There are plenty of books, articles, and quotes out there about the craft of writing.
There are books to tell you how to construct a plot, how to write a romance, how to pen sparkling dialogue or dash off the perfect query letter. Everyone from Mark Twain to Stephen King to Francine Prose have weighed in with excellent advice for writers.
While I’m certainly no expert, I’ve learned a few things about writing along the way. And the most important thing I’ve learned is this: that all good writing begins with the basic building blocks of grammar and style.
When I first started writing, I equated long-winded sentences with “writerly-ness.” The more adverbs and adjectives and parenthetical phrases thrown into a sentence, I reasoned, the better. But the passage of time, critiques from some excellent creative writing teachers and editors, and a lot of reading (Hemingway in particular) helped cure me of that misguided belief. Now, I’m ruthless. I pare my words down to the minimum I need to convey what I want to say.
The road to hell is paved with adverbs. – Stephen King
This is probably the best advice about writing you’ll ever get. Period. Read it. Absorb it into your bloodstream. And then, apply it to your writing.
Use active voice, never passive. Avoid the word “nice.” It’s a boring, unimaginative, dishwater word that’s as anodyne as it is dull.
Don’t use ten words when five will do. Better yet, don’t use ten words when three will do.
Avoid cliches. They’re the hallmark of lazy writing.
Know thy audience. Who are you writing for? Teens? Adult women? History buffs? Erotica fans? Keep them in mind as you write. A romantic comedy won’t (shouldn’t) read the same as a procedural detective novel or a shoot-’em-up Western. Different audience, different voice, different tone.
Always get your facts straight. This is true not only for journalists, but for fiction writers as well. Spell names and places correctly. Always thoroughly research a subject you’re not familiar with. If you don’t, your readers will know… and they’ll let you know. And some of them might even decide not to buy your books again. Ever.
If you use vernacular, do so sparingly. No one wants to wade through a half-dozen French phrases cluttering up every other paragraph (except, maybe, a French-speaking person). If you use a foreign phrase, for goodness’ sake, make sure you spell it correctly, with all the proper umlauts and diacriticals in all the proper places.
The same is true for colloquialisms. While an occasion “innit” or “ain’t” keeps language fresh and real, don’t overdo it. A dash of salt flavors the soup, but too much will ruin it.
Use detail to bring your words to life and add character. Instead of writing about a girl reading a book, write about a girl who’s scowling over a Russian translation of Dostoyevsky, or flicking disinterestedly through a tabloid, or turning the pages of a romance novel with an avid expression. Instead of a tree, write about a sapling struggling towards the sun through a crack in the pavement.
Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. -Anton Chekov
This quote perfectly illustrates the old adage to “show, don’t tell.” Don’t say the sun is hot; say it’s a blazing fireball that scorches the earth. Don’t say he rowed the boat, say he paddled the canoe through still, murky waters. Don’t say the girl was angry; say she stormed to the door and flung it open so hard it quivered on its hinges. (Okay, maybe that last sentence was a little over the top, but you get the idea.) And so will your reader.
Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.” ― Kurt Vonnegut
My weakness is semicolons. I have a real fondness for them. I associate them with thoughts and sentences so profound that they require separation with a semicolon, the written equivalent of a pause, so that the full majesty of the words can be absorbed. (Or maybe I just read too much Henry James in all those lit classes.)
Which just goes to show that, like me, most writers tend to make their favorite mistakes over and over when it comes to putting words down on paper (or on screen). Whether it’s cluttering your text with too many adjectives or relying on cliches, the key is to be aware and be on guard…
… and remember to keep a copy of The Elements of Style handy at all times.
Happy writing!
Here are some useful links:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/adverbs.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/passive.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernacular
http://grammar.about.com/od/c/g/colloquterm.htm
http://users.wirefire.com/tritt/tip1.html
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