Quote of the Day: Orwell’s Rules of Writing

Seawriter
Seawriter
3418
 

George Orwell’s rules of writing:

  1. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
  2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
  3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
  4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
  5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
  6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything barbarous.

Eric Blair (George Orwell) was one of the most accomplished wordsmiths of the 20th century. These were his guides to writing effectively.I like them, and try to follow them.

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  1. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad
    11:47 AM EDT ⋅ Apr 19, 2018

    Ontheleftcoast (View Comment):

    Strunk and White, The Elements of Style.

    If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second-greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first-greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.

    Dorothy Parker

    While I have my trusty Strunk and White, the book I’ve been using the most lately is Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty (what a name!).

    • #31
  2. ctlaw Coolidge
    ctlaw
    @ctlaw
    12:02 PM EDT ⋅ Apr 19, 2018

    MarciN (View Comment):
    The most important guide for clear writing is to formulate a purpose and stick to it. 

    In addition to all the rules discussed above, we have things like “know your audience” and “edit, edit, edit”.

    But, the most important guide for clear writing is don’t be a freaking idiot or a freaking ___hole!

    Often the violations of various of the normal rules are so extreme that, even without actually knowing about the rule, the writer should have known he was doing something wrong. Freaking idiot! Even worse, when told to correct something, the writer will make a token correction such as eliminating 2 out of 10 surplus words in a run-on sentence or eliminating 2 of 20 instances of passive voice. Freaking ___hole!

    • #32
  3. TheSockMonkey Inactive
    TheSockMonkey
    @TheSockMonkey
    12:03 PM EDT ⋅ Apr 19, 2018

    Doug Kimball (View Comment):

    Roderic Fabian (View Comment):

    Seawriter:
    George Orwell’s rules of writing:

    1. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

    Good if you’re writing the next great novel, but for everyday communication a familiar trope may be most appropriate. Attempting to come up with new figures of speech all the time can make one seem solipsistic.

    Only if you write only for yourself, like a vintner who makes wine only for his own consumption. If he gets drunk, is anyone aware of it but him?

    But what if such a work were to be published?

    Is that how we got Finnegan’s Wake?

    • #33
  4. philo Member
    philo
    @philo
    4:14 PM EDT ⋅ Apr 19, 2018

    In the spirit of more than one of the above, as well as for the good of the collective reputation, I move for a site wide moratorium on the use of “dossier”, “collusion”, and “Russian oligarch” except for the mocking of those in the professional lying class as well as the ignorant of all working and sporting grades.

    • #34
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