This week I’m sharing five rules that govern how I make a TREE post.
5. Use the right words
First, I try to ‘sound’ like me. Often I read something and think, Oh this person used their Doing Writing words. And then I think, I must remember to not do that.
Second, I play. I like to subvert or invert figures of speech. I like to take sentences in unexpected directions and yank new metaphors into existence. I put line breaks anywhere
I want to.
Third, I try to be not a bad writer. I know the difference between less and fewer. I don’t use words like just, probably, very, really, actually unless they are contributing significant meaning to the sentence or creating an effect. I avoid clichés like the plague unless i’m playing with them or making the joke in this sentence.
Fourth, I use the fewest words I can. I think 95% of all writing is too long. I try to be in the 5% that isn’t. I don’t want to wander around my point, so I try to use words that accurately communicate what I want to tell you. I edit as I write. People say don’t but it’s fine because I make up for it by writing as I edit on the second, third and fourth times through. I just really really really (creating effect) want to get the words right.
Occasionally I succeed.
I got teary when I heard this for the first time. It was the first song that came on after I read that Benjamin Zephaniah died.
True(ish) story: yesterday in a work meeting I said, ‘I’d like to get my eyes on the rough draft.’ I immediately choked myself until I passed out as a warning about the life-altering trouble I would be in if I ever again said ‘get my eyes on’ or any other vile business-speak without being ironic or engaging in satire.
Happy weekend
Jeff
P.S. I got several of the words right in my book.
Promise me as a reader that you will really really really use lie and lay correctly in a sentence. I’d bet my bottom dollar that you are a Chosen One who will.