Remember, it is no sign of weakness or defeat that your manuscript ends up in need of major surgery. This is a common occurrence in all writing, and among the best writers.
William Strunk, Jr.Read
The approach to style is by way of plainness, simplicity, orderliness, sincerity.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes that style should be rooted in simplicity and honesty.
William Strunk, Jr. suggests that effective style in writing or expression is achieved through the principles of plainness, simplicity, orderliness, and sincerity. This highlights the importance of clear and sincere communication, as opposed to complexity or embellishment, which can obscure the intended message.
In practice
In a writing workshop emphasizing clarity, this quote could be used to encourage students to focus on straightforward expression.
Remember, it is no sign of weakness or defeat that your manuscript ends up in need of major surgery. This is a common occurrence in all writing, and among the best writers.
The surest way to arouse and hold the attention of the reader is by being specific, definitive, and concrete. The greatest writers - Homer, Dante, Shakespeare - are effective largely because they deal in particulars and report the details that matter. Their words call up pictures.
Instead of announcing what you are about to tell is interesting, make it so.
Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, non-committal language.
Avoid fancy words....If you admire fancy words, if every sky is beauteous, every blonde curvaceous, every intelligent child prodigious, if you are tickled by discombobulate, you will have bad time Reminder 14.
Rather, very, little, pretty - these are the leeches that infest the pond of prose, sucking the blood of words. The constant use of the adjective little (except to indicate size) is particularly debilitating; we should all try to do a little better, we should all be very watchful of this rule, for it is a rather important one, and we are pretty sure to violate it now and then.
Write your own songs. It helps you to mean what you're singing, which will then make it mean something to listeners.
The artist is chosen by God to fulfill his commands and must never be overwhelmed by public opinion.
If we start putting music out constantly where people don't think no more, people go crazy. We're gonna lose the love of heart, of soul. And if the world lose that, I think the world is doomed.
Thinking should be done before and after, not during photographing. Success depends on the extent of one's general culture. one's set of values, one's clarity of mind one's vivacity. The thing to be feared most is the artificially contrived, the contrary to life.
Perfume is like a parenthesis, a moment of freedom, peace, love and sensuality in between the disturbances of modern living.
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of the night.
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