Authors, Writers, Publishers, and Book Readers
What George Orwell would advise you about writing
When he wrote an essay entitled Politics and The English Language, he included in it these rules to improve your writing:
- Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
- Never use a long word where a short one will do.
- If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
- Never use the passive where you can use the active.
- Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
- Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
You can read the full essay here.
Are you guilty of any of these?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kay Elizabeth on
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That's very good advice he gave there! It reminds me of William Strunk and The Elements of Style.
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