The 10 Immutable Laws of Writing

[ THREAD ]

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1: Omit Needless Words

Writing is a struggle against messy thinking.

Your readers don't have time to wade through needless verbiage to locate your point.

1. Decide what you want to say.
2. Write it.
3. Then cut it in half.
2: Use Direct Language

Never conceal your point.

Figure out what you want to say.

Then say it.
3: Compose Short Sentence

Vary your sentence length for rhythm and interest. But keep your average sentence punchy.

Aim for 10 to 20 words per sentence.
If you need help, use the Hemingway app:

hemingwayapp.com

In my new book, my average sentence length is 10 words.
4: Write Like You Talk

School gives us vocabulary lists to memorize and rewards us for using fancy words in essays.

Many of us have a hard time unlearning this habit. But your writing will improve 10X if you use a more conversational style.
5: Limit Qualifiers

Qualifiers either limit or enhance other words.

Good writers use qualifiers sparingly.
How do they avoid it? By selecting strong, precise words that don’t need qualifiers.

The workout was i̶n̶c̶r̶e̶d̶i̶b̶l̶y̶ ̶d̶i̶f̶f̶i̶c̶u̶l̶t̶ e̲x̲c̲r̲u̲c̲i̲a̲t̲i̲n̲g̲

They r̶a̶n̶ ̶q̶u̶i̶c̶k̶l̶y̶ d̲a̲r̲t̲e̲d̲ across the field
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6: Employ Strong, Precise Verbs

Write sentences that are good.

Wait, let me try that again: Craft sentences that sing.

Notice the difference? Employing the right verbs energizes your writing.
7: Prefer the Active Voice

"Henry saw her" is strong.

"She was seen by Henry" is weak.
8: Don't Bore Your Reader

Writing that contains interesting facts holds reader attention 10x longer than boring writing.

Okay, I made that up. But point is...

- Tell stories
- Give examples
- Sprinkle in facts

Boring writing is bad writing.
9: Use Parallel Phrasing for Parallel Ideas

Parallel phrasing is the use of repeating grammatical patterns of words or clauses.

Parallelism creates balance and rhythm.

Every great communicator does this.
Every great persuader does this.
Every great politician does this.
10: End Sentence Emphatically

Amateurs write sentences that fizzle.

The final word or phrase should pack heat.
One way to remember this is to put old information at the beginning of a sentence to link to what came before.

And then end the sentence by introducing a new thought or piece of information.

Take a look...
Writing is the success hack for the 21st century.

Absolute no brainer investment in yourself.

Start writing like a pro now 👇

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