How To Write Better

Four basic premises of writing: clarity, brevity, simplicity and humanity William Zinsser quotes

This is intended for the writers here.

Any fool can start a love affair. To bring it to a successful culmination needs wisdom ... and of course luck.

What brings this about are some recent posts I read here. As a reader I winced aplenty. Excessive verbiage does not indicate talent, be it prose or verse.

JFK once observed if a speech does not makes it point in ten minutes it is not worth making.

Here are some more quotes:

It is with words as with sunbeams. The more they are condensed, the deeper they burn. ~Robert Southey

Good things, when short, are twice as good. ~Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom

It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what other men say in whole books - what other men do not say in whole books. ~Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols

Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,
And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
I will be brief.
~William Shakespeare, Hamlet

The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do. ~Thomas Jefferson

A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. ~William Strunk, Jr., The Elements of Style, 1918

In composing, as a general rule, run your pen through every other word you have written; you have no idea what vigor it will give your style. ~Sydney Smith

Brevity is the soul of lingerie. ~Dorothy Parker

If you can't write your idea on the back of my calling card, you don't have a clear idea. ~David Belasco

link for above quotes

Here are some guidelines specially suited for an e-zine:

* write from the heart, but rein in with the mind

* educate, entertain, inform.

* research, revise, re write

* be ready to accept the positive or not-so-positive feedback

* show wisdom tinged with humility: show respect for the reader and interact with them

* follow the 1/3rd rule. after you have edited the final draft, reduce/delete the contents by up to 2/3rd.

To repeat, treat your final draft as a piece of rock ready to be sculpted.

Here are more links:

Ten Tips for good web writing

Ten Tips on writing the living web

Duffy's crash-course

Writing tips for non-writers

Ten tips for good writing

And there is one final resource on writing that I would recommend: BBC Blast.

If you have more queries, feel free to ask us. Good luck!

if nothing is forever: is nothing for ever vi

and the prisoner of Time
past, present and future 
and the kernel of time, Truth 
and the tides of truth, Reflections 
and the blend of time, truth and reflections, Life 
and the core of life, Beauty 
and the conscience of beauty, Soul 
our wandering soul 

is... 
nothing for ever? 

a nihilist am i 
wandering eternally 
in search of elusive 
smiles? 

if nothing is forever: is nothing for ever v

what of deception 
raised to an art form 
and of real Art 
Mona's smile, Tut's frown
Rasputin's gaze, 
Bard's plays
Mirza's kalaam
the written Word 

if nothing is forever: is nothing for ever iv

khooshi -- ik muskurahat 
ghum -- hazaar taa'nay 
zindagi -- bhaNwar beech darya 
such -- fik'r o ehsaas ka azaab 
aur rooh -- ijtamiyyat ki maut, 
infradiyat ki fat'eh aur 
harf -- pehla aur aakhri -- la-faani harf, 
libadah rooh ka 

if nothing is forever: is nothing for ever iii

what of the utterances 
of sages and simpletons 
cascading in the reservoir of folk lore
repeated lies that mushroom 
and with each repetition 
ensconce an aura of Truth

if nothing is forever: is nothing for ever ii

hum jo youN behtay haiN nafratouN ki mauj maiN 
hum jo larzaaN haiN mohabbatouN kay darya maiN 
hum jo kisi joostoojoo e azli maiN haiN griftaar 
hum jo mohooum ummeedouN maiN haiN az'l say koshaaN  

if nothing is forever: is nothing for ever i

what about love with an l or L 
and its perennial nemesis hate 
and that smile 
furtively as it plays on 
over innocent faces 
yet to be affected by Love, love or Hate 

Om Mani Padme Hum (draft ii)

paani paani ker gaee mujh kO Qalander ki yeh baat

tu jhuka jub ghair kay aagayna munn tera na tann

                                       (iqbal- dayar e ish'q)

i want to write a story

a story

about the waves

twirling around my bare feet

om mani padme hum

the waves from the atlantic

and the caribbean sea

must have traveled

unhampered miles
vying with each other

to embrace the pink sand

at eluthera's lighthouse beach

their foam, froth and fret

and the crisis of their history

to meet the lover

only to move on
and return

AllahHooAllahHooAllahHoo

these waves could teach those

stuck forever in timelines

as they encounter
in their travels and travails

nets, debris, boats, breakwaters

clouds that float to peaks ..

snow, water, rivers 
and back to ocean

love and yearning undeterred

om mani padme hum

AllahHooAllahHooAllahHoo

paani paani paani paani
om mani padme hum

such ki talaash - draft ii

zeh'n kay jangalON maiN
zaat kay sehraON maiN 
t'ri ankhiON ki jheel maiN
ghota zun dhooNdta hooN 
saleeb ko, pyalay ko

ab tO yeh aalam hay 
her rah chaltay shaksh ki 
aankhON maiN dhoondta hooN 
khud ko ...

such ki talaash - draft i

zeh'n kay jangal, zaat kay sehra maiN
aur teri aankhON ki jheel maiN hay
talash kisi go'om gushta such ki 
jo saleeb per saidouN pehlay
chaRha diya tha, ya jis nay
khushi say zeh'r pee liya tha
jaanta hooN yeh sub, khalish laikin
muztarib rakhti hay mujhay

edge - i, ii, iii

edge i ~ vestibule

today i face an edge
of precipice

down below
lanes and towns 
of memoryville

words
that used to flow
unhampered
are stilled

edge ii ~ threshold

we had 
loves and passions
aplenty in common
and were blessed 
with supporting spouses

he kept his ailement
away from himself
and 
the prognosis
is not good...

edge iii ~ curb

torn between respect
for his wishes 
(to be left alone
and 
the desire to help)

this is the curb
where words fail
for me, sadly

edge iii ~ curb

torn between respect
for his wishes 
(to be left alone
and 
the desire to help)

this is the curb
where words fail
for me, sadly

edge ii ~ threshold

we had 
loves and passions
aplenty in common
and were blessed 
with supporting spouses

he kept his ailement
away from himself
and 
the prognosis
is not good...

edge i ~ vestibule

edge i vestibule

today i face an edge
of precipice

down below
lanes and towns 
of memoryville

words
that used to flow
unhampered
are stilled

pause, play, break (draft i)

i
id
limpid
pellucid
lucid
sane
insane
is not.....


i
am
i
slam
i slam?
islam
lament
me?

the second half

the second half

which is the better half
depends on the narrative
or the narrator
when apart

you
him
her

modesty prevents
first person singular

when separation 
is more permanent
lamenting ghazals
are born

the first half

the first half

the first half

half of half of half
.5, .25,  .125...

share an apple
get ejected
out of shangri la

share a dagger
you too brutus

share an embrace
that is not sharing
it is encompassing

words words words

Firuza Pastakia ‏@firuzap  12h12 hours ago

So many words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words.

words
kodak moments
anxiety
depression
elation
dejection

smile
on a child
reflected in mother's eyes

(blasphemy accusations
one-upmanship
my god, my god
not your god)

hatred 
in attacker's eyes
fear in victim's


words, words, words

chennai

chennai

do clouds have feelings?
if not, why do they cry
so much?
and make dwellers cry
so much?

suni sunaee

suni sunaee

neend, suna hay kay
her jagah aati hay 
suni sunaee 
baatouN ka kiya

of consequences draft ii

in consequence
adam
eve
snake
apple

in condemnation
earth
this earth

intended?
unintended?

inconsequential

unless hatred consumes

the perpetrators

and the victims

zung-alood

rozun say girtay hu'aye yeh zarrat
ik din zaroor dilaiNgay najat
in zanjeerouN say jo pehnai hay
mauj e hawadis nay sadiouN say

thank you mr. bush

in the showroom
shiny shoes 
on a pedestal

child tugged at the parent

one shoe
lying at the blast scene
leg attached

of consequences draft i

in consequence
adam
eve
snake
apple

condemnation
earth
this earth

intended?
unintended?

inconsequential

peer e tasma paa

peer e tasma paa

kaandhOn per m'ray
jab'r o qad'r
ka yeh bojh
hay inayat
buzurgON ki m'ray

chooNti

ger ghore karaiN
chooNti
kharamaaN kharamaaN
batla'aye hay humaiN
asrar e zindagi

ants

ants
undeterred 
(by winds)
plods on
a lesson lost
(on most)

walking on clouds

twice he had experienced
this sensation

after perseverant pursuit
when she acquiesced

and now

as he floated
over the precipice

San Bernardino

kaisay haiN yeh lo'g
kaisa hay inka 
khuda
aur kiya kahooN

(kehnay ko buhat hay
laikin khauf aata hay
in jaisay logOn say)

khuda aur paighamber
deen o dharam jinka
aik hay na hee hoga

(khuda m'ra rehman hay
sub per meherbaan hay)

sunta koee nahiN hay - version ii

baat sub kehtay haiN
sunta koee nahiN hay

beta murd m'ra beemar hay
paisay nahiN paas dawa kay

maaf karo, Allah shifa dekha

kaam nahiN, paisa nahiN
paani nahiN, bijli nahiN
qanoon nahiN, ummeed nahiN

roz o shub, sud bar
sunta hooN yeh baataiN
( yeh meri majboori hay)
laikin maiN tou ik banjara hooN
des des kay dukh palta nahiN
srif soo'n laita hooN

shayad
may bayhis hooN
aap bhee
aur humara khuda bhee

jeewan ki pug'dundi - version ii

chaltay chaltay
jeewan ki pug'dundi per
d'rakht jhaRRi banay
jhaRRi khaab 
subzaa sehra aur
sehra hu'a saraab
sa'aye bhi 
aahista aahista 
ghayab ho ga'aye
laikin manzil ka nishaan
ankaa hee raha dost

kya yeh wohi sirat e moostaqeem thi
ya rawani e mauj e shabab maiN
kisi aur raah per
chal niklay thay hum

jalta hay, damakta hay
ummeed ka diya
kehta hay
joos'tu'joo ka silah
milay ga tujhay
chalna shar't hay
chaltay raho 
bus chaltay raho

pu'r nafrat

gharq-e-nafrat hay
jaanay kya tou
tishnaa-labi-e-shauq

musarrat e qur'b e shauq
say milay fu'rsut humaiN
tou batlaiN tujhay
hay kiya
aziyyat e nafrat