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Writing Tips: 10 Ways To Write Cleanly
Generally speaking there are two types of writer: those who write ‘cleanly’ and those who do not.
Examples of ‘clean’ writers are Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Chandler, Dashiel Hammett, George Orwell, Elmore Leonard, Eric Ambler, Mark Timlin and Ross Macdonald. I won’t bother listing any of the other kind. Practically every bad writer you come across will be a ‘dirty’ writer.
Most amateurs fall into the trap of trying to write too cleverly. They burden their prose with dirt: flowery adjectives, long similes, obese sentences and so on. In the process they obscure what they mean to say and bore their readers.
Clean, clear writing is enjoyable to read. And when reading is a pleasure, then ideas are easier to put across.
1. Short sentences are best. Really. But it is best to avoid. If you can. Making them too jumpy. And disjoined. Because…
2. Your writing should have a rhythm. Prose, like poetry, should flow smoothly. A good way of ensuring flow and eliminating ‘sharp edges’ is to read aloud what you’ve written.
3. Shorter paragraphs are easier to read. Your first paragraph should be succinct and snappy, enticing the reader to carry on. That principle should continue, on a less stringent level, throughout your work. Designers know that plenty of white space on a page attracts people – the same goes for readers. That’s why many potential purchasers skim through a book’s pages before they decide to buy it.
4. Never use any word other than ‘said’ to indicate dialogue. Plus, when saying who is speaking, steer clear of adverbs. There’s nothing worse than a flow of dialogue that goes: ‘What did you say?’ asked Jane menacingly. ‘You heard me,’ Dennis said loudly. ‘I did not,’ muttered Jane angrily. ‘Oh, of course you didn’t,’ mocked Dennis, sarcastically. Your readers will accuse you of writing annoyingly.
5. Avoid cliches like the plague.
6. Be positive in your writing. Instead of saying: ‘Few readers would not want to read writing that is positive in stance’ say: ‘Most readers enjoy positive writing’. Unless you are writing for effect, it is always best (and less boring)
Become a Touchdown Dad - Improve Parenting
“In talking with fathers, one thing that became very clear was that they were in serious need of a book that would make it easy for them to improve their parenting style,” said author David Justus. “That’s what Become A Touchdown Dad was written to address.”<br><br>In today’s society, raising children is more challenging than ever. Parents are looking for ways to improve communication with their children, strengthen relationships and encourage positive behaviors. They do not, however, have the time to learn new systems or multipart strategies.<br><br>
Bringing Family to the Dinner Table
(NewsUSA) - Think that teens don't like family meals? Think again. A recent survey of 1,063 teens, conducted by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, found that 84 percent of teens prefer dinner with their families, while 13 percent prefer to eat dinner alone.<br><br>Nearly half of the teens who responded said that the dinner table is the best time to talk to their parents. Additionally, more than half of the teens who enjoy frequent family dinners say they receive anti-drug messages from their parents.<br><br>
When Medicine Needs More Than a Spoonfull of Sugar
(NewsUSA) - At some point, every parent must administer medicine to their child. However, the process is often met by strong resistance. For parents with children battling cancer, administering lifesaving medications can become especially problematic. <br><br>"She [my child] hates the medication we have to give to her daily," wrote one mother on the National Children's Cancer Society's Web site, www.children-cancer.org. "She will not swallow the pills. Crushing them tastes awful and to give liquid is almost impossible."<br><br>
Are You Ready for Your New Puppy?
(NewsUSA)Many families buy puppies during the holidays, only to become overwhelmed.<br><br>Bringing a dog home can be a 15-year commitment, not to mention a huge financial and emotional responsibility. Many families do not realize how much work raising a puppy entails. Sadly, many holiday puppies end up in shelters come January.<br><br>Animals can bring joy into their human's lives, but only if people are ready to keep a canine companion healthy and safe. Here are some tips for anyone considering getting a puppy for the holidays:<br><br>
How Could Everything Change So Dramatically?
Ny Mike Fertel<br><br>I came across this quote today and wanted to share it with you. You may find that it relates to your marriage. <br> <br>The difficultly with marriage is that we fall in love with a personality, but we must live with a character.<br><br>- Peter Devries<br> <br>We can only appreciate the profundity of this statement if we understand what is meant by CHARACTER.<br><br><br><br>
Online Tools to Help Find Colleges
(NewsUSA) Thousands of high-quality colleges and universities exist across the country, so finding the right college can prove daunting. Some high school students hire consultants to match them with schools, but there's no need to hire a professional if teenagers do their homework.<br><br>Sallie Mae, the nation's leading saving-and-paying-for-college company, offers these tips to students and families as they begin the college selection process:<br><br>
How to Deal With Teenage Acne
By Donald McKenzie, Jr.<br> <br>Acne is a highly complex condition that involves many parts of the body. It tends to show up as only eruptions on the face and else where on your skin. It is a signal that you have problems somewhere deep within your body. Acne can be caused by a dirty colon, poor food digestion, a weak liver and other conditions that will cause your blood to carry too much toxic materials.<br>
Author Creates New Christmas Classic
In 1985, Alastair Macdonald noticed that his children's sense of the holiday spirit centered around Santa Claus and stockings, not the true story of Christmas. But when Macdonald went shopping for more spiritual bedtime reading, he was disappointed to see that holiday classics, like "The Night Before Christmas" and "Rudolph," ignored the Christmas message.
Are You Setting Limits For Your Teen?
By Firoj Kahn<br><br>Most teens claim not to want limits, but, deep down, they really do. Parents need to decide and agree upon the limits that are absolute - what they expect their teenager to do or not to do - and make these very clear to the teen, with an understanding of what the consequences will be if these limits are not respected. At the same time, teenagers need an increasing amount of autonomy and decision-making power.
Parents Pick the Coolest Back to School Items
Before they head out to the mall to do their back-to-school shopping,
parents can visit FamilyEducation to be sure they have the <a href="http://school.familyeducation.com/slideshow/back-to-school/51137.html">coolest back-to-school supplies</a>
and the latest fashion trends on their children's shopping lists. And
with the National Retail Federation predicting that the average family
with school- age children will spend about $600 on back-to-school
shopping, FamilyEducation offers parents tips on ways to minimize the
impact on their pocketbooks, while ensuring their children have
everything they need.
to put things positively. Instead of ‘the letter was on the table when John found it’, say ‘John found the letter on the table’. When writing a report or sales-pitch avoid using negatives: ‘there are only one or two failures in every hundred tests’ is better put as ‘initial tests have shown a success rate in excess of 98%’.
7. Miss out unnecessary long words. If you, or the average reader, has to consult a dictionary in order to define a word’s meaning, then you should leave it out. The only exception to this rule is when there is literally no other word that will do. Personally, I have not encountered this situation since leaving school. The English language is abundant in alternative meanings, and most of them can be simply put.
8. Is it necessary? Elmore Leonard puts it very well when he says he ‘tries to leave out the part that readers tend to skip’. In a novel, do we really need to know everything the characters do, even if it has no impact on the action? For example, during the course of the average novel the characters will go to the toilet hundreds of times, drink dozens of cups of tea or and watch TV or read a book or newspaper in their spare moments. How many of these do we need to hear about? Boring the reader is almost as bad as writing something they don’t understand.
9. Avoid detailed descriptions. Especially of your characters. When people read a novel they like to visualise the characters for themselves, not have a minutely-detailed description spoon-fed them. And the point at which 64% of people abandon novels is halfway through yet another long and detailed description. Who cares what colour the curtains/drapes are? Do we really want to hear about what kinds of cars are parked on the street when the hero arrives? (The answer is ‘no’.)
10. Kill your darlings. Edit ruthlessly and cut out anything that isn’t absolutely necessary, even – some will say ‘especially’ – bits you are particularly proud of. Make it plain, make it clear, make your writing look effortless.
Remember Elmore Leonard’s golden rule: ‘If it sounds like writing, re-write it.’
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Andrew Hetzel to speak at '08 Convenience Retailing Conference
Andrew Hetzel of Coffee Business Consultancy Cafemakers Will Speak on the Topic of Specialty Coffee at the 2008 Convenience Retailing Conference That Will Be Held February 11-13 at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas.
Heavyweight Challenger
Two weeks ago, news broke that McDonald's Corp. will add specialty coffee and other premium beverages to the menus at its more than 14,000 U.S. locations in 2008. Crain's Chicago Business reported that the addition of lattes, cappuccinos, and other specialty drinks is expected to bring the chain more than $1 billion a year in sales, but the question is what will it take away from Starbucks and other coffee retailers?
Starbucks Throws Its Weight
CSP Magazine (Convenience Store Petroleum) takes an in-depth look at Starbucks, its market positioning and future; includes commentary by Andrew Hetzel.
Training Tips To Sell More Coffee and Making Today's Cashier into Tomorrow's Barista
In this multi-part series for Chain Leader Magazine, Andrew Hetzel provides tips for chain retailers looking to improve the the quality (and subsequently, profitability) of their coffee service with an effective training program.
Andrew Hetzel joins teaching staff of BEST Coffee School
BEST Coffee School announces that Andrew Hetzel of Cafemakers has joined its staff as an instructor of retail business management and marketing courses at its Eugene, Oregon facility.
Quality, Freshness and Service Continue to Boost Coffee Sales of Independents and Chains
By Andrew Hetzel. "Fine coffee is no longer the province of the Pacific Northwest, Alaska now has the greatest per-capita consumption of fine coffee and espresso is a popular menu item in Michigan and Nebraska..."
Andrew Hetzel of Cafemakers leads first espresso training at Kona Coffee Cultural Festival
The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival will for the first time include professional espresso training workshops in an effort to reinforce Kona coffee's use in the ever-changing landscape of lattes and espressos.
Andrew Hetzel of Cafemakers named leading Hawaii young entrepreneur
Specialty coffee consultant Andrew Hetzel of Cafemakers, LLC has been named one of the Forty Under 40 top young business leaders in the State of Hawaii for 2007 by Pacific Business News.
Big Island beverage consultant to present in Georgia
Kailua-Kona specialty coffee entrepreneur Andrew Hetzel of Cafemakers will present two sessions at the World Tea Expo next weekend in Atlanta.
John's Coffee Selects Cafemakers
John's Coffee of Istanbul, Turkey, has selected american coffee consultancy Cafemakers, LLC of Kamuela, Hawaii to provide consulting and quality assurance services to manage market growth throughout the Middle East and Europe.
May 4, Arizona Republic
Article in the Arizona Republic (Scottsdale, AZ) quotes Andrew Hetzel about the market potential in the specialty coffee industry.
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