Ok this year I’m starting on time. As you can see the site has been all freshed up, and I intend to start writing again. Attempts at fiction are unlikely, instead just commentary, reviews, rants etc. Hopefully with the occasional flash of insight or generating some useful synthesis, and at the very least just hobbling along on the crutches of self-deprecation and profanity.
In review of last years projects; baseball, bash scripting, breakfast & alcoholism:
- I played a season of baseball, our team sucked the least out of those that belonged in our division & we ended the season 3rd of 8. Result!
- I scripted nothing. The linux box in the kitchen was mostly used to stream Al-Jazeera while cooking.
- Eating proper breakfasts didn’t happen.
- Alcoholism never really took off, though I did develop a taste for Scotch.
This year’s major personal project (besides a return to shitty writing) is an experiment in post-national tech-nomadism. While remaining based in Amsterdam with our studio I intend to go without really being locked down into one place of residence and spend a couple of months here and there in other cities. I might also take up swimming. Bring it 2012.
Principles of Writing Well
One of the great acts of procrastination well known to anyone who has to write on a regular basis, is reading about writing. Right now I’m doing this with William Zissner’s ‘On Writing Well’. It’s divided into 4 parts, the first being ‘Principles’. To save you the trouble of reading all 60 pages I have condensed each chapter down to a single line. You’re welcome.
Simplicity: Don’t use big words when you can use small ones.
Clutter: Cut out anything you don’t need. Simplify.
Style: Keep it personal by writing from first person and cutting out the I’s afterwards. Be honest.
The Audience: Forget them. Write to please yourself.
Words: Avoid cliches. When in doubt, look it up. Consider the sound of words when spoken.
Usage: The laws of usage are relative. If a word or phrase fills a real need, go ahead and use it.
These are of course just principles not rules, and this is as much a reminder to myself as help to anyone else. If anyone has recommendations for other books on the construction of non-fiction prose, journalism or criticism go ahead and bother me on email or @thesjef. Cheers.