Getting the words right 39 ways to improve your writing
| Main Author: | Cheney, Theodore A. Rees 1928- |
|---|---|
| Format: | Books Print Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cincinnati, Ohio :
Writer's Digest Books,
c2005.
|
| Edition: | 2nd ed. |
| Subjects: |
Table of Contents:
- Shorten or remove whole chapters, sections, and paragraphs
- Shorten or remove superfluous, ineffective, or redundant sentences and words
- Replace longer words with shorter ones
- Keep unity of subject and scope
- Keep a unified tone
- Keep a unified style
- Keep a consistent point of view and unity of character
- Keep episodes unified
- Keep verb tenses consistent
- Keep paragraphs and sentences to the point and unified
- Organize according to the logic of time, space, and degree of specificity
- Avoid pronoun ambiguity
- Use coherent word order and phrasing
- Use parallel structure
- Make effective transitions
- Establish coherent beginnings
- Develop consistency through the middle
- Write effective and coherent endings
- Put the parts into the right proportions
- Put important things anywhere but in the middle
- Understand the psychology of emphasis
- Use effective repetition of words, phrases, sounds, and ideas
- Vary the length of sentences, paragraphs, and chapters
- Emphasize through careful word choice and positioning
- Use spaces, pauses, and special typography for extra emphasis
- Avoid things that kill emphasis
- Develop and recognize your own special style
- Select the best word, best phrasing, most effective diction
- Improve your diction with shorter, more active words
- Scrutinize your verbs; keep them active
- Limit modifiers
- Appeal to the senses
- Use concrete details
- Be sensitive to rhythm and sound
- Use the sounds of words, and use words to imitate sounds
- Use figurative language
- Watch out for misuse of figurative language
- Avoid distractors and detractors
- Watch for common misspellings and incorrect usages.