20-Something Rules for Effective Writing
- Raquel Filipek
- Jun 25, 2016
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 6, 2021
Following the recommendations below will ensure your friendly neighborhood editor does not die of a heart attack the next time your document needs editing (assuming you are not writing to your friends in England):
Please repeat: Only one space will ever take place after each period, comma, semi-colon, colon, exclamation point or question mark. This rule is sacred and will be enforced by the punctuation squad.
Unless you are using a typewriter (and a really old one at that), there is no need to underline words or the title of formal documents for emphasis. The titles of books, manuals, movies and other major productions are either written in italics or placed inside parentheses. To demonstrate emphasis, be bold.
Unless your aim is to shout at your reader, do not use the exclamation point, especially when it is accompanied by bold letters that happen to be in all caps. THANK YOU!
Try to limit the number of sentences that begin with a coordinating conjunction or end with a preposition. And, yes, this is an outdated rule that trendier writers typically poke fun of.
Try not to split infinitives all the time, unless you are paying homage to Star Trek.
And/or is not acceptable unless it is part of a disclosure or some other form of legalese. Similarly, do not use a forward slash unless it is part of standard (and acceptable) usage (e.g., work/life balance).
The word very adds little value to your writing. Try using another word for emphasis. You’ll like the results very much.
Somewhere in a distant corner of the world an editor is crying at the sight of the word utilize. Don’t make editors cry. Write use instead.
Effect and affect are not the same. They never were, really.
And neither are capital and capitol; elicit and illicit; allusion and illusion; accept and except; than and then; there, their and they’re; your and you’re; and who, which and that.
Further and farther should definitely not be used as synonyms.
Do not end your manuscript with a bulleted item. Try adding a concluding thought after your list. (You’ll see in a minute.) Otherwise, something seems to be missing and the reader feels shortchanged, in turn leading to mass chaos in a parallel dimension.
It is okay for a paragraph to consist of one sentence or even one word when the desired effect is to make a clear statement or reinforce a previous one. Just like it is okay for a sentence to consist of one word. Seriously.
Why say in regards to when regarding conveys the same meaning in one word? Also, irregardless is not a synonym for regardless. Some linguists speculate irregardless is a word mutation aimed at confusing readers that was strong enough to have survived countless editorial nukes.
In order to is just too long. Just write to. Your Twitter persona will love you forever.
Use more important, not more importantly. If you disagree, please feel free to present your case to William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White.
Try to limit your sentences to three lines. Run-on sentences are simply too long to read and confuse (and often infuriate) the heck out of readers.
Please be kind: Take care of widows and orphans and find them a happy family, unless your content management system forces you to be mean.
Em dashes, en dashes and dashes are not the same. Think of them as separate species of the same genus with unique personal space idiosyncrasies.
Do not overuse that. In fact, that would much rather go on vacation approximately 50 percent of the time rather than make a forced appearance.
It is never too late to learn the difference between acronyms and initialisms. Oh, those darned abbreviations.
Do not use clichés. It is a cliché for a reason.
It is afterward, backward and toward. There’s nothing wrong with adding an s at the end as long as your manuscript follows British English spelling and punctuation norms. The entire manuscript, that is. Otherwise, you’ll risk offending readers in both sides of the world.
Also, please write anyway without the s, unless you write #sigh afterward. This is perfectly acceptable for materials created for use in a dream world where disenchanted teenagers make all the rules.
Do not write American unless you mean every single person living in North, Central and South America. Otherwise, be more specific. Hence, you can refer to individuals living in the United States as U.S. citizens, consumers, residents, etc. Take your pick. The sky’s the limit.
One last word (or a few) of advice: Always use common sense when writing, aim for conciseness and precision, and never assume your readers know what you know (unless your audience consists of expert mind readers). Your readers will thank you and will be more inclined to read your work in the future.
Aren’t you glad this paragraph was added at the end of the bulleted list?
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