Curiosity.com
published a list of writing tips from Mark Twain. Now, Twain never actually
published a list, but his letters provided plenty of tips that just needed to
be gathered up in one place.
1. "Write without pay until somebody offers to
pay."
2. "Don't say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and
let her scream."
3. "Great books are weighed and measured by their style
and matter, and not the trimmings and shadings of their grammar."
4. "The time to begin writing an article is when you
have finished it to your satisfaction."
5. "If I had more time, it would have been
shorter."
6. "The more you explain it, the less I understand
it."
7. "Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to
write 'very.' Your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it
should be."
8. "The difference between the right word and the
almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning
bug."
9. "Use plain, simple language, short words, and brief
sentences... don't let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in."
10. "As to the adjective: When in doubt, strike it out.”
Good advice, but I believe scrutinizing Twain’s castigation of
James Fennimore Cooper provides even more guidence. Among other things, Twain wrote “Cooper's art has some
defects. In one place in "Deerslayer," and in the restricted space of
two-thirds of a page, Cooper has scored 114 offenses against literary art out
of a possible 115. It breaks the record.”
If the criticisms of Cooper were
rewritten as positive statements, they would make a great guide to great
writing. Which I took the liberty of doing here.
You may also want to check out my catalog of writing advice
from the masters.
