The Book On Writing by Paula LaRoque is the definitive guide to writing well. For writers, words are the instruments, and Paula is the master. Her work is sound with lots of clear and useful advice. She understands the power of artful storytelling with simple and accurate word that have meaning. Her book is a journey worth taking and will improve any writer's craft.
She espouses principles such as keep sentences short, avoid pretensions, change long and difficult words to simpler, easy-to-understand phrases, watch out for jargon, fads, and cliches, use the right words, and get to the point.
Paula discusses story telling devices: archetype, character, plot, models, point of view, metaphor, sound and sense, and logic.
Outside of the devices are the methods for creating stories:
Don't say everything, at least don't say everything right now, mastering metaphors, write fast, edit slow, logic and speedy reading,
Finally Paula sums up the guide with a handbook of sorts. The handbook is a ready reference for style, use, and a summary of rules and ideas.
This is the best writing guide that I have found. It will help any author or writer, and will make your writing better. It is very substantive, and filled with useful information. If I were a beginning writer, I would start here.
2. How to Write Well
Paula LaRoque presents the definitive guide and
handbook to writing well. She knows how to master
language, semantics, and storytelling.
This guide is one of the best I’ve seen for practical
advice on what to do while writing, and what NOT to
do.
3. Keep Sentences Short
Among the guarded secrets to writing what people
will understand is the concept of short punchy
sentences.
Long sentences tend to ramble, and can confuse the
reader. Short sentences have less chance of losing
someone.
Sentences should be varied and stick to one main
idea.
4. Avoid Pretentions
Say what your are going to say in the most natural
way. Pretentions, or trying to sound more than what
you truly are, only dilutes your voice and style and
usually sounds hollow to readers.
Avoid gobbledygook and euphemisms.
5. Change Long and Difficult words
Write to be understood. Change long and general
words to short, simple, and specific words.
Work to let the reader smoothly sail through your
sentences and words, not pick through them slowly
and need to re-read just to understand.
6. Watch Out for Jargon
Every vocation and field has its own vocabulary.
Using a word that is common in a field, but
uncommon outside of that field will usually separate
the author from his audience.
It is OK to use specific Jargon if it is explained to the
reader—but use it very sparingly.
Fads and Clichés will fade over time and will be
unintelligible to future readers. Avoid those.
7. Use The Right Words
Be specific in your writing.
Avoid long dependent phrases.
Prefer active verbs and active voice
Stay away from adverbs.
8. Cut Wordiness
Just say what you are going to say. Reduce the
wordiness to just what is necessary to get the point
across.
Avoid vague qualifiers.
9. Get to The Point
Don’t beat around the bush. Build suspense with the
story, and not by delaying what needs to be said.
Keep the story interesting, keep it moving, advance
the characters and the story with every paragraph—
no need for paragraphs or pages that don’t
contribute to the advancement of the story.
10. Story Telling Devices
Archetype
Character
Plot
Models
Point of View
Metaphor
Sound and Sense
Logic
11. Archetype, Character, and Plot
Your story will revolve around elements of character,
plot, situation, setting, etc.
Can you imagine the archetype of the character,
setting, plot, and other story devices that you will
model?
What will be different from those norms to make the
story interesting yet understandable?
How will you portray those similarities and those
differences?
12. Don’t Say Everything Right Now
A story teller reveals his story and his characters as
the story goes along. There are things that the reader
must know. Show the readers, don’t tell the readers
those important parts of the story. Build suspense by
withholding important pieces of information until
the right time to display it.
Let the readers do some work to come to the
conclusions that the story leads them to. Don’t give
them everything.
13. Masters of Metaphor
The use of symbolism, simile and metaphor make a
story more interesting and give it depth.
Names, places, objects can all have deeper meaning,
and can set fire to your readers imagination.
14. Write Fast, Edit Slow
The first draft should be written as fast as it flows
from your thoughts. Don’t edit while writing, just get
it down on the paper.
The subsequent drafts are done with more critique
and while “editing.”
Edit slowly and catch everything.
15. Logic and Speedy Reading
Logic is a major point in writing. A faulty conclusion
will turn off readers very quickly. Editing slowly can
catch many of those errors in logic that can end up
on the paper when writing quickly, or reading
quickly.
16. A Handbook
The last section of the book is the handbook, the
concise guide to style and ready reference for the
book in whole.
This really is one of the best guides to writing well,
and the compendium in the handbook are the things
that I come back to again and again.
17. Pick Up Your Copy Today
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