What is "good" writing?

Summary of "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk Jr.

📚 The Elements of Style is a classic book on writing.

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My summary is broken into four posts:

Part 1: What is “good” writing?

Part 2: How to write clearly

Part 3: The 9 words you might be using incorrectly

Part 4: How to find your writing style

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Here is Part 1:

William Strunk Jr. summarizes his view of good writing in one sentence:

“A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.”

He clarifies that this doesn’t mean all sentences have to be short or avoid detail, but that every word should tell.

Here are two techniques for making your writing more concise:

1. Remove needless words

2. Use specific language

1. Remove needless words:

Shorter is usually better.

If a word doesn’t serve a purpose, it doesn’t need to be in a sentence.

Here are some examples:

the question as to whether

whether

there is no doubt but that

no doubt

used for fuel purposes

used for fuel

he is a man who

he

in a hasty manner

hastily

this is a subject that

this subject

Her story is a strange one.

Her story is strange.

the reason why is that

because

I was unaware of the fact that

I was unaware that

the fact that he had no succeeded

his failure

Trying to present a complex idea, step by step, in a series of sentences may lead to wordiness. You should try to combine the sentences into one.

Macbeth was very ambitious. This led him to wish to become king of Scotland. The witches told him that this wish of his would come true. The king of Scotland at the this time was Duncan. Encourage by his wife, Macbeth murdered Duncan. He was thus enabled to succeed Duncan as king. (51 words)

Encourage by his wife, Macbeth achieved his ambition and realized the prediction of the witches by murdering Duncan and becoming king of Scotland in his place. (26 words)

2. Use specific language:

A reliable way to capture a reader’s attention is by being specific, definite, and concrete.

A period of unfavorable weather set in.

It rained every day for a week.

He showed satisfaction as he took possession of his well-earned reward.

He grinned as he pocketed the coin.

The greatest writers—Homer, Dante, Shakespeare—are effective largely because they deal in particulars and report the details that matter. Their words call up pictures.

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Continue reading the other parts of The Elements of Style summary:

Part 1: What is “good” writing?

Part 2: How to write clearly

Part 3: The 9 words you might be using incorrectly

Part 4: How to find your writing style

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