Five Keys To Writing Excellence by Orna Ross
Five characteristics are common to all good writing, fiction or non-fiction. I think of these characteristics as keys to good writing. To get them right is to unlock the power that writing has to move, convince or persuade a reader.
The five keys are:
1. Clarity — Say what you mean
2. Accuracy — Say precisely what you mean so the reader can’t possibly misunderstand
3. Unity — Say precisely what you mean so the reader can’t possibly misunderstand, with consistency from start to finish.
4. Brevity — Say precisely what you mean so the reader can’t possibly misunderstand, with consistency from start to finish, in as few words as possible
5. Confidence — Say precisely what you mean so the reader can’t possibly misunderstand, with consistency from start to finish, in as few words as possible, in your own unique, inimitable style.
Next week, we’ll examine each key separately.
Till then, happy writing!
Orna
3 Responses to “Five Keys To Writing Excellence by Orna Ross”
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April 27th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Orna’s tips are really masterpiece ones. As always, wide reading should go hand in hand. Religiously reading a minimum of 20 pages every day — if not more — is a good asset. One’s own language then wells out from the diaghram of the mind and heart. And when that takes place, boy, there’s no stopping.
April 28th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Thanks for the kind comments Bob. You’re so right about the reading. I read about three books a week — and it always flabbergasts me when people say they want to write and then tell me they don’t read.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Clarity is paramount, and as Bob D’Costa says, ultimately, the mark of a master. It sounds simple but finding a tight structure and equal ease, allowing no room for for misinterpretation takes a lifetime of practice, at least it will in my case. For others, I suspect everything must be easier. For I’ve always learned that trying too hard is another trap.