12 Writers' Maxims

Get the pencil moving quickly.

Be direct, simple, brief, vigorous,

and lucid.

Say an old thing in a new way or a new thing in an

old way.

Try to leave out the part that

readers tend to skip.

Murder your darlings.

Never use the passive where

you can use the active.

Do not let the beginning of your sentence lead

the reader to an expectation which is

contradicted by the end.

Write less; rewrite more.

Leave a decent space of time

between writing something and

editing it.

Improve every opportunity to

express yourself in writing as if it were your last.

Ignore all proffered rules and create your own, suitable for what you want to say.

Get black on white.