Comments on: Is it web writing or just good writing?

By: Doug Thompson

Doug Thompson — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:24:29 +0000

Late commenting but just wanted to say I enjoyed the article. Check out Mark Twain’s savagely funny essay, “Cooper’s Prose Style.” He takes a few paragraphs of Cooper’s, larded with all sort of verbiage, about Deerslayer having killed a deer and brought it back to camp. Twain says that Cooper’s prose is “unsuited to the transportation of raw meat.” The essay contains 14 (or some number) of rules for good writing one which is “eschew surplusage.”

By: Enon

Enon — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:46:46 +0000

No problem.

I guess comedy is one good outcome of extraneously worded sentences.

By: David Hamill

David Hamill — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:44:10 +0000

That made me chuckle. Thanks for that :0)

By: Enon

Enon — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:04:32 +0000

There is not a way in which I could stress enough my agreement with your position and statements regarding the issues pertaining to the composition of bloated sentences in all legal, business and general manners. It is my opinion as well that such practices stem from the forceful nature in the educational process that requires and encourages pupils to distend the written word and refer, on a constant and regular basis, to corrupting writing aids such as a thesaurus.

By: Sue Keogh

Sue Keogh — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:18:05 +0000

Really good article, well written to boot! Sue

By: Helen Baker

Helen Baker — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:44:23 +0000

Good points Dave. Now if only the people who wrote as you’ve just explained would develop an interest in writing well and read this too…!

I work for a number of engineering companies and have had lots of ‘fun’ revising web copy written by people who know the business but who aren’t writers – which is where I think half the problem lies.

They write as they think a ‘writer’ would do. Many managers also see an opportunity to promote their service or division and get carried away.

Despite this, I think many don’t see the value in good writing (believing it’s quantity over quality) and are unlikely to accept training to learn how to do it better.

Helen

By: David Hamill

David Hamill — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:15:30 +0000

I take your point Andrew. I guess I mean that by aiming for clarity at the start will help you focus. But at the same time you should be revisiting your text in order to strip bits out and simplify it. So this takes time. As Blaise Pascal said, “I have made this letter longer than usual, only because I have not had time to make it shorter.” (yes, I though it was Mark Twain too)

By: Andrew Merryweather

Andrew Merryweather — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:52:40 +0000

Couldn’t agree more, I try to adhere to the principles of clarity and brevity when I write (with occasional concessions to context, as per Pete T’s comment above).

The one point I’d quibble with is ‘waste of the author’s time’. If it takes me an hour to say something in 1000 words, it’ll take me two hours to say it in a concise 500. Verbose is easy, concise takes work.

By: Destry Wion

Destry Wion — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:39:10 +0000

Excellent points, David. We (should) know these and still remember to check ourselves continuously. It does take attention, and practice.

Indeed, “Letting Go of the Words” is excellent.

By: David Hamill

David Hamill — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:11:12 +0000

Hi Pete,

Yes I’m talking about business writing. I agree entirely with your point.