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Write Simply

paulgraham.com

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Re: Write Simply

#351

Post by hug »

solarmist wrote: post #350
hug wrote: post #273

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences…

Do you have a source for this? I mean besides the author’s name. I’d love to read more about that. I’ve recently start taking my writing seriously, but I feel like this is what I’m tending towards if I’m not careful.

It's from "100 Ways To Improve Your Writing", I believe.

It's full of decent advice. Some bad. Some good. Some that is insightful in ways you might never have thought of by yourself.

Good luck.

Re: Write Simply

#352

Post by ulisesrmzroche »

gonehome wrote: post #206
ulisesrmzroche wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“It follows that any struggle against the abuse of language is a sentimental archaism, like preferring candles to electric light or hansom cabs to aeroplanes“ Removing the simile reduces the meaning of “sentimental archaism”. Similes clarify meaning. That’s what all imagery is for.

Sometimes it clarifies meaning, most of the time it adds nothing. "Sneakier than a fox" doesn't help. That quote is from Orwell's Politics and the English Language: https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/orwel... While the one sentence out of context seems unnecessarily complex, most of Orwell's writing is pretty simple to read. Another bit from that essay: "The writer either has a meaning and cannot…

Well those two paragraphs you quoted have similes in them, hyperbole, slang, and characterization.

Sure, my off the top example is lame but that’s not my point. You’re saying that they’re rarely used, almost never, yet those paragraph you quoted have plenty of similes and other literary devices.

I’d argue that you can’t recognize literary devices so that’s why you’re confusing what these people are trying to say. Yes, you do need to make an effort to come up with original and interesting similes and metaphors, but they are not to be avoided

Re: Write Simply

#353

Post by ulisesrmzroche »

gridspy wrote: post #226
ulisesrmzroche wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“It follows that any struggle against the abuse of language is a sentimental archaism, like preferring candles to electric light or hansom cabs to aeroplanes“ Removing the simile reduces the meaning of “sentimental archaism”. Similes clarify meaning. That’s what all imagery is for.

Or instead of >It follows that any struggle against the abuse of language is a sentimental archaism You could say Struggling against the abuse of language is like being emotionally trapped in the past. There is no reason to use two rarely used words (sentimental, archaism) in that sentence.

Yeah but you still used a simile, you just used one that you like more, more fitting to the time.

But you’re still using a literary device to increase the clarity of “struggling against the abuse of language”. What these guys are arguing is that there is no use for similes. You should say: “People struggle against the abuse of language” and leave it at that.

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