Twain's Writerly Words of Wisdom
I once made the mistake of reading the entirety of Huckleberry Finn out loud to my boys. Sheesh. I have permanent scars on my tongue from verbalizing a metric ton of old south slang and twang.
But dang. That man can write.
Here are a few nuggets of advice from Mr. Samuel Longhorne Clemens . . .
The personages in a tale, both dead and alive, shall exhibit a sufficient excuse for being there.
The author shall make the reader feel a deep interest in the personages of his tale and their fate; and that he shall make the reader love the good people in the tale and hate the bad ones.
The personages of a tale shall confine themselves to possibilities and let miracles alone; or, if they venture a miracle, the author must so plausibly set it forth as to make it look possible and reasonable.
The author shall make the reader feel a deep interest in the personages of his tale and their fate; and that he shall make the reader love the good people in the tale and hate the bad ones.
An author should:
- Say what he is proposing to say, not merely come near it.
- Use the right word, not its second cousin.
- Eschew surplusage.
- Not omit necessary details.
- Avoid slovenliness of form.
- Use good grammar.
- Employ a simple, straightforward style.
