Principles of Good Writing
By L.A. Hill
✍️ About the Author – L.A. Hill
L.A. Hill was an educationist and writer known for his guide on effective English writing. His book Principles of Good Writing is widely recommended for students, competitive exam aspirants, and anyone seeking to improve clarity, precision, and style in English composition. The book emphasizes clarity of thought, correctness, coherence, and elegance in writing.
TEXT
To write well, you have to be able to write clearly and logically, and you cannot do this unless you can think clearly and logically too. If you cannot do this yet, you should train yourself by taking particular problems and following them step by step to a solution, without leaving anything out and without avoiding any difficulties.
For example, you may take the problem: “What do I mean when I say I am a free person?” Then try to find a solution along these lines:
Am I free to do anything? No, I am not free to fly to Mars. My freedom is limited to what is possible.
Am I free to do anything that is possible? No, I cannot harm my neighbor. My freedom is limited to what is possible and legal.
My freedom is therefore limited to what is possible and legal. Legal limitations protect our freedom from arbitrary interference by others.
At first, clear step-by-step thinking may be difficult. Your mind may wander, but practice will improve your ability to think clearly and logically.
To increase your vocabulary and improve expression, read widely and carefully. Keep a notebook to write down words and expressions that strike you, for example: sparkle, glitter, glean, relax into delicious indolence. Use a good dictionary to understand exact meanings and usage.
Regular and frequent practice is essential. Writing improves by writing. Inspiration is rare; writing is 90% hard work and 10% inspiration. The sooner you develop the habit of disciplined writing, the better.
Keep your eyes and ears open. You will find plenty of things to write about around you. A piece of conversation on the street can spark interesting ideas. Imagine yourself as a stranger seeing the world for the first time and start from there.
Read newspapers carefully. Every day contains examples of human joy and tragedy which give ideas for articles, essays, or short stories. Keep a notebook for ideas that occur while walking, reading, or even during the night. If you do not write them down immediately, you may forget them.
Develop understanding of people, their problems, joys, and sorrows, and be genuinely interested in everyone you meet.
To be a successful writer, you must write interestingly. Different readers have different interests, so know your audience. Study magazines and materials for your target readers to find out what interests them. Most people are interested in the present; even past or future topics matter most when connected to the present.
Choose subjects of which you have personal experience. Writing from personal experience is more convincing and authoritative than relying on second-hand information.
Presentation is very important. Your opening paragraph should grab attention and show the reader what you are writing about and why. State your point of view clearly. You may introduce a paradoxical idea if you can support it convincingly.
The main body should present ideas and arguments clearly, without irrelevant material. Come to the point quickly and conclude with a paragraph that neatly summarizes your message.
To write interestingly, you must be intensely interested in your topic and convey this eagerness to your readers. Believe in what you write to convince them of your honesty. Avoid sharing personal problems that few readers can relate to. Readers are interested in issues they may face themselves, not in private complaints.
Write naturally, focusing on the reader. Avoid self-consciousness and forced style. Your own style develops gradually through reading and practice. Use a conversational, simple tone. Clean, plain English is preferred over elaborate, decorated writing. Avoid jargon, officialese, hackneyed expressions, rhetorical flourishes, empty verbiage, and circumlocutions. Prefer concrete words over abstract or euphemistic expressions.
Example of overcomplicated writing:
My dear Sir, Years have elapsed, since I had an opportunity of ocularly perusing the lineaments…
Clear rewrite:
Dear Sir, It is many years since I last saw you, and you have now become famous worldwide. Although circumstances prevented us from remaining close, I have followed your progress and enjoyed your works. Now that you are leaving Port Middlebay, I thank you on behalf of myself and the town’s inhabitants for the pleasure you have given us. I wish you even greater success in the future. Yours faithfully, [Name]
Clear, simple language communicates effectively and is always preferable.
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