“May your joys be as deep as the ocean,
and your misfortunes as light as the foam” - Chapter 10. Quote/Unquote.
My 12-month Idiot’s Guide to
self-improvement starts with Writing Well. I figured if I’m going to do this
right, I’ll need to get the foundation correct, and more importantly, I really need a
refresher on some basic writing skills.
I've noticed lately I’m more scrupulous with my writing.
I’ve always known my laziness with using the same style of writing. Using “if”
and “just” too much, and being too long-winded. And I accepted this like my
weakness for the occasional Hamburger or lazy Sunday. It isn’t going to kill
me.
But I see more now. The biggest change is
simply looking at writing for style and not only content. A perspective I once
had back in elementary school.
After all the topics in Writing Well are elementary.
In one sense nostalgic. Bringing me back to the days I learned what an
“adjective” is. And in other sense, remarkable. It is amazing how elaborate of
a skill writing is. Like all language, I can’t imagine trying to learn this
from scratch. Both points make me appreciate the skill I have.
Within reason of course. I’m still
learning.
“First impressions count in writing as well
as in life, so put the most important information first in a sentence. This not
only makes it easier for the readers to find your point, but also creates a
pattern can follow.” Chapter 6. It’s What’s Up Front That Counts
I can’t decide if moving the reader along
is a lesson I know so well I forgot I know it, or if it is an interesting insight
I never really realized. The basic idea: every sentence needs to be structured
to get the person to read the whole sentence, and then every sentence needs to
get the person to read the whole paragraph.
Obvious, right? I’m sure I’ve applied this
to my writing so much that I’ve forgotten it was ever a lesson, but it is one
of the most important lessons I came across in the book.
Another:
A panda shoots up a bar. As he leaves, the
bartender says, “Dude, what the heck?” The panda says, “I’m a panda. Google
it.” He does; Panda: Eats shoots and leaves. – Little Things Matter a Lot:
Revise Punctuation, Chapter 11
And lastly, “Never miss a good chance to
shut up.”
