Livingston

Oct
26
2007

The Elements of Style

Every time I read The Elements of Style I remember how incredibly useful and well written it is. The introduction by E.B. White, as well as the current foreword by his stepson Roger Angell, are both eloquent. As writers, isn’t that what we strive for?

There are so many hidden gems found in the pages of that book. One that I constantly need to remind myself of is ‘omit needless words.’ I have a habit of wanting to tell you, really tell you, in extravagant detail, what it is I’m trying to say. E.B. White points out that the trick in omitting needless words is not to write short sentences but to make every word tell.

It’s hard to do when you’re writing press release after press release or blog entry after blog entry. A lot of times we move quick from one thing to another and trust, because we’re writers, that we used the right word in the right way. After all, these are things we should know by now.

But to this day I still get tripped up over the easiest ones — like ending in an s and the possessive form, which in the book is called an ‘elementary’ rule of usage, or when to use ‘that’ or ‘which’ still sometimes throws me. There’s another great section in there on words and expressions commonly misused: alternate/alternative; among/between; effect/affect.

It’s a great handbook that I’ve had and used at various times over the years and then lost and forgot about until I found it again yesterday. If you write on a daily basis, in some form or another, and don’t have a copy of The Elements of Style in front of you, there is a place to turn for a quick fix.

Copyblogger has wonderful posts on everything from ‘the five grammatical errors that make you look dumb’ to ‘mistakes to avoid when you write.’ He’s good. He has posts on his blog about time management and writing, persuasive writing. It’s helpful, especially if you find yourself in a lurch.

But to improve and hone your craft, I would suggest having E.B White by your side to learn how to ‘make every word tell.’

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by Michele Capots | Blogging |

6 Responses to “The Elements of Style”

  • Jen White Says:

    October 26th, 2007 at 10:33 am

    Great post Michele–I think we all have a few problem phrases and usage issues. Mine seem to be using the phrase “in order to” (which is almost never necessary), and for some random reason “centered around” (should be “centered on”).

    The Elements of Style is a great resource, and good to have close by…I wonder where my copy is? This article from the NYT that WordWise pointed to is a great read too.

    http://tinyurl.com/34w63p

    Jen

  • Michele Says:

    October 26th, 2007 at 1:37 pm

    Hi Jen — thanks for reading. I know what you mean, it’s so easy to put additional words in there, like “in order to,” instead of just stating what you mean. As I mentioned, I love the way, Strunk talked about ‘words that tell.’ The man clearly has a way with words.

  • Larissa Fair Says:

    October 26th, 2007 at 2:48 pm

    I am also glad that we received these books, it’s always a good refresher for any writer. That, and we got the pretty girl version. :)

  • Kami Huyse Says:

    October 26th, 2007 at 10:00 pm

    Larissa; You remind me that I left my copy behind when I moved from Virginia to Texas. It is on my Amazon wish list, you listening Mom? We all need those reminders to keep our writing crisp.

  • Inaudible Nonsense Says:

    October 28th, 2007 at 8:23 pm

    I also recommend the The Elements of Style, Illustrated. It’s a beautiful book, with gorgeous illustrations by Myra Kalman. Plus it’s just a wonderful ode to a fantastic book — why shouldn’t it be illustrated? Monks illuminated great works. We should too!

    Also, the Elements of Typographical Style is a an amazing book. Not nearly as concise as Strunk and White, but so, so complete. It’s the best book for anyone that is working with text: typographers, designers and even editors and writers.

  • Skills to be Successful in Integrating PR and Social Media » The Buzz Bin Says:

    July 16th, 2008 at 9:38 am

    [...] should still be eloquent and clean. Be mindful of grammar, punctuation and style. In fact, read The Elements of Style. It will do wonders for your blog [...]

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