Jan 03 2009
5 Ways to Look Like an Amateur Writer
My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way.
~Ernest Hemingway
One of the most important ways in which I’ve matured as a writer is to recognize that simplicity in writing does not necessarily equal inferiority.
In this area, some new writers make mistakes that immediately expose them as amateurs. If you want others to know you have little experience and/or talent, you’ll want to do the following:
- Use a thesaurus to find bigger words instead of more effective words (and without being genuinely sure of their proper usage).
- Write unnecessary, long-winded descriptive passages, especially in the 1st chapter.
- Show off your ‘creativity’ by overusing literary devices (metaphors, similes, alliteration).
- Create cutesy/clever/alliterative titles that are meaningless but sound good.
- Take the longest possible route to get to your point because you want your novel to be very thick.
When it comes to writing, Hemingway got it right with the phrase “the best and simplest way.” It’s good to be creative, to be descriptive, to be clever, but only if you do it in the ‘best and simplest way’ possible.
When you simplify your writing, you’re doing your reader a favour.
