As I announced last week, I’m starting an occasional series on writing well. Many thanks to all who have provided some great responses to my requests for topic suggestions.
After thinking through your many helpful suggestions, I’ve decided to organize upcoming posts according to what I’ve identified as five pillars of good writing: clarity, brevity, vitality, elegance, and style.
Clarity: The primary things that undergird clear writing are clear thinking, organization, and good grammar.
Brevity: Brevity means making sure that every word matters.
Vitality: Vital writing relies on vivid words, especially verbs, and fresh figures of speech.
Elegance: Elegant writing has a rhythm. The premier tools of elegance are parallelism and modifiers that provide emphasis.
Style: Style is personal, and lets the writer’s personality shine through his mastery of the basics of good writing.
Please continue to request topics and ask questions. I hope you find this series helpful.
After my misspent youth as a wage worker, I’m having so much more fun as a blogger, helping other discerning travellers plan fun and fascinating journeys. Read more …