Improve Your Writing - Table of Contents
University of Bristol online tutorial
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
What is a style guide and why do I need one
What is a style guide and why do I need one: "What is a Style Guide and Why Would I Need One?"
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus:
1. What am I trying to say?
2. What words will express it?
3. What image or idiom will make it clearer?
4. Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?
2. What words will express it?
3. What image or idiom will make it clearer?
4. Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?
And he will probably ask himself two more:
1. Could I put it more shortly?
2. Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?
2. Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?
Source: George Orwell http://www.resort.com/%7Eprime8/Orwell/patee.html
belly rumbles and beyond
Belly rumbles and beyond
George G Clark, 26 January 2008
Martin Amis is a famous novelist and journalist. The University of Manchester is buying his services for £3000 per hour. The wages of wordsmithery catches up with fabulous football! So what is so valuable about stringing words together?
There are those of whom it might be said, "They open their mouths and let their bellies rumble". These are the neurotic motor-mouths who are an endless, flowing source of trivia and gossip. They are the chatter boxes who verbalise the dynamic churn of thoughts and feelings in their brain and who jump quickly from one topic to another. They are afflicted with verbal diarrhoea. Friends and family might be excused for wondering, "Do they never shut up".
In contrast there are those of whom it might be said, "I could listen to them all day". These are life's natural story tellers - the entertaining raconteurs who have a way with words. The finest of them are our poets, novelists, journalists and stand up comedians. The chosen few become well known as media talking heads. They have the gift of selecting items from the dynamic churn and making them into stories with a beginning, middle, end, and a tantalising twist.
Then there are the silent types of whom people wonder 'if the cat has got their tongue'. There are two flavours. Some are introverted and shy – the blushing wallflowers and shrinking violets. Given a supportive environment they might morph into the other categories.
But there are also those of whom it might be said, "Still waters run deep". These are the silent, peaceful people who appear "comfortable in their own skin". They have mastered the art of stillness; they 'let go' their passing thoughts and feelings. These quiet souls appreciate that "the reality which can be described is not the real reality". They embody the ancient view that, "Those who speak do not know, and those who know do not speak". Quietly smiling.
So there are chatterboxes, story-tellers and quiet-souls. The University of Manchester's creative writing department has put a high price on the story-teller. What price the chatter box and the quiet-soul?
"Look wise, say nothing, and grunt. Speech was given to conceal thought." - Sir William Osler
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
Friday, September 08, 2006
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Friday, April 21, 2006
Monday, April 03, 2006
Friday, March 17, 2006
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Monday, February 20, 2006
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Friday, January 27, 2006
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Ten Simple, Yet Highly Effective Tips to Improve Your Online Lead Generation and Generate More Sales Leads from Your Website: "Ten Simple, Yet Highly Effective Tips to Improve Your Online Lead Generation and Generate More Sales Leads from Your Website"
Monday, January 02, 2006
Scotsman.com News - Politics - Ministers reject call to write in plain English: "Ministers reject call to write in plain English"
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Fight the Bull - Why Business People Speak Like Idiots: "Learn more about Why Business People Speak Like Idiots and its authors. "
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Monday, October 31, 2005
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Welcome to the Center for Plain Language: "The Center for Plain Language supports the goal of improving communications using the principles of plain language.
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George Orwell on Politics and the English Language: "Politics and the English Language
by George Orwell"
by George Orwell"
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Monday, August 08, 2005
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Monday, May 09, 2005
Friday, April 29, 2005
Monday, April 18, 2005
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Friday, February 04, 2005
Friday, January 21, 2005
BogieLand: Information Design & Information Architecture Company:
"Information anxiety comes from the tsunami of data. People rely on information which value is set by its usability, usefulness, and desirability. Information design improves the creation, sharing, and dissimination of knowledge. To facilitate understanding."
"Information anxiety comes from the tsunami of data. People rely on information which value is set by its usability, usefulness, and desirability. Information design improves the creation, sharing, and dissimination of knowledge. To facilitate understanding."
Design Council | About Design: "Design Council - This section features in-depth information and advice on design issues and disciplines. "
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Friday, December 17, 2004
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