George Orwell's 5 Rules of Writing

jst5150 · Jan 27, 2008

These always pop up somewhere, but, I'm a big believer in No. 2. Really, I'm a big believer in all of them.

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/george-orwells-5-rules-for-effective-writing/

Link to his original essay apparently, too.

Pike · Jan 27, 2008

I couldn't be any clearer. So why do I always forget such simple rules?

Pike

Don Allen · Jan 27, 2008

I just printed these out. I read them long ago.... great advice never gets old...

HeronW · Jan 27, 2008

Animal Farm still gives me the creeps given that I've read it several times and seen 2-3 dif movies based on it. There's a reason some writers' efforts become classics, and these 5 are the road signs.

Pantsonfire · Jan 27, 2008

Words to write by, but it is easier to agree with them then to put them into practice. (I almost wrote easier said than done)

Chase · Jan 27, 2008

Indubitably doctrine II embodies the crux of inscribing endeavors. Whew! My thesaurus hasn't been thumbed so much in ages!

~grace~ · Jan 27, 2008

good advice from a good writer. have to say though, I'm a big fan of Elmore Leonard's writing rules as well. best one: Leave out the parts people skip.

I think it's time to start an Orwell-Leonard School of Writing. Anyone with me?

Haggis · Jan 27, 2008

Vonnegut had something worthwhile to say as well.

rugcat · Jan 27, 2008

Good advice, certainly, but I prefer Somerset Maugham's maxim:

“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.”

otterman · Jan 27, 2008

Have often shared Orwell's rules with my students. I also find his ideas on the relationship between thought and language interesting. Worth a look if you're interested.

maestrowork · Jan 27, 2008

I agree totally. Noob writers especially succumb to these problems -- cliches are very difficult to avoid, for example -- my thought is just keep writing, but during rewrite, by all means find better substitutions or eliminate those cliches completely with show vs. tell. Big word and clunky "literary" prose are another problem: many writers think that's how they would sound like a "writer." I admit I do that, too, and have to really scale back and think about what I'm really trying to communicate.

maestrowork · Jan 27, 2008

There is nothing wrong with sentence fragments.

rugcat · Jan 27, 2008

maestrowork said:
There is nothing wrong with sentence fragments.

Couldn't agree more.

Pike · Jan 27, 2008

Well, that's a relief. I'm tired of my Spellcheck bitching at me for making them - especially during dialogue!

Pike

KTC · Jan 27, 2008

maestrowork said:
There is nothing wrong with sentence fragments.

This is something I believed from the get go. I love fragments. They stand out more powerfully when used well. I hate WORD telling me about my fragments. Nasty bitch.

Chase · Jan 27, 2008

Nothing? Jest. Surely.

KTC · Jan 27, 2008

"Dialogue is great."

Pike · Jan 27, 2008

Darned tootin'!

Pike

DWSTXS · Jan 27, 2008

(avoid deadwood, flowery language, trite expressions, jargon, euphemisms, and cliches.....)
Mollyluna -

Hey! I am one of those that LOVED Deadwood..........hell, if I could write like that I'd........well, I'd write like that! LOL

DWSTXS · Jan 27, 2008

not to mention the fact that I'm currently writing an entire novel filled with nothing BUT flowery language, trite expressions, jargon, eupemisms and cliches..........

How am I writing it? well, everything I delete from my other work, I just throw it in there....LOL

DWSTXS · Jan 27, 2008

and EVERY line in my novel ends with......LOL

LOL

j/k You know this, right?

Danger Jane · Jan 27, 2008

6. Break any of these rules sooner than saying anything outright barbarous.

That's the key for me. A few years ago, I counteracted my melodramatic teenager problem of wordy, purple, just plain bad prose by deconstructing to the bare minimum--simple words and simple sentences. I'm gradually working my way up again to complexity, but it's not crappy purple complexity. It's just a lot better, although Flesch-Kinkaid still tells me my story is a grade level 2.

Danger Jane · Jan 27, 2008

mollyluna said:
I hate the bare bones stuff--it's choppy--but I can't read sentences that have eight prepositional phrases and ten adjectives. They bother me.

Well, that's what I'm moving up from. It's been really good for me, as far as artistic development goes. Not choppy, not three page sentences.

Oberon · Jan 27, 2008

I had the good fortune to have a job way back when writing captioned filmstrips. Three lines maximum, as I recall a total of 24 spaces. It was a good exercise. "When the exhausted passengers of the Mayflower landed at last at the now-famed Plymouth rock they fell to their knees in prayer for their release." "At Plymouth Rock the exhausted colonists knelt in thankful prayer." I recommend the exercise. You can do much worse than follow Orwell, Vonnegut and E.B. White.

DWSTXS · Jan 27, 2008

dry wit

mollyluna said:
Yes, although there is one poster who uses dry wit quite frequently and I swear I can never tell when he's just kidding. He's been practically assaulted on the forum before. Then he comes back and says it was sarcasm. lol... (Yes, AGAIN). Just for you because I know you love it....

lol...lol...lol...lol...lol...lol...lol...lol...lol...lol...lol...

well..........I never use dry wit........mine is always sloppy and wet.........and I am always serious. Never been assaulted either, but I keep hoping........

George Orwell's 5 Rules of Writing

Vorpal Comics. Weekly Podcast. Twitch Artist. Vet

Chivalry ain't dead

Seeking a Sanctuary of Intelligence

Down Under Fan

It Takes All of Us to End Racism

the good old days

Evil, undead Chihuahua

Lost in the Fog

Word Voyeur

Fear the Death Ray

Fear the Death Ray

Lost in the Fog

Chivalry ain't dead

Stand in the Place Where You Live

It Takes All of Us to End Racism

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Chivalry ain't dead

Mr Mojo Risin...

Mr Mojo Risin...

Mr Mojo Risin...

Mr Mojo Risin...