Writing Rules! Advice From The Times on Writing Well - NYTimes.com

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Writing Rules! Advice From The Times on Writing Well - NYTimes.com

Prince Boucher stashed this in HowTo

Writing Rules Advice From The Times on Writing Well NYTimes com

Source: Writing Rules! Advice From The Times on Writing Well - NYTimes.com

Prince Boucher
9:09 AM Sep 22 2012

Stashed in: #lifehacks, #inspiration, #greatness, FAIL, Words!, Practice, Advice, Communication, Listen!, Productivity, Create, Writing!, Rules

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Advice on Writing Well!

Prince Boucher
9:09 AM Sep 22 2012

Worth re-reading, too!

Adam Rifkin
5:31 PM Jun 20 2013

This is excellent, Prince.

Summary:

1. Listen to the voice inside your head. Memorize some poetry or prose to get rhythm, tone, and elegance into your sentences.

2. Learn from the masters. Copy out your favorite bits of advice for future inspiration.

3. Read great writers. Writing great depends on reading great.

4. Show and tell. Then take a nap.

5. Sentences are miniature narratives. Be unhurried and bring lyrical literary devices to make your sentences musical.

6. Avoid zombie nouns that cannibalize active verbs.

7. Punctuate wisely. Exclaim boldly!

8. Writing is rewriting. Edit early and often.

9. Be willing to fail. They can't all be golden eggs. Practice!!!

This is excellent, Prince.

Summary:

1. Listen to the voice inside your head. Memorize some poetry or prose to <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/13/where-do-sentences-come-from/">get rhythm, tone, and elegance into your sentences</a>.

2. Learn from the masters. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.nytimes.com/books/specials/writers.html">Copy out your favorite bits of advice</a> for future inspiration.

3. Read great writers. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/books/review/how-to-write-great.html">Writing great</a> depends on reading great.

4. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/books/review/colson-whiteheads-rules-for-writing.html">Show and tell</a>. Then take a nap.

5. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/19/the-sentence-as-a-miniature-narrative/">Sentences are miniature narratives</a>. Be <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/28/sentences-crisp-sassy-stirring/">unhurried</a> and bring <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/11/the-sound-of-a-sentence/">lyrical literary devices</a> to make your sentences musical.

6. Avoid <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/23/zombie-nouns/">zombie nouns</a> that cannibalize active verbs.

7. Punctuate wisely. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/06/the-point-of-exclamation/">Exclaim boldly!</a>

8. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/09/books/revision-and-life-take-it-from-the-top-again.html">Writing is rewriting</a>. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/31/opinion/31shipley.html">Edit early and often</a>.

9. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/books/review/how-to-write-how-to.html">Be willing to fail</a>. They can't all be golden eggs. Practice!!!

Adam Rifkin
8:38 AM Sep 23 2012

Writing Rules! Advice From The Times on Writing Well - NYTimes.com

Prince Boucher stashed this in HowTo

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