, for six months at least, practice writing in this way. Small words; short, clear, concrete sentences. It may be awkward, but it’s training you in the use of language. It may even be getting rid of the bad language habits you picked up at the university. You may go beyond these rules after you have thoroughly understood and mastered them. VS Naipaul’s Rules for Beginners

1. Do not write long sentences. A sentence should not have more than ten or twelve words.

2. Each sentence should make a clear statement. It should add to the statement that went before. A good paragraph is a series of clear, linked statements.

3. Do not use big words. If your computer tells you that your average word is more than five letters long, there is something wrong. The use of small words compels you to think about what you are writing. Even difficult ideas can be broken down into small words.

4. Never use words whose meaning you are not sure of. If you break this rule you should look for other work.

5. The beginner should avoid using adjectives, except those of colour, size and number. Use as few adverbs as possible.

6. Avoid the abstract. Always go for the concrete.

7. Every day, for six months at least, practice writing in this way. Small words; short, clear, concrete sentences. It may be awkward, but it’s training you in the use of language. It may even be getting rid of the bad language habits you picked up at the university. You may go beyond these rules after you have thoroughly understood and mastered them.

]]> By: . http://www.sindark.com/2009/09/04/write-for-yourself-edit-for-your-readers/#comment-81293 . Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:36:42 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=6267#comment-81293 "Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous." “Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.”

]]> By: Banksy91 http://www.sindark.com/2009/09/04/write-for-yourself-edit-for-your-readers/#comment-81292 Banksy91 Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:57:50 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=6267#comment-81292 I really think the passive voice gets a bad name. Of course if using the passive voice makes the sentence awkward then you should avoid using it in a sentence. The question is not whether one should use the passive tense or not but that one should always avoid awkward sentences. I really just hate blanket rules and I can think of many circumstances where all the rules above could and should be broken. I really think the passive voice gets a bad name. Of course if using the passive voice makes the sentence awkward then you should avoid using it in a sentence. The question is not whether one should use the passive tense or not but that one should always avoid awkward sentences.

I really just hate blanket rules and I can think of many circumstances where all the rules above could and should be broken.

]]> By: zoom http://www.sindark.com/2009/09/04/write-for-yourself-edit-for-your-readers/#comment-81289 zoom Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:25:25 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=6267#comment-81289 Good post. I try to edit all my blog posts down to 500 words or less after I've written them. They almost always benefit from this. Good post. I try to edit all my blog posts down to 500 words or less after I’ve written them. They almost always benefit from this.

]]> By: Emily http://www.sindark.com/2009/09/04/write-for-yourself-edit-for-your-readers/#comment-81288 Emily Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:49:35 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=6267#comment-81288 These rules are especially important, when you are very deliberately breaking them: the Cambridge ladies who live in furnished souls BY E. E. CUMMINGS the Cambridge ladies who live in furnished souls are unbeautiful and have comfortable minds (also, with the church's protestant blessings daughters,unscented shapeless spirited) they believe in Christ and Longfellow, both dead, are invariably interested in so many things— at the present writing one still finds delighted fingers knitting for the is it Poles? perhaps. While permanent faces coyly bandy scandal of Mrs. N and Professor D .... the Cambridge ladies do not care, above Cambridge if sometimes in its box of sky lavender and cornerless, the moon rattles like a fragment of angry candy These rules are especially important, when you are very deliberately breaking them:

the Cambridge ladies who live in furnished souls

BY E. E. CUMMINGS

the Cambridge ladies who live in furnished souls
are unbeautiful and have comfortable minds
(also, with the church’s protestant blessings
daughters,unscented shapeless spirited)
they believe in Christ and Longfellow, both dead,
are invariably interested in so many things—
at the present writing one still finds
delighted fingers knitting for the is it Poles?
perhaps. While permanent faces coyly bandy
scandal of Mrs. N and Professor D
…. the Cambridge ladies do not care, above
Cambridge if sometimes in its box of
sky lavender and cornerless, the
moon rattles like a fragment of angry candy

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