There are a very few people whom I call my mentors. And this book is the one.
It is not overly complicated, nor does it involve advanced writing techniques. It only offers a set of rules to pull your messy thoughts out of the air and organize them into a standard, readable format.
This book teaches you a new language. A language of writing.
My Notes
Someone who is new to a certain language (say, me to Spanish) struggles to express their thoughts properly. The thoughts are there, ready to escape your mouth, waiting for the green flag. But you simply lack the standard convention to convey whatever is in your mind to your exotic fella.
Mr William Strunk put together the alphabet, grammar rules, and basic forms of proper English communication, but all for writing. Do you want to have a good style? Start with the elements, understand the core.
I will share some of the best tips from the book below:
Omit needless words: Remove any words that do not add meaning to your sentences. Only keep what matters, making your writing clear and direct.
- Wordy: “There is no doubt that she can win the race.”
- Concise: “She can win the race.”
Write with Nouns and Verbs, Not Adjectives and Adverbs
- Weak: “He walked quietly.”
- Strong: “He crept.”
Put Statements in Positive Form:
- Negative: “He did not remember the details.”
- Positive: “He forgot the details.”