WELCOME, WRITERS

If you've come to this blog, you're probably already a competent writer--or well on your way to becoming one. After all, the surest sign of a good writer is an eagerness to become an even better writer. Writing teachers are also welcome here.

This blog will offer advice on style, grammar, even such mundane matters as punctuation. Good writing is an art, yes, but it is also a craft, like quilting or carpentry or car repair. That means the ability to write is more than just an inborn talent; it is also a skill that can be learned.

Over the years, folks have paid me a lot of money for my writing and for my advice about writing. I've been a senior editor at the New York Times Magazine Group, and I've published hundreds of magazine articles myself.
I've taught writing at several universities—most recently Virginia Tech. Corporations like FedEx have hired me to teach their executives how to write better. (Note to teachers: Many of my blog posts originated as lesson plans. Feel free to use them in your own classes.)

Now retired from full-time work, I still teach writing seminars, for free, to worthy nonprofits.

Given all this, I suppose I'm qualified to offer some suggestions about the subject of writing. Much of what I say here has been said in other places--especially in fine books like Strunk and White's The Elements of Style and Donald Hall's Writing Well. You should read those books. Meanwhile, I hope you find some of the advice on this blog useful.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

THE SHORT, SWEET, STRONG VERB



     In previous posts, I’ve encouraged you to give specific examples to support and clarify your general statements, and concrete illustrations to support and clarify your abstract statements. If you do this, you’ll be adding words to your writing. After all, “I enjoy sports that focus on bashing spheres, such as tennis, baseball, and golf” uses more words than “I enjoy sports.” 
Strong verbs have more power.

     But aren’t we also told to “Be concise”?
     Yes.
     By “concise,” however, we don’t mean “use as few words as possible.” If that were the case, an opinion column about gun control laws might contain only three words: “I’m for them” or “I’m against them.” That’s concise, but not very persuasive.
    The real rule, obviously, is this: Use as few words as necessary to achieve your writing purpose.*
     This post is about one kind of weak, wordy writing: using a long phrase where a single strong verb will do—specifically, replacing a strong verb with a weak phrase centered on an abstract-noun version of that verb. This is one form of something called a “nominalization” (from the Latin for “name” or “noun”).

     More simply, here’s the rule: When you can, use a single strong verb instead of a long noun-based phrase.

     I can explain this best with (what else?) specific examples:

DON’T WRITE                                   INSTEAD, WRITE
give consideration to                              consider
have respect for                                      respect
made a decision                                      decided
had hope                                                 hoped
made the suggestion                               suggested
engaged in the act of
    (running, cooking, typing)                 ran, cooked, typed
made a movement                                  moved
was a success at                                      succeeded at
were involved in food preparation         prepared food, cooked
“I feel regret that I made a meal of
the clams.”                                             “I regret that I ate the clams.”

Pompous writers in the corporate, academic, and political worlds often try to inflate their documents with nominalizations. Don’t do that.

Now there is a necessity that this post comes to a conclusion.
Oops.
I mean, now I need to finish this post.
________________________________

*What is the purpose of writing? There’s no one answer to that. Words can be used for as many purposes as wood. Beginning on p. 466 of the great, massive, profound, and hilarious novel The Sot-weed Factor, author John Barth lists about 250 words for “prostitute,” half in French, half in English. The list goes on for five pages. Nobody in his right mind would call this list “wordy.” Why not? Because it achieves its purpose: to leave the reader rolling on the floor like a galleywench.    

John Barth writes long novels that don't waste words.




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