Basic Writing Principles Across All Media

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Last week, I mentioned that I was prepping for a class on timeless
writing principles for my students who are majoring in e-media. Today during class,
I opened up the question to my knowledge network on Twitter, and received some excellent
feedback.




[I've bolded the ones that I had in my actual presentation before opening the question
up to Twitter!]

Always, always, always consider your audience.


@LaurieBoris



Make sure the rhythm is right. Good writing grooves like good music :-)

@jackiesface



Less is more, especially when it comes to modifiers. If you modify everything,
then you modify nothing.


@KristenLambTX



Yes--Study Marshall McLuhan. The medium is, indeed, the message.

@Deffree



Read your work out loud. Holds true for fiction, blogs, articles, everything. If it
sounds wrong out loud, it needs editing.

@kimswitzer



Don't use the qualifier 'very.'


@geoffrey_little



One that gives me the most trouble - Write now, rewrite later. Don't try to
do both at the same time.


@1stine



If an adjective or adverb adds no higher value to the sentence, get rid of it.


@lightherlamp



Less is best. Be concise.


@DJordanLane




My rule - know your audience.


@MaestroDSCH



Try second person in article or blog ledes.

@DavidRutsala




"Be specific." Vague sentences don't work when you're limited by time. You can't be
James Joyce on social media.

@Veronica_Jarski



No secret - describe w/verbs. "He dashed out the door." Not "He ran quickly
out the door."

@Gary_at_PROSOCO



My Fav !! Keep the sentences short

@cothrust



Tell the truth. Or go into advertising.

@Ditchwalk



Give your characters depth; emotion, struggles, challenges, reasons, bring them to
life. Quality before quantity.

@BuddhistKnight



Expect re-writes and edits, they're not a negative, they're an essential. Go
back, make it better when ideas call


@BuddhistKnight



If you lack motivation; set yourself a minimum of say one quality page a day,
it releases pressure, then expand.

@BuddhistKnight



The five paragraph essay. Never fails me.

@booksquare



Get who vs whom right, and don't confuse bring with take; then make each sentence
so beautiful that I wish I had written it.

@askjohnabout



Plus, if it doesn't sound like  something you would actually SAY, then it probably
won't seem very authentic. Use your voice.


@askjohnabout



Keep cutting until you get message across with lowest possible word count. Simplicity
is an art!

@BucksWriter

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