The 4 most destructive writing rules
Feb 16th, 2009 | By John Roach | Category: Big PictureThere are a lot of people out there telling you how you should and shouldn’t write. Truth is, they don’t care how well you write, they’re just interested in selling you a book or getting hired as a writing coach. Well, I don’t have a book to sell, and I wouldn’t coach anyone fool enough to hire me, so I can tell you the truth. (Note to self: Get book to sell and stop insulting potential clients.)
With that in mind, I’ll dispel the 4 most destructive writing rules for you and give you one you can always count on.
- Avoid passive voice.
- Be concise.
- Omit needless words.
- Write what you know.
Passive voice is a tool. You wouldn’t tell a mechanic to avoid using a 7/8” socket or a taxi driver to avoid using the windshield wipers, would you? Every sentence form has a place, and passive forms are no exception. When the object is more interesting than the subject, or the subject is flat out unknown, it’s time to break out the “to be” verbs and get sedentary.
Brevity is the soul of wit, right? Well, unless you’re Douglas Adams. (Pro tip: You’re not.) You could call the late author of the inappropriately named 
(I must point out that this is not the same as the preceding item, which would be sort of a rip-off. ) A lot of people really hate 
thinks you’re boring. (Really, he was quite rude about it.) Let’s face it, most people are. I certainly am. So you don’t know enough to write interesting material. That’s why Drizzled and I came up with an exciting writing technique: research. With this clever trick, you can find out new things and write about those! Better advice would be “Know what you write.” Chances are, most of your readers are already pretty familiar with eating Cheetos and watching Friends reruns in your underpants. Better to introduce them to something new.
Finally, the one writing rule that no one can disagree with:
- Think for yourself.
While all of the above are great advice, they are terrible rules. Sure, they may work 90% of the time. Sure, they may get you out of most situations. But as you grow as a writer and hone your craft, your style will develop until you no longer need a checklist beside your manuscript. The thoughtful and attentive writer will have internalized the above rules and thousands more, but will realize when best to apply them and when to defy them.
|
This article was written by John Roach http://prowritingtips.com John is a writer and copy editor. You can follow him on twitter at . To see more posts click here |
I think knowing when to ignore rules is an important part of mastering any skill. I think that putting a little thought into why a rule is there gives you a good clue to possible exceptions.
Tracy, it’s funny that you’re the first one to comment, since you’re to blame for the whole article. You see, I spent the hour before writing it reading old entries on your blog and completely aped your style. Well, your style filtered through me, at least.
Huh? Who? What?? Hauh, gasp, cough, splut splut, wheeze…(wiping keyboard) pant pant. (whew) Oh, my.
LOL. Love it.
John, I do not believe that you are telling the truth and if you are, I fear you are on a fool’s quest for nobody, NOBODY will ever master the art of the “eh, why the heck not?” comma. I consider it my trademark.
I’m beginning to think I’m a style bully. I will bellow at people for using unnecessary adjectives and then lose all respect for them when they stop using them because I said so.
Is there a blog for recovering style bullies?
Well, you little rabble rouser. Oh how the writing Gods will smote thee.
All seriousness aside. I think your points are valid. So many people are afraid to write for fear of Tracy - um, I mean the grammar police
showing up on their doorstep in order to smack their knuckles with a ruler.
If it feels good, do it!
Cheers, oh and I love you, Tracy!!!!!
George
Writing concisely is a quality that I think reflects the kind of writer I am. It’s something I believe in and strive for. For the simple reason that I think great depth and inspiration can be conveyed in fewer words.
I find wordiness over a topic annoying. And this is why, in my own writing, I strive for being concise.
My rule of thumb is… get your idea across well. As well as possible. But also - in as few words as possible. Be kind to your reader. They will appreciate it.
I will check out your post on RobustWriting and comment on it later. That is a great blog.
@Rogers, sorry, I’m not buying you a new keyboard. But what was it that did you in?
@Tracy, it was really more of the zombies that I stole. You know you write about them all the time. By the way, you might want to check out ,
@Tumblemoose, I prefer to think of myself as an iconoclast. But I also smack my fair share of knuckles while wearing my copyediting hat. But there are rules, and then there are rules, as they say.
@Bamboo Forest, when do you do most of your concising, while writing or while revising?
I think both.
Because when I write I do it from the vantage point that I want to convey a point in as few sentences as possible, while still getting the full message across.
And then while revising, I’m also trying to tighten it up.
So I think both.
I try to be a concise writer. Of course, I may not always succeed. But I always try.
Hi John! The zombies were just because I thought I was supposed to write about what I know. Thanks to you I no longer feel constrained by that rule and will instead write about marketing. It was always my dream, but I thought you had to be some sort of expert first. Thanks!
And I am in love with Motivated Grammar.
I am a recovering spelling/grammar/style “nazi,” as I was called in one of the newsrooms I worked at (”grammar nazi,” to be exact).
Now, I essentially agree with you. Search engines are your friends, brevity can ruin the mood, and I’m sorry, but I like using words like “fairly” sometimes. BTW, it rains fairly often in the fall in Buenos Aires, did you know?
Mr. Strunk was pretty anal. (Did you hear, that, Strunk!? I said PRETTY anal. That’s right: roll over in your grave!)
Rock on, John.