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100 Ways to Improve Your Writing: Proven Professional Techniques for Writing With Style and Power
This is the one guide that anyone who writes--whether student, business person, or professional writer--should put on the desk beside pencil, pen, typewriter, or word processor. Filled with professional tips and a wealth of instructive examples, this valuable, easy-to-use handbook can help you solve any and all writing problems.
176 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1985
526 people are currently reading
4210 people want to read
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November 27, 2022
Short, pithy and very helpful tips on improving writing skills.
Many tips stood out for me including:
1. Make yourself likeable
2. Expand your vocabulary
3. Improve spelling
4. Eavesdrop
5. Write in your head
6. Choose a time and place to write
7. Talk about what you're writing
8. Set a tone and maintain it
9. Write in pyramid style; put 5 W's in first paragraph; key point is at the top
10. Use topic sentences at the beginning and end of paragraphs
11. Keep paragraphs short
12. Mimic spoken language
Many tips stood out for me including:
1. Make yourself likeable
2. Expand your vocabulary
3. Improve spelling
4. Eavesdrop
5. Write in your head
6. Choose a time and place to write
7. Talk about what you're writing
8. Set a tone and maintain it
9. Write in pyramid style; put 5 W's in first paragraph; key point is at the top
10. Use topic sentences at the beginning and end of paragraphs
11. Keep paragraphs short
12. Mimic spoken language
March 18, 2016
Paired together with Stephen King's On Writing and Strunk and White's The Elements of Style, you can't really do a whole lot better when it comes to writing advice. The common sense advice appearing in this book, as well as in the other two books, is fundamental to good writing. But it's all simple. It's all easy to understand, and chances are you've heard a lot of this stuff before via other sources. What makes this book unique is its quick-reference style. You can read a short clip of text, and learn a thing or two about what you should/shouldn't do as a standard--rules, if you understand anything about the world of writing, are made to be bent artistically. Use them as tools, not handcuffs.
Recommended to any aspiring writers, especially guys and gals who either need a refresher or who are completely new to the game. It's a great resource.
Recommended to any aspiring writers, especially guys and gals who either need a refresher or who are completely new to the game. It's a great resource.
June 15, 2023
น่าจะเขียนชื่อว่า the completely guideline how to write. ครบจบทีเดียวสำหรับคนอยากเขียน คนเขียนไม่ออก คนเขียนออกแต่เขียนต่อไม่ได้ คนเขียนต่อแต่ไม่มั่นใจว่าที่เขียนมันเป็นยังไง แน่นอนว่ามัน 101 มากๆ แต่เพราะมัน 101 มากๆ เวลาใช้คู่มืออันนี้มันเลยง่ายและหยิบเอาออกมาใช้ได้สะดวกทุกเวลา
ส่วนตัวคิดว่าความดีงามของการอ่าน non-fiction อย่างหนึ่งคือ คุณเปิดอ่านอะไร หน้าไหนก่อนก็ได้ จะเรียงตามลำดับหน้าหรือเปิดเฉพาะแค่หัวข้อที่คุณติดแล้วแก้ไขเดี๋ยวนั้นก็ทำได้หมด เล่มนี้ก็ทำงานอย่างงั้นเหมือนกัน มันอาจจะไม่ได้แนะนำบอกว่า คุณควรอย่างไรให้มีการดึงดูดใจที่สุด คนติดตามที่สุด คนclickเยอะสุด แต่อย่างน้อยและที่สำคัญที่สุดสำหรับการเขียนคือ มันจะช่วยให้คุณเขียนเรื่องใดๆ ก็ตามจบ ไม่ว่าจะบทความที่ต้องเขียนส่งเพจ รายงานที่ต้องเขียนส่งอาจารย์ (หรือเจ้านาย) ไปจนถึงจดหมาย และแน่นอนที่สุดหรับนักเขียนมือใหม่ที่ไม่สามารถแต่งนิยายให้จบได้ อย่างน้อยคุณจะได้วิธีการคิดว่ามันควรจะจบหรือเริ่มอย่างไรดี
เมื่อเราอ่านๆ ไปแล้วเราจะเริ่มแบบ โห การจะเขียนได้ต้องขนาดนี้เลยหรอ วิธีการเลือกใช้คำ วิธีการเล่าเรื่อง การตัดจบ การเริ่มต้น และใช่ นั่นคือ “งานเขียนที่มีคุณภาพ” ควรจะมี อย่างน้อยที่สุดเราก็ควรเคารพผู้อ่านที่เสียสละเวลามาอ่านงานเขียนของเรา
และด้วยความที่คนเขียนใช้ภาษาอังกฤษเขียน ในเล่มการยกตัวอย่างจึงเป็นภาษาอังกฤษด้วย ซึ่งบางตัวอย่างทางสำนักพิมพ์ก็ไม่ได้แปล และเอาจริงๆ ก็ถูกต้องแล้วที่ไม่แปล เพราะบางอย่างพอแปลปุ้บเสียอรรถรสเลย (อย่างงานของปาป้านี่ใช่ แปลปุ้บ เป็นอีกอย่างปั้บ คือไม่ใช่แปลไม่ดี แต่การเลือกใช้คำของปาป้ามันเท่และทรงพลังมาก ซึ่งเป็นภาษาของเขา) ก็เลยคิดว่า บางคนที่ไม่ได้เก่งภาษา (เราก็คิดว่าตัวเองไม่เก่ง) อาจจะอ่านข้ามๆ หรือไม่ค่อยเข้าใจ (บางตัวอย่างเราก็ไม่อ่านเลย ขี้เกียจ...) ก็เป็นไปได้ ก็อยากจะ disclaimer เอาไว้ก่อนว่ามันมีบางส่วนที่อาจจะไม่ได้แปลทั้งหมด แต่ถึงอย่างนั้นก็ไม่ได้ทำให้คุณค่าของหนังสือลดน้อยลงแต่อย่างใด และยังช่วยทำให้เราเข้าใจมากขึ้นด้วยว่าทำไมแปลชื่อภาษาไทยแล้วยังต้องมีคำว่า “เขียนอังกฤษ” เพราะบางบริบทนั้นมันไม่มีในไทย (เช่นการใช้ , หรือ . แต่ส่วนตัวว่าจะใส่ก็ได้ ไม่ติด อ่อ ไม่เกี่ยวกับรีวิวหนังสือ)
เนื่องจากเราอ่านเล่มนี้หลังเล่ม ฉันและสามีและสามี ซึ่งในเล่มนั้นนางเอกก็เป็นนักเลือกถ้อยคำ ตอนแรกที่อ่านในเล่มก็งงๆ แบบ อาชีพอะไรอีกวะเนี่ย 5555 แต่พออ่านเล่มนี้แล้วเข้าใจมากขึ้นสองอย่าง หนึ่ง ถ้อยคำทรงพลังจริงๆ การเลือกใช้คำแบบนึงให้ผลอีกอย่างหนึ่ง สอง นักเขียนประเทศเกาหลีต้องมีคนมาแก้ไขคำให้ด้วยหรอวะ นึกว่านักเขียนต้องทำเอง 5555
เป็นอีกหนึ่งเล่มที่นักอยากเขียน นักเขียน นักเล่าเรื่องน่าจะมีไว้ติดบ้าน คิดไม่ออก บอกไม่ถูก ลองทำสักวิธีการ 1 ใน 100 วิธีของเล่มนี้แล้วน่าท่าจะเวิร์ค เพราะถ้าไม่เวิร์ค คุณนักเขียนบอกไว้ว่า ไม่ใช่ความผิดของคุณนักอ่านแต่อย่างไรที่ไม่ประสบผลความสำเร็จ แต่เป็นความผิดของนักเขียนที่ทำหน้าที่นี้ได้ไม่ดีพอต่างหาก
แต่ถ้าไม่ใช่นักอยากเขียน หรือนักเขียนเราจะอ่านเล่มนี้ไปทำไมละ? ก็ในสายตานักอ่านเราจะได้เรียนรู้ว่างานเขียนที่ดี กับงานเขียนที่เราอ่านแล้วมันแบบ เอ่อ มันแปกๆ นะ บอกไม่ถูก เป็นอย่างไร (ก็จะได้บอกถูกสักทีว่ามันแปลกและไม่ดีอย่างไร ไม่นับรวมความรู้สึกชอบไม่ชอบ แต่เป็นการอ่านที่วิพากษ์การเขียนไม่ใช่เนื้อเรื่อง)
ปล. รีวิวนี้ไม่ได้ใช้สิ่งที่หนังสือบอกมาสักอย่าง ในเล่ม ทริคนึงบอกว่า หลีกเลี่ยงการใช้ () ด้วยค่ะ 🌚🌝 (ขอโทษนะ เลิกไม่ได้จริงๆ)
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ส่วนตัวคิดว่าความดีงามของการอ่าน non-fiction อย่างหนึ่งคือ คุณเปิดอ่านอะไร หน้าไหนก่อนก็ได้ จะเรียงตามลำดับหน้าหรือเปิดเฉพาะแค่หัวข้อที่คุณติดแล้วแก้ไขเดี๋ยวนั้นก็ทำได้หมด เล่มนี้ก็ทำงานอย่างงั้นเหมือนกัน มันอาจจะไม่ได้แนะนำบอกว่า คุณควรอย่างไรให้มีการดึงดูดใจที่สุด คนติดตามที่สุด คนclickเยอะสุด แต่อย่างน้อยและที่สำคัญที่สุดสำหรับการเขียนคือ มันจะช่วยให้คุณเขียนเรื่องใดๆ ก็ตามจบ ไม่ว่าจะบทความที่ต้องเขียนส่งเพจ รายงานที่ต้องเขียนส่งอาจารย์ (หรือเจ้านาย) ไปจนถึงจดหมาย และแน่นอนที่สุดหรับนักเขียนมือใหม่ที่ไม่สามารถแต่งนิยายให้จบได้ อย่างน้อยคุณจะได้วิธีการคิดว่ามันควรจะจบหรือเริ่มอย่างไรดี
เมื่อเราอ่านๆ ไปแล้วเราจะเริ่มแบบ โห การจะเขียนได้ต้องขนาดนี้เลยหรอ วิธีการเลือกใช้คำ วิธีการเล่าเรื่อง การตัดจบ การเริ่มต้น และใช่ นั่นคือ “งานเขียนที่มีคุณภาพ” ควรจะมี อย่างน้อยที่สุดเราก็ควรเคารพผู้อ่านที่เสียสละเวลามาอ่านงานเขียนของเรา
และด้วยความที่คนเขียนใช้ภาษาอังกฤษเขียน ในเล่มการยกตัวอย่างจึงเป็นภาษาอังกฤษด้วย ซึ่งบางตัวอย่างทางสำนักพิมพ์ก็ไม่ได้แปล และเอาจริงๆ ก็ถูกต้องแล้วที่ไม่แปล เพราะบางอย่างพอแปลปุ้บเสียอรรถรสเลย (อย่างงานของปาป้านี่ใช่ แปลปุ้บ เป็นอีกอย่างปั้บ คือไม่ใช่แปลไม่ดี แต่การเลือกใช้คำของปาป้ามันเท่และทรงพลังมาก ซึ่งเป็นภาษาของเขา) ก็เลยคิดว่า บางคนที่ไม่ได้เก่งภาษา (เราก็คิดว่าตัวเองไม่เก่ง) อาจจะอ่านข้ามๆ หรือไม่ค่อยเข้าใจ (บางตัวอย่างเราก็ไม่อ่านเลย ขี้เกียจ...) ก็เป็นไปได้ ก็อยากจะ disclaimer เอาไว้ก่อนว่ามันมีบางส่วนที่อาจจะไม่ได้แปลทั้งหมด แต่ถึงอย่างนั้นก็ไม่ได้ทำให้คุณค่าของหนังสือลดน้อยลงแต่อย่างใด และยังช่วยทำให้เราเข้าใจมากขึ้นด้วยว่าทำไมแปลชื่อภาษาไทยแล้วยังต้องมีคำว่า “เขียนอังกฤษ” เพราะบางบริบทนั้นมันไม่มีในไทย (เช่นการใช้ , หรือ . แต่ส่วนตัวว่าจะใส่ก็ได้ ไม่ติด อ่อ ไม่เกี่ยวกับรีวิวหนังสือ)
เนื่องจากเราอ่านเล่มนี้หลังเล่ม ฉันและสามีและสามี ซึ่งในเล่มนั้นนางเอกก็เป็นนักเลือกถ้อยคำ ตอนแรกที่อ่านในเล่มก็งงๆ แบบ อาชีพอะไรอีกวะเนี่ย 5555 แต่พออ่านเล่มนี้แล้วเข้าใจมากขึ้นสองอย่าง หนึ่ง ถ้อยคำทรงพลังจริงๆ การเลือกใช้คำแบบนึงให้ผลอีกอย่างหนึ่ง สอง นักเขียนประเทศเกาหลีต้องมีคนมาแก้ไขคำให้ด้วยหรอวะ นึกว่านักเขียนต้องทำเอง 5555
เป็นอีกหนึ่งเล่มที่นักอยากเขียน นักเขียน นักเล่าเรื่องน่าจะมีไว้ติดบ้าน คิดไม่ออก บอกไม่ถูก ลองทำสักวิธีการ 1 ใน 100 วิธีของเล่มนี้แล้วน่าท่าจะเวิร์ค เพราะถ้าไม่เวิร์ค คุณนักเขียนบอกไว้ว่า ไม่ใช่ความผิดของคุณนักอ่านแต่อย่างไรที่ไม่ประสบผลความสำเร็จ แต่เป็นความผิดของนักเขียนที่ทำหน้าที่นี้ได้ไม่ดีพอต่างหาก
แต่ถ้าไม่ใช่นักอยากเขียน หรือนักเขียนเราจะอ่านเล่มนี้ไปทำไมละ? ก็ในสายตานักอ่านเราจะได้เรียนรู้ว่างานเขียนที่ดี กับงานเขียนที่เราอ่านแล้วมันแบบ เอ่อ มันแปกๆ นะ บอกไม่ถูก เป็นอย่างไร (ก็จะได้บอกถูกสักทีว่ามันแปลกและไม่ดีอย่างไร ไม่นับรวมความรู้สึกชอบไม่ชอบ แต่เป็นการอ่านที่วิพากษ์การเขียนไม่ใช่เนื้อเรื่อง)
ปล. รีวิวนี้ไม่ได้ใช้สิ่งที่หนังสือบอกมาสักอย่าง ในเล่ม ทริคนึงบอกว่า หลีกเลี่ยงการใช้ () ด้วยค่ะ 🌚🌝 (ขอโทษนะ เลิกไม่ได้จริงๆ)
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August 6, 2016
If I had to pick only one book on writing, this would be it.
October 9, 2021
“The fewer words you use to express an idea, the more impact that idea will have.”
The book gives you exactly what its title promises. A list of hundred ways to improve your writing. But the ways are vague and overly summarised.
The author offers tips from researching to publishing. He tackles not only the writing basics like the choice of the words and grammar but also skills crucial for the writer, like time management.
Yet. It’s clear that the author’s focus was on writing as many tips as he can, instead of writing them to be helpful. His points lack depth, explanations, and examples. For beginners, this won’t be the material they can absorb. For advanced writers, this is merely a tool for repeating what they have already heard. And for me, this is something I’ve read but then forgot most of it.
The book gives you exactly what its title promises. A list of hundred ways to improve your writing. But the ways are vague and overly summarised.
The author offers tips from researching to publishing. He tackles not only the writing basics like the choice of the words and grammar but also skills crucial for the writer, like time management.
Yet. It’s clear that the author’s focus was on writing as many tips as he can, instead of writing them to be helpful. His points lack depth, explanations, and examples. For beginners, this won’t be the material they can absorb. For advanced writers, this is merely a tool for repeating what they have already heard. And for me, this is something I’ve read but then forgot most of it.
August 13, 2020
These are the highlights that I'll review now and then:
Research
Before you write, track down the bits of information you are going to need.
Choose a time and place
It’s getting started that I abhor.
Can you lock the door? Turn off the phone? You will get more writing done in an undisturbed hour than you would in a dozen ten-minute spurts.
Do writing exercise
Just as you need to get your body warmed up to run, you need a little writing exercise before starting a writing project. A writing exercise can be almost anything that turns thoughts into words.
Organize your material
Create a list of questions about your subject before you begin research.
Gather much more material than you will use.
Make a list
Some writers will not write a magazine article until they have constructed an outline that is longer than the article they intend to write. Other writers begin with no outline at all, though they probably have a vague outline in mind.
Even if you are writing something short, such as a press release, it’s a good idea to make a list of essential elements.
Ask yourself why you are writing
If you cannot state clearly at least one reason for writing your story, article, or paper… don’t write it.
Write a strong lead
A lead should be provocative. It should have energy, excitement, an implicit promise that something is going to happen or that some interesting information will be revealed. It should create curiosity, get the reader asking questions.
Set a tone and maintain it
In your opening paragraph you set a tone. Your choice of words, your arrangement of those words, and your choice of information all convey to the reader some message about the tone of the story.
Use topic sentences
A topic sentence contains the thought that is developed throughout the rest of the paragraph. The topic sentence is commonly the first sentence in a paragraph. Deciding what to put in a paragraph and what to leave out will be easier if you first write a topic sentence. For each paragraph ask, “What point do I want to make? What question do I want to present?” Answer with a single general sentence. That is your topic sentence.
Write short paragraphs
Your writing will be faster, livelier, and clearer if you write short paragraphs.
Use transitional phrases
A transition in writing is a word or group of words that moves the reader from one place to another. You use a transition to show the reader the connection between what he has just read and what he is about to read by implying the relationship between those two bodies of information.
Avoid wordiness
Wordiness for the writer also means using long words when there are good short ones available, using uncommon words when familiar ones are handy, or using words that like the work of a Scrabble champion, not a writer.
Think about style
A reader usually picks up a story because of content but too often puts it down because of style.
Mimic spoken language
Your writing should convey to the reader a sense of conversation. It should furnish the immediacy and the warmth of a personal conversation.
Writing provides time for contemplation. Use it well.
Write complete sentences
Good writing often contains incomplete sentences. The incomplete sentence is a useful tool. Used wisely, it can invigorate the music of your words. Like a chime. Or the beat of a drum.
Incomplete sentences do not fare well in large numbers or in groups. They draw their musical strength and often their meaning from the complete sentences that surround them.
Show, don’t tell
It usually takes more words to show than to tell, but you can afford a few extra words for a tool this valuable. Show, don’t tell. Even in business letters and memos.
Don’t force a personal style
Style is not something you can put onto your writing like a new set of clothes. Style is your writing. It is inexorably knotted to the content of your words and the nature of you.
Use short words
Short words tend to be more powerful and less pretentious than longer words. Rape is a powerful term; sexual assault isn’t. Stop is stronger than discontinue.
Use dense words
A dense word is a word that crowds a lot of meaning into a small space. Once a month is monthly, something new is novel and something impossible to imagine is inconceivable.
Use active verbs
Active verbs do something. Inactive verbs are something. You will gain power over readers if you change verbs of being such as is, was, and will be to verbs of motion and action.
Bad: A grandfather clock was in one corner, and three books were on top of it.
Better: A grandfather clock towered in one corner, and three books lay on top of it.
Use strong verbs
If your verbs are weak, all the modifiers in the world won’t save your story from dullness. Strong verbs will reduce the number of words in your sentences by eliminating many adverbs. Turn look into stare, gaze, peer, peek, or gawk. Turn throw into toss, flip, or hurl.
Use specific noun
When you take out a general word and put in a specific one, you usually improve your writing. But when you use a specific word, readers assume you are trying to tell something, so make sure you choose the specific word that delivers the message you want delivered.
Be specific
Try to be specific without being wordy. Don’t make a sentence specific by hooking up a freight train of details to it.
Use statistics
Statistics should be sprinkled like pepper, not smeared like butter.
Put emphatic words at the end
Emphatic words are those words you want the reader to pay special attention to. They contain the information you are most eager to communicate. You can get that extra attention for those words by placing them at the end of the sentence.
Show your opinion
If I put my opinion into the story, I also include opinions of people who don’t agree with me. I don’t care if the reader agrees with my opinion. The important thing is that he or she respond to it. If you can stir your reader up, then your writing has achieved some success.
Prefer good writing to good grammar
Think about what you have written
Before you complete a final draft, let at least a day pass and then think carefully about what you wrote before turning to your keyboard.
Use common sense
Have I communicated well? Have I pleased my readers? Have I given them something that is a joy to read? Have I entertained them, informed them, persuaded them, and made my thoughts clear to them? Have I given them what they wanted?
And these are the questions you must ask about all that you write. If the answers are yes, you have succeeded. If the answers are no, you have failed. Writing well is what counts.
Research
Before you write, track down the bits of information you are going to need.
Choose a time and place
It’s getting started that I abhor.
Can you lock the door? Turn off the phone? You will get more writing done in an undisturbed hour than you would in a dozen ten-minute spurts.
Do writing exercise
Just as you need to get your body warmed up to run, you need a little writing exercise before starting a writing project. A writing exercise can be almost anything that turns thoughts into words.
Organize your material
Create a list of questions about your subject before you begin research.
Gather much more material than you will use.
Make a list
Some writers will not write a magazine article until they have constructed an outline that is longer than the article they intend to write. Other writers begin with no outline at all, though they probably have a vague outline in mind.
Even if you are writing something short, such as a press release, it’s a good idea to make a list of essential elements.
Ask yourself why you are writing
If you cannot state clearly at least one reason for writing your story, article, or paper… don’t write it.
Write a strong lead
A lead should be provocative. It should have energy, excitement, an implicit promise that something is going to happen or that some interesting information will be revealed. It should create curiosity, get the reader asking questions.
Set a tone and maintain it
In your opening paragraph you set a tone. Your choice of words, your arrangement of those words, and your choice of information all convey to the reader some message about the tone of the story.
Use topic sentences
A topic sentence contains the thought that is developed throughout the rest of the paragraph. The topic sentence is commonly the first sentence in a paragraph. Deciding what to put in a paragraph and what to leave out will be easier if you first write a topic sentence. For each paragraph ask, “What point do I want to make? What question do I want to present?” Answer with a single general sentence. That is your topic sentence.
Write short paragraphs
Your writing will be faster, livelier, and clearer if you write short paragraphs.
Use transitional phrases
A transition in writing is a word or group of words that moves the reader from one place to another. You use a transition to show the reader the connection between what he has just read and what he is about to read by implying the relationship between those two bodies of information.
Avoid wordiness
Wordiness for the writer also means using long words when there are good short ones available, using uncommon words when familiar ones are handy, or using words that like the work of a Scrabble champion, not a writer.
Think about style
A reader usually picks up a story because of content but too often puts it down because of style.
Mimic spoken language
Your writing should convey to the reader a sense of conversation. It should furnish the immediacy and the warmth of a personal conversation.
Writing provides time for contemplation. Use it well.
Write complete sentences
Good writing often contains incomplete sentences. The incomplete sentence is a useful tool. Used wisely, it can invigorate the music of your words. Like a chime. Or the beat of a drum.
Incomplete sentences do not fare well in large numbers or in groups. They draw their musical strength and often their meaning from the complete sentences that surround them.
Show, don’t tell
It usually takes more words to show than to tell, but you can afford a few extra words for a tool this valuable. Show, don’t tell. Even in business letters and memos.
Don’t force a personal style
Style is not something you can put onto your writing like a new set of clothes. Style is your writing. It is inexorably knotted to the content of your words and the nature of you.
Use short words
Short words tend to be more powerful and less pretentious than longer words. Rape is a powerful term; sexual assault isn’t. Stop is stronger than discontinue.
Use dense words
A dense word is a word that crowds a lot of meaning into a small space. Once a month is monthly, something new is novel and something impossible to imagine is inconceivable.
Use active verbs
Active verbs do something. Inactive verbs are something. You will gain power over readers if you change verbs of being such as is, was, and will be to verbs of motion and action.
Bad: A grandfather clock was in one corner, and three books were on top of it.
Better: A grandfather clock towered in one corner, and three books lay on top of it.
Use strong verbs
If your verbs are weak, all the modifiers in the world won’t save your story from dullness. Strong verbs will reduce the number of words in your sentences by eliminating many adverbs. Turn look into stare, gaze, peer, peek, or gawk. Turn throw into toss, flip, or hurl.
Use specific noun
When you take out a general word and put in a specific one, you usually improve your writing. But when you use a specific word, readers assume you are trying to tell something, so make sure you choose the specific word that delivers the message you want delivered.
Be specific
Try to be specific without being wordy. Don’t make a sentence specific by hooking up a freight train of details to it.
Use statistics
Statistics should be sprinkled like pepper, not smeared like butter.
Put emphatic words at the end
Emphatic words are those words you want the reader to pay special attention to. They contain the information you are most eager to communicate. You can get that extra attention for those words by placing them at the end of the sentence.
Show your opinion
If I put my opinion into the story, I also include opinions of people who don’t agree with me. I don’t care if the reader agrees with my opinion. The important thing is that he or she respond to it. If you can stir your reader up, then your writing has achieved some success.
Prefer good writing to good grammar
Think about what you have written
Before you complete a final draft, let at least a day pass and then think carefully about what you wrote before turning to your keyboard.
Use common sense
Have I communicated well? Have I pleased my readers? Have I given them something that is a joy to read? Have I entertained them, informed them, persuaded them, and made my thoughts clear to them? Have I given them what they wanted?
And these are the questions you must ask about all that you write. If the answers are yes, you have succeeded. If the answers are no, you have failed. Writing well is what counts.
July 10, 2020
Short, helpful book to improve your writing. It has a lot of tips, suggestions, and advice. I felt like it was geared toward more of the academic side than the creative side, but they are related. The only reason I deducted a star is because I knew a lot of it already (I’ve read numerous books on writing and am getting a MFA in it). If you’re new to writing, I’d recommend this book!
January 15, 2020
Ovo je trebalo da bude sveobuhvatna knjižica o tome kako da se bilo šta napiše, od novinarskog članka do knjige. S tim što se autor malo spetljao, i zvuči kao da ovi saveti važe za sve. A znamo da ne možete na isti način započeti roman i pisanje vesti, npr. na Blicovom portalu (ŠOKANTNO!).
U ovoj novoj ediciji koju sam čitala pokušali su da dodaju nove segmente usled razvoja interneta, ali to sve deluje nekako nabacano i nema veze sa ostatkom knjige. Vidi se šta je nakalemljeno jer nije napisano u autorovom duhu. Kod ovakvih tema koje se nužno proširuju vremenom, ipak sam za to da se očuva originalni tekst kakav god bio. Ako je autor pisao ovo u vreme kad su postojale samo pisaće mašine, nemojte dole dodavati kako se sad koriste programi na računaru.
U ovoj novoj ediciji koju sam čitala pokušali su da dodaju nove segmente usled razvoja interneta, ali to sve deluje nekako nabacano i nema veze sa ostatkom knjige. Vidi se šta je nakalemljeno jer nije napisano u autorovom duhu. Kod ovakvih tema koje se nužno proširuju vremenom, ipak sam za to da se očuva originalni tekst kakav god bio. Ako je autor pisao ovo u vreme kad su postojale samo pisaće mašine, nemojte dole dodavati kako se sad koriste programi na računaru.
January 7, 2024
likte denna og fikk ca 100 tips til kordan æ kan skrive bedre <3 f.eks. sjekk detta:
bokens litterære kaleidoskopiske myriade illuminerte for mitt indre øye kordan blytunge setninga forvandles til rent gull med en penn som min tryllestav
bokens litterære kaleidoskopiske myriade illuminerte for mitt indre øye kordan blytunge setninga forvandles til rent gull med en penn som min tryllestav
January 14, 2022
RATING: 4 STARS
100 Ways to Improve your Writing is a simple and useful look at the way to improve your writing, no matter what you write. If nothing else, Provost reminds you of practicing your writing. I wrote down some of his lists just to give me a continuing nudge.
100 Ways to Improve your Writing is a simple and useful look at the way to improve your writing, no matter what you write. If nothing else, Provost reminds you of practicing your writing. I wrote down some of his lists just to give me a continuing nudge.
March 13, 2018
Possivelmente um dos melhores livros de dicas para quem quer escrever bem. Direto, modesto, assertivo. Recomendo muito!
November 4, 2025
I used this as a professional development tool to help support students in a writing focused unit and this book delivers in a great way. It was written before the use of the internet but going back to just writing ideas was really refreshing to help support students when they can’t use AI to write their essays. I’m sure some of these ideas can be dated but this very quick read provides many great ideas and it is written in a witty way that doesn’t feel dry. As a professional development book, this was great.
January 5, 2018
Even though Gary Provost wrote 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing ‘way back in 1985, his tips are still relevant today. The tips are short and illustrated with examples, demonstrating good writing while explaining good writing. While the internet outdates such ideas as owning a dictionary and thesaurus; good grammar and spelling, ruthless editing, creating a strong beginning, and using powerful verbs and nouns will always be essential to good writing.
True to the claim on the cover, this book functions as both instant reference and cover-to-cover reading. It considers both writing itself and how to prepare oneself while not writing. Chapters on overcoming writer’s block, developing personal style, and saving time and energy alternate with chapters for writers to apply directly at the keyboard. The book has so many ideas that I’m considering replacing my library-loaned volume with copy of my own.
Any writer who aspires to greatness, whether student, hobbyist, or professional, will find pertinent suggestions here.
True to the claim on the cover, this book functions as both instant reference and cover-to-cover reading. It considers both writing itself and how to prepare oneself while not writing. Chapters on overcoming writer’s block, developing personal style, and saving time and energy alternate with chapters for writers to apply directly at the keyboard. The book has so many ideas that I’m considering replacing my library-loaned volume with copy of my own.
Any writer who aspires to greatness, whether student, hobbyist, or professional, will find pertinent suggestions here.
April 7, 2019
The amount of essays I have yet to write on my college journey prompted me to pick this book up.
For the most part, I did enjoy reading it - the writing style was good, the chapters were short, concise and straight to the point. With each and every tip, he would also show the reader the correct and the incorrect way to do it, so you can see it first hand how you're supposed to apply the tip in your own writing.
But when it comes to the advice? That's where the book, in my opinion, falls short. Even though I learned a couple of new things, for the most part, the advice was pretty obvious. I understand that a certain word count has to be met, but I think that a shorter book packed with information would be a more enjoyable read.
All in all, it's not that bad, but if you do have (at least some) experience with writing, you won't find it that helpful. On the other hand, if you are a complete novice, you should definitely give this book a go.
For the most part, I did enjoy reading it - the writing style was good, the chapters were short, concise and straight to the point. With each and every tip, he would also show the reader the correct and the incorrect way to do it, so you can see it first hand how you're supposed to apply the tip in your own writing.
But when it comes to the advice? That's where the book, in my opinion, falls short. Even though I learned a couple of new things, for the most part, the advice was pretty obvious. I understand that a certain word count has to be met, but I think that a shorter book packed with information would be a more enjoyable read.
All in all, it's not that bad, but if you do have (at least some) experience with writing, you won't find it that helpful. On the other hand, if you are a complete novice, you should definitely give this book a go.
March 2, 2017
I don't know why, but I love books like these.
The Elements of Style was terrific, and if there are more books like these, please do recommend them to me.
Gary Provost has divided the book into eleven different areas, which you can improve your writing. Everything from style, grammar, puntion and everything in between.
Sentencens like "You must know what job you need done, before you can pick the tools to do it" and "Only teenagers are justified in believing that each and every statement one utters is an exclamation" makes the book a terrific read.
I highlited a long list of chapters, often no more than a page, with rules I need to re-read more often than I probably will do.
The Elements of Style was terrific, and if there are more books like these, please do recommend them to me.
Gary Provost has divided the book into eleven different areas, which you can improve your writing. Everything from style, grammar, puntion and everything in between.
Sentencens like "You must know what job you need done, before you can pick the tools to do it" and "Only teenagers are justified in believing that each and every statement one utters is an exclamation" makes the book a terrific read.
I highlited a long list of chapters, often no more than a page, with rules I need to re-read more often than I probably will do.
June 9, 2025
Full review and summary.
I’ve read a lot of writing guides, but 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost stands out for its simplicity and practicality. Instead of rigid rules, Provost offers useful, down-to-earth advice that makes writing feel approachable, no matter your skill level. His tips on overcoming writer’s block, structuring ideas, and picturing a reader resonated with me the most. It’s one of those books I’ll return to whenever I need a refresher or motivation. If you write, whether for work, a blog, or just for yourself, this book is worth reading.
I’ve read a lot of writing guides, but 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost stands out for its simplicity and practicality. Instead of rigid rules, Provost offers useful, down-to-earth advice that makes writing feel approachable, no matter your skill level. His tips on overcoming writer’s block, structuring ideas, and picturing a reader resonated with me the most. It’s one of those books I’ll return to whenever I need a refresher or motivation. If you write, whether for work, a blog, or just for yourself, this book is worth reading.
February 21, 2024
Knihu som začala čítať so zvýrazňovačom v ruke, že si teda vyznačím nejaké zaujmavé pasáže, no asi v polovici som ho odložila s tým, že som si nič nezaznačila. Tým určite nechcem povedať, že by 100 rád v nej nebolo užitočných a pravdivých, myslím si však, že človek, ktorý sa už nejaký ten rok väčšinu ovláda, používa alebo o nich minimálne vie, že by používať mal (krátke vety napr. :D). A niekedy padne vhod si to takto osviežiť a pripomenúť - takže čítanie tejto knihy určite nebude strateným časom ani v prípade, že v písaní nie ste začiatočníci. Myslím, že sama po nej ešte niekedy siahnem a minimálne si ju prelistujem a pri niektorých častiach sa zastavím.
Celá kniha je štrukturovaná do kapitol rozdelených do podkapitol, ktoré dohromady tvoria tých sľúbených 100 tipov aj s konkrétnymi príkladmi. Myslím však, že v mnohých z nich sa samotným príkladom venovalo príliš veľa priestoru na úkor vysvetlenia konkrétnych odporúčaní (a často aj úplne zbytočne, pretože to, na čo sa nimi autor snažil poukázať, bolo veľmi samozrejmé).
Hoci sa autor snaží tipy na písanie podávať univerzálne a hovorí, že ich môžete aplikovať na čokoľvek, od písania e-mailu cez tlačovú správu až po román, hodiť sa budú skôr na to formálnejšie písanie. V jednom z tipov sa sám venuje tomu, ako by ste mali mať svoj vlastný štýl (ale nevysvetľuje ako si ho nájsť) - a osobne si myslím, že pri nachádzaní si vlastného štýlu možno na niektoré z jeho pravidiel zabudnúť, upraviť si ich, vymyslieť nové... ale to už je asi na každom autorovi (a následne čitateľovi, však).
Jedna kapitola v knihe je venovaná konkrétnym gramatickým/štylistickým javom v angličtine, čo môže byť užitočné aj v prípade, že sa chcete zdokonaliť v písaní v angličtine (ja som to dosť ocenila).
To, že autor sa odmieta vzdať generického maskulína asi ani nebudem komentovať, hoci pri updatovanom vydaní z roku 2019 je to už trochu smiešne.
Celkovo je to za mňa taký lepší priemer, život mi to nezmenilo, asi ani ten kariérny, ale za prečítanie to stojí.
Celá kniha je štrukturovaná do kapitol rozdelených do podkapitol, ktoré dohromady tvoria tých sľúbených 100 tipov aj s konkrétnymi príkladmi. Myslím však, že v mnohých z nich sa samotným príkladom venovalo príliš veľa priestoru na úkor vysvetlenia konkrétnych odporúčaní (a často aj úplne zbytočne, pretože to, na čo sa nimi autor snažil poukázať, bolo veľmi samozrejmé).
Hoci sa autor snaží tipy na písanie podávať univerzálne a hovorí, že ich môžete aplikovať na čokoľvek, od písania e-mailu cez tlačovú správu až po román, hodiť sa budú skôr na to formálnejšie písanie. V jednom z tipov sa sám venuje tomu, ako by ste mali mať svoj vlastný štýl (ale nevysvetľuje ako si ho nájsť) - a osobne si myslím, že pri nachádzaní si vlastného štýlu možno na niektoré z jeho pravidiel zabudnúť, upraviť si ich, vymyslieť nové... ale to už je asi na každom autorovi (a následne čitateľovi, však).
Jedna kapitola v knihe je venovaná konkrétnym gramatickým/štylistickým javom v angličtine, čo môže byť užitočné aj v prípade, že sa chcete zdokonaliť v písaní v angličtine (ja som to dosť ocenila).
To, že autor sa odmieta vzdať generického maskulína asi ani nebudem komentovať, hoci pri updatovanom vydaní z roku 2019 je to už trochu smiešne.
Celkovo je to za mňa taký lepší priemer, život mi to nezmenilo, asi ani ten kariérny, ale za prečítanie to stojí.
April 4, 2024
Excelente para quem escreve e mesmo para quem não escreve, mas gosta de ler . Com linguagem fluida e Clara, textos concisos, cheio de exemplos muito pertinentes e bem divertido ( confesso que me ri imensas vezes). O autor tem a capacidade de escrever com imenso humor, aos ouvidos do leitor, parecendo uma conversa de café entre duas pessoas onde há partilha de confidências, coisas privadas ( já sou eu a inventar , mas senti-me assim).
A tradução feita por Marco Neves está excelente e extremamente adaptada à língua portuguesa. Quem vai ouvindo este tradutor nas redes sociais e em várias coisas que também vai fazendo, quase que o ouve também através das linhas traduzidas destes textos.
Adorei e aconselho, a quem está também, nas lides da escrita . O meu livrinho ficou carregado de post it e anotações !
A tradução feita por Marco Neves está excelente e extremamente adaptada à língua portuguesa. Quem vai ouvindo este tradutor nas redes sociais e em várias coisas que também vai fazendo, quase que o ouve também através das linhas traduzidas destes textos.
Adorei e aconselho, a quem está também, nas lides da escrita . O meu livrinho ficou carregado de post it e anotações !
January 19, 2023
Short and to the point. General writing tips that could be useful for anyone. My key takeaways:
* Vary sentence length
* Use dense words (crowd meaning into 1 word)
* Use active strong, verbs
* Use specific nouns (jaguar vs car)
* Say things in a positive way
* Put emphatic words at the end of a sentence (the words you want readers to pay attention to)
* Use humor
* Think about how and why the writing will affect the reader. That’s what they care about most.
* Use anecdotes
* Cut unnecessary words
* Read your work out loud
* Vary sentence length
* Use dense words (crowd meaning into 1 word)
* Use active strong, verbs
* Use specific nouns (jaguar vs car)
* Say things in a positive way
* Put emphatic words at the end of a sentence (the words you want readers to pay attention to)
* Use humor
* Think about how and why the writing will affect the reader. That’s what they care about most.
* Use anecdotes
* Cut unnecessary words
* Read your work out loud
January 2, 2021
This is your go-to book when you want to get better at writing in general. Gary Provost gives you the best tips about writing clear, concise and readable texts.
Provost discusses multiple ways to enhance your writing style and guides you into the process of how to start writing anything (books, articles, ad copy)
If you are a student, marketer, (copy)writer, journalist or just interested in writing, read it.
Provost discusses multiple ways to enhance your writing style and guides you into the process of how to start writing anything (books, articles, ad copy)
If you are a student, marketer, (copy)writer, journalist or just interested in writing, read it.
March 22, 2021
A fairly quick audio book, Provost combines humor with teaching as he gives writing themed tips and advice. I appreciated the suggestions of books and websites like Vocabulary.com to help with writing and the narrator was very clear and easily understandable.
I would suggest to get this to use as a helper so you can jump to whatever writing problem you're having, rather that listening to it at double speed as I did.
I would suggest to get this to use as a helper so you can jump to whatever writing problem you're having, rather that listening to it at double speed as I did.
November 23, 2021
This is an excellent tool for the new and the experienced writer. 100 great things you can do to improve your writing. A lot of the suggestions tell you why they are important. I listened to the book, but it is necessary to have the Kindle or hardcopy version, as I find myself randomly looking through the book. It's good to hear or read these on a regular basis, until they are well learned.
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August 16, 2023Činjenica da čitam o pisanju umesto da zapravo pišem je stvarno nov nivo prokrastrinacije.
(ovo je okejiš, zapravo, može da bude korisno za studente osnovnih studija, ne znam za pisanje fikcije ili šta god).
(ovo je okejiš, zapravo, može da bude korisno za studente osnovnih studija, ne znam za pisanje fikcije ili šta god).
January 29, 2023
Concise, and with good examples, easy to understand.
February 27, 2024
ปกติเวลาเราอ่านหนังสือ เราเหมือนฟังผู้เขียนถ่ายทอดเนื้อหาออกมา เล่มนี้เหมือนกลับกัน ถ้าเราจะเป็นฝ่ายเขียนที่ดี เราจะเป็นยังไงนะ สิ่งที่จะสื่อสารแค่สิ่งเดียว แต่เราสามารถเขียนออกมาได้หลายแบบ ที่ทั้งให้ผู้อ่านรำคาญ หรือ เข้าใจได้ง่ายขึ้น
การจะเป็นผู้เขียนได้ต้องเริ่มเตรียมตัวอย่างหนัก ทั้งการฝึกเก็บคำศัพท์ การคิดเรื่องในหัว การอ่านงานคนอื่น การฝึกเขียน ไปจนกระทั่งเริ่มเขียนออกมา การจัดโครงสร้างประโยค การเลือกคำศัพท์ ไปจนถึงเครื่องหมายต่างๆ
เป็นเล่มที่ที่ทำให้เรากลับมาคิดถึงการเขียนที่ผ่านมา และการพัฒนาการเขียนในอนาคตของเรา
การจะเป็นผู้เขียนได้ต้องเริ่มเตรียมตัวอย่างหนัก ทั้งการฝึกเก็บคำศัพท์ การคิดเรื่องในหัว การอ่านงานคนอื่น การฝึกเขียน ไปจนกระทั่งเริ่มเขียนออกมา การจัดโครงสร้างประโยค การเลือกคำศัพท์ ไปจนถึงเครื่องหมายต่างๆ
เป็นเล่มที่ที่ทำให้เรากลับมาคิดถึงการเขียนที่ผ่านมา และการพัฒนาการเขียนในอนาคตของเรา
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May 26, 2023As the name suggests, this book by Mr. Gary Provost outlines 100 ways to improve writing. These 100 ways are divided into crisp eleven chapters. The book is a handy treasury of ideas, interesting examples and functional pointers that may turn out to be super-useful for anyone seeking refinement of their writing, and accelerate the momentum of their writing process. In this review, I share 46 pointers that I curated upon reading the book.
For easy rememberance, I’ve divided the video into 3 parts – Quick Tips & Tricks, Lessons in the Craft of Writing & Common Errors and Mistakes To Avoid in Writing.
Let’s breeze through these!
QUICK TIPS & TRICKS
#1 Get some reference books
• Get some Reference Books such as a dictionary, encyclopedia and thesaurus.
#2 Improve Your Spellings
#3 Expand Your Vocabulary
#4 Read
• Read, and listen to what you read. Listen for the sound of the language, the music. Note the punctuation, the spelling, the logical progression of information.
#5 Take a class
#6 Research. Join a library.
#7 Eavesdrop
• Be nosy. Listen to conversations on the bus, in the elevator. Screen out the words sometimes and listen only to the music. Tune into teenagers’ conversations and you’ll pick latest slang. Find out what people are talking about, what they care about. All of this will help you to communicate more effectively through your writing.
#8 Write in your head
• If you have spent time writing in your head, you’ll have a head start when you actually sit down to write.
#9 Copy Something
• Copy quotes, sentences, paragraphs and writing from some popular or famous works.
#10 Keep a journal
• If you’ve some sort of notebook or diary that you return to often with your written thoughts, opinions, observations and various bits of wit, you’ll have a place in which to exercise your writing muscles. You’ll learn to write succinctly and clearly the events of your daily life. You’ll learn to pluck from each event just the details needed to create a sense of the whole. If you keep a journal, you’ll grow as a writer, and you’ll find that sooner or later, no matter what you’ve to write professionally, your personal experiences will play a part.
#11 Do Writing Exercises
#12 Organize Your material
• Organizing will help you lock in the logic of what you say, and it’ll speed the writing process. Organizing will help to create an overall unity as well as several interior unities.
#13 Make a list or a checklist.
#14 Picture a reader
• Write a letter to your imaginary reader. icture the reader to be in the room with you.
#15 Steal
• Be a literary pack-rat.
• Brighten up your story with a metaphor you read in the Sunday paper. Make a point with an anecdote you heard at the barber shop. Let a character tell a joke you heard in a bar. But steal small, not big. Be wary of plagiarism.
#16 use examples, quotations, quotes, facts and anecdotes in your writing
#17 Colour your stories with your opinions
• You don’t have to care whether the reader agrees with your opinion or not, the reader only has to respond to it.
#18 Ask Yourself Why You’re Writing
• What are your goals? Are you trying to make your readers laugh? Are you trying to persuade them to buy a product? Are you trying to advise them? Are you trying to inform them so you can make a decision?
• You must know what you want done before you pick the tools to do it.
LESSONS IN THE CRAFT OF WRITING
#19 Find a Slant
• Do not try to write everything about your subject. All subjects are inexhaustible.
• Tie yourself to a specific idea about your subject. This idea is called slant. Ex: Glass windows – stained glass windows
#20 Write a strong lead
• The lead is whatever it takes to lead your readers so deeply into your story or article that they’ll not turn back unless you stray from the path you’ve put them on.
• A good lead is the one that is provocative, energetic, of appropriate respective length and gives the readers something to care about.
#21 How to Write Beginnings
• Cross out every sentence in the initial drafts until you come to the one you cannot do without.
• Set a tone and maintain it.
#22 Use Pyramid Construction
• Writing in pyramid style means getting to the point at the top, putting the “who, what, when, where and why” in the first paragraph and developing the supporting information under it.
#23 Use topic Sentences
• A topic sentence in a paragraph is a sentence containing the thought that is developed throughout the rest of the paragraph.
#24 Write short paragraphs.
#25 On Transitions In Writing
• Use transitional phrases to make the transition between sentences quick, smooth, quiet, reliable and logical.
• Use bridge words for transitions.
• Don’t use transitions to conceal information. Ex: Don’t write “John went to the museum” if later you intend to show that John had an accident while going to the museum.
• Explain, not acknowledge, the awkward transitions.
#26 On STYLE
• Style is the way an idea is expressed, not the idea itself.
• Style is form, not content.
• A reader usually picks up a story because to the content but too often puts it down because to style.
• there is no subject that cannot be made fascinating by a well-informed and competent writer.
#27 Writing is music
• To write is to create music. The words you write create sounds and when these sounds are in harmony, the writing will work.
• Listen to your writing.
• Listen for the dissonance. Listen for the beat. Listen for the gaps. Listen for the sour notes.
#28 Vary sentence length.
• This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals–sounds that say listen to this, it is important.
SO, write with a combination of short, medium and long sentences. Create a sound that pleases the reader’s ears. Don’t just write words. Write music.
#29 Know how to use punctuation correctly
• Don’t use punctuation as decoration. Avoid using unnecessary dashes, ellipses or quotation marks, the way drunks use whiskey.
• Use Commas to add clarity to a sentence. Read it aloud. In a pause really needed for clarity?
• Use a Semicolon when a comma would not give your sentence the sufficient pause. Also, to separate a word series that contain commas. For instance, He bought soda, potato chips, icecream and candy; several games; three record albums.
• Colons are used to introduce lists, formal quotations and examples.
• Use exclamation only when exclaiming and question marks only when asking questions.
• Trust your sentences to reveal emotions. Don’t rely on punctuation to show how much feeling you bring to your writing.
• All words taken directly from another’s speech or writing must be set off in quotation marks. Do not use quotation marks around the words that are not directly taken from a speech or writing. If a quote is contained within a quote, use a single quotation mark for the inner quote. Use quotation marks around word or phrase you intend to explain.
#30 Respect the rules of grammar
• The rules of grammar organize the language just as the rules of arithmetic organize the world of numbers.
• Grammatical rules about tense, gender, number, person and case provide us with a literary currency that we can spend wherever english is spoken or read.
#31 Prefer Good writing to Good grammar
• Keep in mind that good grammar, even perfect grammar, doesn’t guarantee good writing any more than a good referee guarantees a good basketball game.
#32 Create a strong title
• a good title is short.
• a good title will make the reader curious
• a good title reveals information, not hide it
• a good title suggests the slant of the story
#33 On Writing Complete & Incomplete Sentences
• “The cat jumped off the roof” is a complete sentence. “The cat jumped” is also a complete sentence. ‘The cat” however, is not a complete sentence.
• Write complete sentences 99% of the time. But every now and then, if a partial sentence sounds right to you, that’s what you should write. Period.
#34 Show don’t tell.
• Trust the reader to understand what you’re showing through your writing.
#35 Use parallel construction
• Just as the steady beat of a drum can often enrich a melody, the repetition of a sound can often improve the music of your writing. This is called parallel construction.
• Fish gotta swim and flying is something that birds should do. – Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly.
#36 Use words that are short, dense & familiar
• Instead of once a month, use monthly.
• Instead of something new, use novel, etc.
#37 Use strong verbs. Use active verbs.
• Verbs, words of action are primary source of energy in your sentence. Active verbs do something. Inactive verbs are something. Set your sentence in motion by using strong & active verbs.
• Ex: The clock was in the corner of the wall. – The clock towered in the corner of the wall.
• Turn look into stare, gaze, peek, etc.
• Be suspicious of adverbs.
#38 Be specific
• Picture a box. Picture a black box. Picture a black box with silver hinges.
• Be specific in your writing without being too wordy.
#39 Don’t force a personal style
• Style is not something you can put into your writing like a new set of clothes. Style is your writing. It is inexorably knotted to the content of your words and the nature of you. So do not pour the clay of your thoughts into the hard mold of some personal writing style that you’re determined to have. Do not create in your head some witty, erudite, exciting persona and try to capture him or her on paper. Strive instead to write without self-consciousness. Then your style will emerge.
COMMON ERRORS & MISTAKES TO AVOID IN WRITING
#40 On Editing Early Drafts
• You’ll make mistakes in your early drafts. That’s okay. But before you type the final draft, let atleast a day pass, and then think carefully about what you wrote before turning to your typewriter. You may find that what you thought was brilliant prose on Tuesday borders on the moronic by Friday. On the other hand, you may discover that, what seemed trivial when you wrote it, is, in fact, profound.
• Cut unnecessary words. They’ll slow you down.
• Read aloud your work.
• Avoid using too many footnotes, jargon, parentheses and clichés
#41 Use specific nouns.
• Be on lookout for adjectives that are doing the work that could be done by a noun.
• Adjectives do for nouns, what adverbs do for verbs.
#42 Avoid Splitting infinitives
• A splitting infinitive when an adverb is placed between the word to and the verb. Ex: she wanted to quickly reach home. She wanted to reach the home quickly
#43 Avoid shifts in pronoun forms
• When one has written the paper, they should take a break. – when one has written the paper, one should take a break.
#44 Avoid Dangling Modifiers
• A dangling modifier is a word or a group of words that appears to modify an inappropriate word in the same sentence.
• The error occurs most often when passive rather than active voice is used.
• In drawing the picture, his wife was used as the model. In drawing the picture, he used his wife as the model.
#45 Do Not change tenses in the sentences of the same paragraph.
#46 learn how to use the possessive case
Ex: The perfume lost it’s scent. (Incorrect)
The perfume lost its scent. (Correct)
http://www.nehasnotebook.com/
For easy rememberance, I’ve divided the video into 3 parts – Quick Tips & Tricks, Lessons in the Craft of Writing & Common Errors and Mistakes To Avoid in Writing.
Let’s breeze through these!
QUICK TIPS & TRICKS
#1 Get some reference books
• Get some Reference Books such as a dictionary, encyclopedia and thesaurus.
#2 Improve Your Spellings
#3 Expand Your Vocabulary
#4 Read
• Read, and listen to what you read. Listen for the sound of the language, the music. Note the punctuation, the spelling, the logical progression of information.
#5 Take a class
#6 Research. Join a library.
#7 Eavesdrop
• Be nosy. Listen to conversations on the bus, in the elevator. Screen out the words sometimes and listen only to the music. Tune into teenagers’ conversations and you’ll pick latest slang. Find out what people are talking about, what they care about. All of this will help you to communicate more effectively through your writing.
#8 Write in your head
• If you have spent time writing in your head, you’ll have a head start when you actually sit down to write.
#9 Copy Something
• Copy quotes, sentences, paragraphs and writing from some popular or famous works.
#10 Keep a journal
• If you’ve some sort of notebook or diary that you return to often with your written thoughts, opinions, observations and various bits of wit, you’ll have a place in which to exercise your writing muscles. You’ll learn to write succinctly and clearly the events of your daily life. You’ll learn to pluck from each event just the details needed to create a sense of the whole. If you keep a journal, you’ll grow as a writer, and you’ll find that sooner or later, no matter what you’ve to write professionally, your personal experiences will play a part.
#11 Do Writing Exercises
#12 Organize Your material
• Organizing will help you lock in the logic of what you say, and it’ll speed the writing process. Organizing will help to create an overall unity as well as several interior unities.
#13 Make a list or a checklist.
#14 Picture a reader
• Write a letter to your imaginary reader. icture the reader to be in the room with you.
#15 Steal
• Be a literary pack-rat.
• Brighten up your story with a metaphor you read in the Sunday paper. Make a point with an anecdote you heard at the barber shop. Let a character tell a joke you heard in a bar. But steal small, not big. Be wary of plagiarism.
#16 use examples, quotations, quotes, facts and anecdotes in your writing
#17 Colour your stories with your opinions
• You don’t have to care whether the reader agrees with your opinion or not, the reader only has to respond to it.
#18 Ask Yourself Why You’re Writing
• What are your goals? Are you trying to make your readers laugh? Are you trying to persuade them to buy a product? Are you trying to advise them? Are you trying to inform them so you can make a decision?
• You must know what you want done before you pick the tools to do it.
LESSONS IN THE CRAFT OF WRITING
#19 Find a Slant
• Do not try to write everything about your subject. All subjects are inexhaustible.
• Tie yourself to a specific idea about your subject. This idea is called slant. Ex: Glass windows – stained glass windows
#20 Write a strong lead
• The lead is whatever it takes to lead your readers so deeply into your story or article that they’ll not turn back unless you stray from the path you’ve put them on.
• A good lead is the one that is provocative, energetic, of appropriate respective length and gives the readers something to care about.
#21 How to Write Beginnings
• Cross out every sentence in the initial drafts until you come to the one you cannot do without.
• Set a tone and maintain it.
#22 Use Pyramid Construction
• Writing in pyramid style means getting to the point at the top, putting the “who, what, when, where and why” in the first paragraph and developing the supporting information under it.
#23 Use topic Sentences
• A topic sentence in a paragraph is a sentence containing the thought that is developed throughout the rest of the paragraph.
#24 Write short paragraphs.
#25 On Transitions In Writing
• Use transitional phrases to make the transition between sentences quick, smooth, quiet, reliable and logical.
• Use bridge words for transitions.
• Don’t use transitions to conceal information. Ex: Don’t write “John went to the museum” if later you intend to show that John had an accident while going to the museum.
• Explain, not acknowledge, the awkward transitions.
#26 On STYLE
• Style is the way an idea is expressed, not the idea itself.
• Style is form, not content.
• A reader usually picks up a story because to the content but too often puts it down because to style.
• there is no subject that cannot be made fascinating by a well-informed and competent writer.
#27 Writing is music
• To write is to create music. The words you write create sounds and when these sounds are in harmony, the writing will work.
• Listen to your writing.
• Listen for the dissonance. Listen for the beat. Listen for the gaps. Listen for the sour notes.
#28 Vary sentence length.
• This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals–sounds that say listen to this, it is important.
SO, write with a combination of short, medium and long sentences. Create a sound that pleases the reader’s ears. Don’t just write words. Write music.
#29 Know how to use punctuation correctly
• Don’t use punctuation as decoration. Avoid using unnecessary dashes, ellipses or quotation marks, the way drunks use whiskey.
• Use Commas to add clarity to a sentence. Read it aloud. In a pause really needed for clarity?
• Use a Semicolon when a comma would not give your sentence the sufficient pause. Also, to separate a word series that contain commas. For instance, He bought soda, potato chips, icecream and candy; several games; three record albums.
• Colons are used to introduce lists, formal quotations and examples.
• Use exclamation only when exclaiming and question marks only when asking questions.
• Trust your sentences to reveal emotions. Don’t rely on punctuation to show how much feeling you bring to your writing.
• All words taken directly from another’s speech or writing must be set off in quotation marks. Do not use quotation marks around the words that are not directly taken from a speech or writing. If a quote is contained within a quote, use a single quotation mark for the inner quote. Use quotation marks around word or phrase you intend to explain.
#30 Respect the rules of grammar
• The rules of grammar organize the language just as the rules of arithmetic organize the world of numbers.
• Grammatical rules about tense, gender, number, person and case provide us with a literary currency that we can spend wherever english is spoken or read.
#31 Prefer Good writing to Good grammar
• Keep in mind that good grammar, even perfect grammar, doesn’t guarantee good writing any more than a good referee guarantees a good basketball game.
#32 Create a strong title
• a good title is short.
• a good title will make the reader curious
• a good title reveals information, not hide it
• a good title suggests the slant of the story
#33 On Writing Complete & Incomplete Sentences
• “The cat jumped off the roof” is a complete sentence. “The cat jumped” is also a complete sentence. ‘The cat” however, is not a complete sentence.
• Write complete sentences 99% of the time. But every now and then, if a partial sentence sounds right to you, that’s what you should write. Period.
#34 Show don’t tell.
• Trust the reader to understand what you’re showing through your writing.
#35 Use parallel construction
• Just as the steady beat of a drum can often enrich a melody, the repetition of a sound can often improve the music of your writing. This is called parallel construction.
• Fish gotta swim and flying is something that birds should do. – Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly.
#36 Use words that are short, dense & familiar
• Instead of once a month, use monthly.
• Instead of something new, use novel, etc.
#37 Use strong verbs. Use active verbs.
• Verbs, words of action are primary source of energy in your sentence. Active verbs do something. Inactive verbs are something. Set your sentence in motion by using strong & active verbs.
• Ex: The clock was in the corner of the wall. – The clock towered in the corner of the wall.
• Turn look into stare, gaze, peek, etc.
• Be suspicious of adverbs.
#38 Be specific
• Picture a box. Picture a black box. Picture a black box with silver hinges.
• Be specific in your writing without being too wordy.
#39 Don’t force a personal style
• Style is not something you can put into your writing like a new set of clothes. Style is your writing. It is inexorably knotted to the content of your words and the nature of you. So do not pour the clay of your thoughts into the hard mold of some personal writing style that you’re determined to have. Do not create in your head some witty, erudite, exciting persona and try to capture him or her on paper. Strive instead to write without self-consciousness. Then your style will emerge.
COMMON ERRORS & MISTAKES TO AVOID IN WRITING
#40 On Editing Early Drafts
• You’ll make mistakes in your early drafts. That’s okay. But before you type the final draft, let atleast a day pass, and then think carefully about what you wrote before turning to your typewriter. You may find that what you thought was brilliant prose on Tuesday borders on the moronic by Friday. On the other hand, you may discover that, what seemed trivial when you wrote it, is, in fact, profound.
• Cut unnecessary words. They’ll slow you down.
• Read aloud your work.
• Avoid using too many footnotes, jargon, parentheses and clichés
#41 Use specific nouns.
• Be on lookout for adjectives that are doing the work that could be done by a noun.
• Adjectives do for nouns, what adverbs do for verbs.
#42 Avoid Splitting infinitives
• A splitting infinitive when an adverb is placed between the word to and the verb. Ex: she wanted to quickly reach home. She wanted to reach the home quickly
#43 Avoid shifts in pronoun forms
• When one has written the paper, they should take a break. – when one has written the paper, one should take a break.
#44 Avoid Dangling Modifiers
• A dangling modifier is a word or a group of words that appears to modify an inappropriate word in the same sentence.
• The error occurs most often when passive rather than active voice is used.
• In drawing the picture, his wife was used as the model. In drawing the picture, he used his wife as the model.
#45 Do Not change tenses in the sentences of the same paragraph.
#46 learn how to use the possessive case
Ex: The perfume lost it’s scent. (Incorrect)
The perfume lost its scent. (Correct)
http://www.nehasnotebook.com/
November 2, 2025
Enjoyed reading this book which covers unconventional tips of writing which you can readily implement
June 12, 2018
Unbelievable book on the craft of writing.
Yes. Slightly dated; it was written 30+ years ago. And yet, it's still so good.
The first line of the book is, "This book will teach you how to write better ransom notes."
That's gold.
If you're a full time writer, read it.
If you only write emails, read it.
If you don't write anything but have to formulate sentences to order at McDonald's ever once in a while, read it.
Yes. Slightly dated; it was written 30+ years ago. And yet, it's still so good.
The first line of the book is, "This book will teach you how to write better ransom notes."
That's gold.
If you're a full time writer, read it.
If you only write emails, read it.
If you don't write anything but have to formulate sentences to order at McDonald's ever once in a while, read it.
January 10, 2021
I think the book gives practical, tangible advice.
It is a no-nonsense guide and cuts straight to heart of various aspects; psychological trick, resources, grammatical rule, style, etc..
I would rate it a 4 1/2 if could be. It is not quite a 5 in my opinion, it is not stellar in where reader will instantaneously hone their ability (and not many things, anyhow will achieve of this. I broke one of his tips, with the parentheses. Two actually, with the mitigating commas).
There are parts that are sole opinion where I personally feel it stems down to the person's overall style and tone. And that is fine. Teachers and skilled authors will have their own opinion, just as Mark Twain as Gary referenced was aversive to parentheses usage.
I would have to say that his chapters on grammar (8-9) and Writer's Block (2) have most to offer. Majority of his advice is common sense, but there are nuggets imbued within its course that are truly useful.
What I specifically am fond of is how the book is set up; split into small figments and tips, making an ease as to read. It most certainly is a worthwhile read and you will gain skill from its reading. I think the last tip (100) is very strategically placed, and his introductory is reassuring and humble. He has decent vocabulary, good humor, and there is a tone exemplifying experience, as well it being personable.
It is a no-nonsense guide and cuts straight to heart of various aspects; psychological trick, resources, grammatical rule, style, etc..
I would rate it a 4 1/2 if could be. It is not quite a 5 in my opinion, it is not stellar in where reader will instantaneously hone their ability (and not many things, anyhow will achieve of this. I broke one of his tips, with the parentheses. Two actually, with the mitigating commas).
There are parts that are sole opinion where I personally feel it stems down to the person's overall style and tone. And that is fine. Teachers and skilled authors will have their own opinion, just as Mark Twain as Gary referenced was aversive to parentheses usage.
I would have to say that his chapters on grammar (8-9) and Writer's Block (2) have most to offer. Majority of his advice is common sense, but there are nuggets imbued within its course that are truly useful.
What I specifically am fond of is how the book is set up; split into small figments and tips, making an ease as to read. It most certainly is a worthwhile read and you will gain skill from its reading. I think the last tip (100) is very strategically placed, and his introductory is reassuring and humble. He has decent vocabulary, good humor, and there is a tone exemplifying experience, as well it being personable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews