![]() You might even find a more effective one this way. While you don't need three different words to convey a single action or identify a certain object, sometimes it helps in revision to take a peek at a thesaurus if a word doesn't feel quite right. Clark explains how simple, straightforward writing is better for clarity and understanding, and can convey ideas much easier than technical jargon.Ĭonsult a thesaurus to remind yourself of words you already know. Prefer the simple over the technical.Ī common misconception among young or inexperienced writers is that flowery language and technical terms make their writing sound sophisticated. He clarifies the difference between passive and active voices (hint: it has nothing to do with tense) and shows readers how their writing can be passive to great effect. Be passive-aggressive.Ĭlark addressed the conventional wisdom that writers ought to avoid the passive voice.except when it's beneficial. In creative and critical writing, you can reveal a lot and reveal it more efficiently through dialogue–just make sure you're using quotation marks correctly. ![]() Generally speaking, people prefer to read dialogue over blocks of texts explaining action. Readers tend to skim past longer sentences, and you don't want your best thought to be lost in between extra words. When it comes to the most forceful or powerful idea, you want to distill that idea to its essentials and let it shine in the sentence. No, you don't need to kill your characters! But don't be so vain and precious about your own creativity or clever sentences that you cannot cut them when they don't serve your larger purpose.Įxpress your best thought in your shortest sentence. If you're having trouble with your work, trust that it needs more time and the writing is a process–you can't skip any steps. Writing is a process, and no one writes a perfect first draft. It's incredible how your writing can change from the page to when you speak it aloud–you'll catch errors, inconsistencies, and awkward phrasings, but you'll also get a better sense of voice, and if your voice is consistent throughout the text. Try experimenting with first, second, or third person, and past and present tense.Īlways read your work aloud to get a feel for voice. You may have an instinctive sense of how something ought to be written, but if your writing feels off, sometimes it's because it needs to be written in a different perspective. Write a short scene or vignette from different perspectives. Play around with that, and see what you can create! The dictionary definition is not the only definition–consider how words function, their formal meanings, and their implied meanings. ![]() The wonderful thing about language is that it is always evolving. Words have connotations and denotations-play with them.
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