10 of the best things we can learn from Strunk and White on writing better non-fiction
Mastery Den, Tuesday Edition, 5-min read.
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I’m sitting at a cafe at the airport, waiting for a flight from Tallinn to London. I feel a sense of soft sadness for leaving after five months here.
But with this spare time comes the opportunity to run through some of my favourite points on writing from a writing classic:
Strunk and White’s Elements of Style.
This book, published in 1918, is continually referred to as a classic guide to English grammar and writing style. I took some of it with a grain of salt because some of their advice is a little dated, but most of it is still relevant for current writing.
Though I believe a good story and relevant content trump grammar and style, the latter is still vital and overlooked by many who want to create impact with their words.
I dipped into the book again recently and extracted some of the most critical points to help tighten up our writing.
Here we go:
Omit needless words.
Every sentence must be tightened up for brevity and subsequent clarity.
You’re not here to show off how much you can write. You’re here to serve the reader by telling us your stories in the simplest way (but not simpler).
Use the active voice.
Passive sentences like, The cake was eaten by the dog, are flimsy and colourless.
Here’s the active: The dog ate the cake. Much better.
We’re brought into the action and our focus is on the doer, not the action. Turn your passive prose into active sentences for directness.
Use definite, specific, concrete language.
Choose precise and specific words over vague and abstract terms. Instead of:
The event was very good and a lot of people came.
Say:
The charity gala was a huge success, with over 300 guests attending and raising $50,000 for the local animal shelter.
Place emphatic words at the end
The most important and impactful words should come at the end of sentences to leave an impression.
I also end articles with empathic sentences to leave readers encouraged or in a reflective state.
Here’s a sentence with an emphatic and powerful ending:
Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness; natives give it solidity and continuity; but the settlers give it passion.
Avoid fancy words
Use simple language rather than trying to impress with complex words and vocab.
You just sound grandiose and you stall the flow of the reading.
Put statements in positive form.
Make definite assertions and avoid using negatives where a positive statement would be more precise.
The emphasis is on stating what is, rather than what is not.
For example:
Original (negative form)
He did not remember to bring his book.
She was not unaware of the problem.
The project was not completed on time.
He is not very active.
Revised (positive form)
He forgot to bring his book.
She was aware of the problem.
The project was delayed.
He is inactive.
Be clear.
Long-windedness is often a sign of an amateur writer. Clarity is achieved by saying the same with less. Here’s an example:
Original: There are many reasons why the project failed, some of which are related to planning and others which are related to execution.
Revised: Poor planning and execution caused the project to fail.
Don’t be tempted to work in more words or ideas to ‘be helpful.’ It will confuse more than it supports.
Do not explain too much.
Trust your reader’s intelligence and avoid over-explaining; let the text speak for itself.
Let them fill in the gaps. They enjoy this sense of figuring things out for themselves.
Eliminate all but the necessary details.
Keep to one tense.
Maintain a consistent tense to ensure clarity and coherence in writing.
Here are examples of this principle:
Original (inconsistent tenses):
She was walking to the shop when she sees a dog that looks lost. She picked it up and takes it home.
He finishes his homework and then he went outside to play. After playing, he eats dinner and watched TV.
Revised (consistent tenses):
She was walking to the shop when she saw a dog that looked lost. She picked it up and took it home.
He finished his homework and then went outside to play. After playing, he ate dinner and watched TV.
Avoid needless repetition
Avoid repeating information unnecessarily to keep your writing tight and effective.
I sometimes repeat points if I know they need to be repeated. But we often repeat by accident, which adds unnecessary fluff to our writing.
Remember, good writing is not about showing us how great a writer you are.
Good writing is about relaying a point in a way that the reader understands and feels.
We want them to get it, so they do something with our message!
Thanks for reading.
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Super helpful article, Alex! Thank you for these simple but powerful writing reminders.
Thank you Alex, for the efficient and effective points! Much needed and often forgotten in the flow.