How-to: Write Good by Frank L. Visco

Write Good by Frank L. Visco is a set of rules originally published in the June 1986 issue of Writers’ digest.

My several years in the word game have learnt me several rules:

1. Avoid Alliteration. Always.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. Avoid cliches like the plague (they’re old hat).
4. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
5. One should never generalize.
6. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
7. Be more or less specific.
8. Sentence fragments?  Eliminate.
9. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
10. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.
11. Who needs rhetorical questions?

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