11 Writing Tips from Waylon Lewis, author & headmaster of Elephant Academy.
Writing is simple. Keep it simple. It’s communication. It’s personal. It’s real. Or it’s nothing.
1. Read. Read writers you love. Read! Read something. Read a newspaper. But, better, read a book. Books aren’t better. But the act of committing to read, offline, allows our minds and hearts to sink into a settled state of absorption, examination and contemplation.
2. Read your work aloud. You will find mistakes that your eyes don’t catch.
Or, mentally, write to a friend (I visualize an intelligent but ignorant friend — so I don’t have to talk down to them, but I do have to explain and not take any in-group-knowledge for granted. I also visualize them in a café, or wherever we might meet up, over a beer…if I’m reviewing a movie, for example, I wouldn’t recommend it if I didn’t like it. I’d speak personally, making eye contact, I’d speak colloquially, and frankly).
3. “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” ~ Mark Twain
In other words, don’t use “very” or other superfluous words, much. Don’t use utilize or efficacy when you could say use or effect.
