The widespread totalitarianism Orwell feared has not (yet) come to pass. Fear Huxley's predictions more. But these are some pretty good suggestions for writing. I may have to go back and read some Orwell as an illustration of these ideas.
via WritingClasses.comA scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus:
- What am I trying to say?
- What words will express it?
- What image or idiom will make it clearer?
- Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?
And he will probably ask himself two more:
- Could I put it more shortly?
- Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?
One can often be in doubt about the effect of a word or a phrase, and one needs rules that one can rely on when instinct fails. I think the following rules will cover most cases:
- Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
- Never use a long word where a short one will do.
- If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
- Never use the passive where you can use the active.
- Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
- Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
From "Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell
8 comments:
I'd add: adverbs are not your friend.
"Never use a long word where a short one will do."
Sometimes a long word, or a little-used word, has exactly the meaning required. I don't advocate pointelss pretension, but shrinking our vocabularies results in loss of nuance.
Then again, you have to know your audience and most adults will not look up unfamiliar words.
-Kathleen
J: he said glibly ;-)
K: i agree. some long words are perfect. like defenestrate ;-)
"If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out."
The word "out" could be cut twice in that sentence without any change in meaning.
"cut it" could be shortened to "do."
Thus:
"If it is possible to cut a word, always do."
Shorter but less elegant:
"Cut words when possible."
hmm. i'd say you're right. thanks for the comment.
"Omit needless words."*
"Avoid prolixity"
I like Orwell's prose a lot. I also like his advice on writing, even if he departs from it regularly. He gives himself some wiggle room in #6, I suppose. (Language Log once had a nice discussion on the hazards of giving writing advice ;-)
Here's something I occasionally tack onto my syllabus:
"Remember the waterfront shack with the sign FRESH FISH SOLD HERE. Of course it's fresh, we're on the ocean. Of course it's for sale, we're not giving it away. Of course it's here, otherwise the sign would be someplace else. The final sign: FISH." ~Peggy Noonan
Not that Noonan, Orwell, Gowers, et al make much of an impression on college kids in pursuit of the magical (or tyrannical) "Recommended length: x-y pages."
I am reminded of the wonderful little scene in A River Runs Through It in which a young Norman Maclean submits his composition, again and again, to his father. Maclean's father gives it a glance, applies a merciless pencil, and returns it with the challenge, "Again, half as long," until the piece lives up to his standard of parsimony. (The book is excellent.)
*Strunk & White. Not my favorite guide to writing, though.
J: your thoughts on writing are far beyond my own. thanks for adding them.
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