Posts Tagged with "writing"

#1a: The secret to clear writing.

The secret to clear communication, at least in writing, is to use simple sentences. The reader you aim to persuade is not intrinsically interested in your idea, so you must minimise the effort required for your idea to be understood.Read more →

#1a1: Write truthfully.

Give your reader no reason to mistrust or doubt you. Be truthful and confident. Avoid overstatement, lest your reader find all your words before and after such overstatement suspect.Read more →

#1a2: Good writing comes from the right words.

Good writing comes from the right words. Don't write more than you need to — ensure each word serves a relevant purpose. The same is true for sentences and for paragraphs.Read more →

#1a3: A writer's style.

A writer's style is an expression of self. They reveal something of themselves in their use of language. This has two important implications.Read more →

#1f: The power of the written word.

The written word is powerful. A blog post, strategy document, or proposal all lend their ideas more weight by virtue of being written. Writing makes ideas real, makes canonical what was previously ephemeral.Read more →

#1f1: How written word leads people to misguidedly believe something is true.

Written documentation fosters shared meaning. So does giving something a name. But this can lead people to misguidedly accept that some things are true and unchangeable.Read more →

#1f2: The deception of words.

Words cannot entirely depict reality. They are a map, not the territory.Read more →

Reference #1: How To Take Smart Notes

The ongoing creation of a Zettelkasten is described in three steps. First, make a note of any idea which occurs to you — these are called "fleeting notes". They are collected in inbox until you have time to process them.Read more →

Reference #4: How To Take Smart Notes

Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014) found that students who took hand-written lecture notes understood the content better than those who typed their notes.Read more →

Reference #9: On Writing Well

The secret to good writing is simplicity. Remove every word that serves no purpose. Prefer descriptive verbs over adverbs. Aim for clear, simple writing.Read more →

Reference #10: On Writing Well

Zinsser provides the following advice for ending a piece of writing: "When you're ready to stop, stop.Read more →

Reference #11: On Writing Well

To conclude a story, quotations work best. A note of humour or sense of finality works well. What is best is to surprise and delight the reader. This could be through an unexpected detail, or a remark far out of left field.Read more →

Reference #12: On Writing Well

Scientific and technical writing is done well when written linearly. Each fact must follow logically from another, with no leaps in logic if it is to be understood by a layperson. Part of the value of describing the process is that it forces you to make sure you understand how it works.Read more →

Reference #13: On Writing Well

When writing, and especially when writing science, it is important to find and elevate the human element. Opening your writing with humanity draws the reader in, independent of the broader topic.Read more →

Reference #14: On Writing Well

Zinsser's definition of a careful writer comes from baseball player Joe DiMaggio. When asked how he consistently played so well, DiMaggio replied:Read more →

Reference #62: The Elements of Style

You can break the rules while writing, but should only do so if the output has some compensating merit.Read more →

Reference #63: The Elements of Style

A semi-colon has two benefits over both a period and a colon.Read more →

Reference #64: The Elements of Style

A common pattern in narrative writing is to open a paragraph by using the subject to indicate the direction that paragraph will take. An example is as such: "He picked up the heavy lamp from the table and began to explore.Read more →

Reference #65: The Elements of Style

Avoid non-committal language in writing; prefer to use words in their positive form rather than using "not". Readers want to be told what is, not what is not.Read more →

Reference #66: The Elements of Style

Don't qualify your sentences with unnecessary auxiliaries or conditionals. That is, strive to omit "would", "should", "could", "may", "might", and "can". Your writing will lack authority if each sentence is couched in doubt.Read more →

Reference #67: The Elements of Style

Be specific, definite, and concrete in your writing. Prefer these qualities over the general, vague, and abstract. You do not need to provide every detail, as that is impossible; what is important, however, is that the significant details are given.Read more →

Reference #68: The Elements of Style

Omit needless words; make every word tell. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, and a paragraph no unnecessary sentences. This is not to say that all sentences must be short, but rather that each word serves a relevant purpose.Read more →

Reference #69: The Elements of Style

Avoid repetitive structures in your writing, such as the overuse of loose sentences. These are sentences with two clauses where the latter introduced by a conjunction (such as "and", "but", "if") or relative (such as "who", "where", "that", "when") — such as this sentence.Read more →

Reference #70: The Elements of Style

Place emphatic words of a sentence — those to be made most prominent — at its end. The beginning of a sentence can also be used for emphasis when occupied by an element other than the subject.Read more →

Reference #71: The Elements of Style

"Hopefully" once meant "with hope". But it is now widely used to mean "I hope", and "it is to be hoped". This leads to ambiguity when used and so should be avoided.Read more →

Reference #72: The Elements of Style

"Interesting" is an unconvincing word which should not be used as a means of introduction. The same is true with "funny".Read more →

Reference #73: The Elements of Style

Avoid creating verbs. This is often done through a pending "-ise" to a noun, forming unnecessary verb such as "containerise" and "finalise".Read more →

Reference #74: The Elements of Style

A word may be in the dictionary, but that doesn't mean you have to use it.Read more →

Reference #75: The Elements of Style

"That" is a restrictive pronoun. "Which" is a non-restrictive pronoun.Read more →

Reference #76: The Elements of Style

All the writers reveal something of themselves in how they use language. Hence there is no infallible guide to good writing, nor a satisfactory explanation of style.Read more →

Reference #77: The Elements of Style

Style is an expression of self, not a place for tricks. Style should be approached through plainness, simplicity, and sincerity.Read more →

Reference #78: The Elements of Style

Write with nouns and verbs, not adjectives and adverbs. A well-chosen noun or verb gives good writing its strength and colour.Read more →

Reference #79: The Elements of Style

Don't overstate, lest you lose the confidence of your readers. They will consider suspect everything that has preceded and that follows the overstatement.Read more →

Reference #80: The Elements of Style

Good judgment can overrule good grammar. Your ear should guide your writing.Read more →

Reference #81: The Elements of Style

When you have something to say, make sure you have said it. Be clear. Since writing is communication, clarity is a virtue.Read more →

Reference #121: Show Your Work

A writer has to be a reader. You must engage with the ideas of others, not just share your own.Read more →

Reference #304: Empowered

Cagan and Jones wrote their book to be as close as possible to experiencing a series of one-on-one coaching sessions.Read more →

Reference #502: The Bullet Journal Method

Journaling forces offline thought.Read more →