That is the question.

[prillalar]

Writing advice I'm now trying to follow:

Substitute "damn" every time you're inclined to write "very;" your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. -- Mark Twain

Writing advice I gleefully ignore:

It's often wise to cut down on verbs of being, replacing them (whenever possible) with action verbs; that'll make your writing punchier.

I loooooooooove the verb "to be". It's my favourite verb. I work those predicate nouns and adjectives as hard as I can. I like the flatness of it, the plainness.

What's your favourite writing advice? Or your favourite advice to ignore?

Comments

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I've had to impose this rule on myself: when the first draft of a story is finished, go through and un-italicize at least half the italicized words. And then go back and un-italicize half of what's left. You would gape at the number of italics in my first drafts, I'll tell ya.

And as far as rule-breaking, my rule is: Learn the rules, and learn how to write within them. Once you've done that, you can figure out when it's necessary to break them. Being conscious of the rules makes you realize when you're breaking them for the right reasons.

[prillalar]

I've cut way back on italics myself, over the years. I think it's too easy to rely on them instead of writing your prose in such a way that they not necessary. And the more italics there are, the less effective each one is.