SOME
RULES FOR WRITING by Mark Twain
(From
the Atlantic Wire)
Mark Twain was a man with a lot of ideas going
through his head. In 1895, one of them was how James Fenimoore Cooper violated
18 of the 19 "rules governing literary art in the doman of romantic
fiction" in his novel The
Deerslayer. Twain tries setting them
all down on paper, and most of them are good tips if you're writing a piece of
James Fenimoore Cooper fan fiction, but will probably be of limited help to
other writers. Starting at point 12, the "rules" blend into general
literary rules of the road.
·
Say what he is proposing to say, not merely
come near it.
·
Use the right word, not its second cousin.
·
Eschew surplusage.
o
Not omit necessary details.
o
Avoid slovenliness (lazy or sloppiness) of
form.
o
Use good grammar.
o
Employ a simple and straightforward style
