Waubonsee Community College

Getting the words right, 39 ways to improve your writing, Theodore A. Rees Cheney

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 237-245) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

Getting the words right

bibliography

57422643

Theodore A. Rees Cheney

"For more than twenty years, Getting the Words Right has helped writers from all professions rewrite, revise, and refine their writing. In this new edition, author Theodore Cheney offers 39 targeted ways you can improve your writing, including how to: create smooth transitions between paragraphs; correct the invisible faults of inconsistency, incoherence, and imbalance; overcome problems of shifting point of view and style; and express your ideas clearly by trimming away weak or extra words." "You'll strengthen existing pieces and every future work by applying these three simple principles: reduce, rearrange, and reword. Once the secrets of revision are yours, you'll follow the same practices that Hemingway did - and you'll get the words right, too."--Jacket

39 ways to improve your writing

Shorten or remove whole chapters, sections, and paragraphs -- Shorten or remove superfluous, ineffective, or redundant sentences and words -- Replace longer words with shorter ones -- Keep unity of subject and scope -- Keep a unified tone -- Keep a unified style -- Keep a consistent point of view and unity of character -- Keep episodes unified -- Keep verb tenses consistent -- Keep paragraphs and sentences to the point and unified -- Organize according to the logic of time, space, and degree of specificity -- Avoid pronoun ambiguity -- Use coherent word order and phrasing -- Use parallel structure -- Make effective transitions -- Establish coherent beginnings -- Develop consistency through the middle -- Write effective and coherent endings -- Put the parts into the right proportions -- Put important things anywhere but in the middle -- Understand the psychology of emphasis -- Use effective repetition of words, phrases, sounds, and ideas -- Vary the length of sentences, paragraphs, and chapters -- Emphasize through careful word choice and positioning -- Use spaces, pauses, and special typography for extra emphasis -- Avoid things that kill emphasis -- Develop and recognize your own special style -- Select the best word, best phrasing, most effective diction -- Improve your diction with shorter, more active words -- Scrutinize your verbs; keep them active -- Limit modifiers -- Appeal to the senses -- Use concrete details -- Be sensitive to rhythm and sound -- Use the sounds of words, and use words to imitate sounds -- Use figurative language -- Watch out for misuse of figurative language -- Avoid distractors and detractors -- Watch for common misspellings and incorrect usages