Maribel asked for tips on developing a good writing style. Thanks for stopping by, Maribel!
The first thing that comes to mind is not to try to sound too "writerly."
Except for very formal, academic writing, a conversational style is usually best.
I just saw a great example of this with one of my editing clients. He's an expert in his field, but when he writes about his topic, it comes across very stiff. So I interviewed him on the phone, had the recording transcribed, and then edited the transcript. Much more natural flow of words and sentences. The difference was amazing. Of course, I had to make quite a few changes, because most people tend to speak in incomplete sentences, with abrupt parenthetic digressions, and so on, but the finished product was far superior to what he had originally written.
That approach may be a little drastic for most writers, but you can apply the principle by reading your writing aloud.
Of course, there's much more than this to developing a good style. I'll be adding more tips, but meanwhile, I recommend that you read, study, and apply the principles in Strunk and White's classic book, The Elements of Style
Hope this helps!
Mary Jo Tate
Comments
Oct. 12, 2005 - Excellent
Posted by FamilyMedicine
I look forward to more of your posts on writing.
Maribel
Oct. 13, 2005 - Great tips...
Posted by MySmokyMtnHomeschool
Thanks for sharing.
:-) Amy Beth
Oct. 15, 2005 - The First Five Pages
Posted by Mary Jo,
Thank you for your comment on my blog. I am thankful for your friendship and prayers.
Have you ever read The First Five Pages... I don't remember who wrote it, but its a hoot and it helps you see how to simplify your writing. There are a couple of bad examples in it so I would read it first before reading it with kids. Its easy to understand and so funny.
BTW Can you explain the diference between it's and its. I keep forgetting.
Jill
Edited by JillNovak on Oct. 16, 2005 at 1:30 AM