POLISHING PROSE
The Proper Format
Taking a few swings at some lousy writing habits
Tips for Writing Your First Draft
!"Write as you research. Research
and writing are part of the same
process, and writing as you go will help
the research and the writing.
#"If you're having trouble getting
started, write a simple declarative
sentence: "This is a story about the
history of Creighton University." Yes, it's
boring. But leave it there. Move beyond
the beginning and tell the rest of the
story. Before you're finished, the best
beginning probably will become clear to
you. Sometimes the opening is the last
thing you'll write.
$"Write a simple outline in advance.
Organize your notes the same way you
outlined the story.
%"Write as much as you can without
your notes.
&"Double-check every fact. (This doesn't
mean check it twice against the same
source. See if you can find two sources
to verify each fact). Regard each
number, date, name or title as a
potential blow to your credibility. Check
!"even the things you think you know (unless you're never
wrong).
#"Read your writing aloud.
$"Help the reader envision the people and actions about
which you write.
%"Before you write each time, identify a weakness in your
writing. Address that weakness in this piece. Make it a
strength just this once.
&"Keep your audience in mind. This will determine how much
you write, the tone you take, your organization, virtually
everything about the piece.
'"Try to keep it to one page. If you can't, think of a way to
summarize your points on the first page. If you can't
summarize the points on the first page, try to accomplish two
things on that first page: reveal what this piece is about and
tell something so interesting or so compelling or so intriguing
that I have to turn the page. Or I won't.
("Don't write one more word than you need to.
Steps to Follow in Revising Your Written Work
!"Read it aloud. This may help you find words omitted
inadvertently. It will help identify the long sentences. It will
help you discover and refine the voice and pace of your
writing.
#"Tighten it. See if you can shorten each sentence by one
word without hurting it. Find a sentence or phrase on each
page that you can eliminate without harm.
$"Expand it. Identify the questions you haven't addressed.
Will the reader be asking those questions? Should you
answer them or at least address them?
%"Ridicule it. Try to make fun of your work. Is the tone
pretentious? Is the vocabulary too lofty or too simple? Did a
double entendre slip in? Is your writing redundant?
&"Invite criticism. Ask a friend whose writing you admire to
critique it. Perhaps the worst smart aleck in your office can
save you some embarrassment by spotting the faux pas in
advance.
'"Leave it alone. Don't change for the sake of change. If you
nailed a point or a passage on your first try, don't burden it
with too much overwriting. Don't make a single change
unless it improves the piece.
("Take a break. Come back later and read through it with a
fresh eye and a clear mind.
)"Consider reorganization. Should some points be grouped
together or summarized differently? Try a whole new
approach to the top. If it's better than the one you used, use
it. If it's not, considering it will strengthen your confidence in
the approach you did use. Try a new ending. Is that better
than your first one?
*"Consider the tone. Is it appropriate to your audience. You
don't want to insult your readers' intelligence and you don't
want to write over their heads.
THE NUTS AND BOLTS
REWRITE PHILOSOPHY
“Clutter is the disease of American
writing. We are a society strangling in
unnecessary words, circular
constructions, pompous frills and
meaningless jargon.
Who can understand the viscous
language of everyday American
commerce and enterprise: the business
letter, the interoffice memo, the corporate
report, the notice from the bank
explaining its latest “simplified”
statement?”
William Zinsser
Author of “On Writing Well”
!"Hunt for jargon and cliches. Ask whether the jargon is appropriate for your audience.
See if you can replace the cliche with a fresh, original turn of phrase.
#"Challenge each verb. Is it an active verb? Is it the most lively appropriate verb? Is it the
most precise verb?
$"Check your grammar and spelling.
Resources to Aid Your Writing
1. Dictionary. Use it at least once each time you write, not just to check the spelling, but to
check the definition, so you can learn more precisely the definition and proper use of the
word.
2. Thesaurus. Again, use it at least once each time you write. Use it in tandem with your
dictionary. Use the dictionary to learn the shades of meaning that the thesaurus doesn't
provide. Not every synonym listed is interchangeable. Check a few synonyms in the
dictionary and find the best word for your purpose.
3. Quotation book. Familiar quotations are often misattributed or misquoted. If you use a
quotation, quote it accurately and attribute it properly.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Books on writing style and word usage.
Specialized dictionaries, style books and other resources in your field.
Almanac, for quick checking of a variety of facts.
Resources on your own computer, such as dictionary, thesaurus, spelling checker,
grammar checker. Remember, a desk dictionary or thesaurus might provide more
detailed definitions or more extensive lists of synonyms. Also remember, a grammar
checker is loaded with lots of analytical ability but no common sense and no sense of
style, pace or voice. You provide that. And a spelling checker won't find a word that's
misspelled to match another word in the dictionary.
8. Online writing resources. Surf the Net a little, looking for helpful sites. A good place to
start is the Nebraska Writing Center, mockingbird.creighton.edu/NCW
9. Games. Play Scrabble, hangman, Wheel of Fortune and other word games, to expand
your vocabulary and stimulate your interest in words.
10. Friends, colleagues, fellow writers. Ask a writer you respect to read your work and tell
you honestly what he or she likes - and doesn't like. Join a writers group or form one.
Common Grammar and Word Usage Errors
Who and Whom
!
A general rule is to use who as the subject of a verb. Otherwise, use whom. (Same with
whoever and whomever).
Two ways to help you determine which to use:
1. Find the verb or verbs. If the pronoun does the action of a verb, it's who.
2. Rewrite the sentence, using he or him in place of who or whom, and rephrasing the
sentence appropriately. For instance, "Who do you trust?" may not sound wrong to you.
But "Do you trust he?" certainly does. You can see that it would be "Do you trust him?"
so you know it should be "Whom do you trust?"
Two cases that might confuse you:
1. When a pronoun is the object of a preposition, the pronoun takes the objective case,
such as whom. But if a dependent clause is the object of the preposition, who might
follow a preposition. For instance: "The pollsters should give a share of the national
1. championship to whomever finishes the season undefeated" might seem correct. But
remember our basic rule: Is the pronoun the subject of a verb? The pronoun is the
subject of the verb finishes. So the correct choice is: "The pollsters should give a share
of the national championship to whoever finishes the season undefeated."
2. Attribution sometimes separates the subject from the verb. Ignore it as you seek to
decide whether your pronoun is the subject of the verb: "We should select the candidate
who the search committee said made the strongest impression." On a quick read, it
might appear that the pronoun is the object of select or said, and thus the pronoun
should be whom. But look closer: the pronoun is the subject of made, separated from its
verb by the phrase "the search committee said." Just remove the attribution from the
sentence and it becomes clear: "We should select the candidate who made the
strongest impression."
One important thing to consider: In these confusing cases, the correct usage might "sound"
wrong. So consider rewriting the sentence to avoid the confusion: "She made the strongest
impression on the search committee."
!
Possessive Pronouns
!
The rule here is simple: Possessive pronouns don't use apostrophes. His, hers, whose, yours,
theirs, ours, its. If it's a possessive, it's spelled without an apostrophe.
The confusion here results because some contractions, which do use apostrophes, are spelled
the same as some possessives, except for the apostrophe. Whose and theirs sometimes end
up with incorrect apostrophes, but the worst offender is its. Take the last sentence in the
paragraph above. Spelled out, it would be: If it is a possessive, it is spelled without an
apostrophe. In both instances, it's is a contraction, so both need apostrophes. To decide
whether you should use the apostrophe, ask whether you can substitute it is or it has. For
instance, "It's really important to write clearly" is the same as "It is really important to write
clearly." But "I have trouble matching a pronoun with it's antecedent" looks really silly when you
substitute it is or it has. So it should be "I have trouble matching a pronoun with its antecedent."
!
Singular-Plural Agreement
!Speaking of pronouns and antecedents, they should agree. A plural antecedent (that's the word
the pronoun is replacing) requires a plural pronoun. A singular antecedent requires a singular
pronoun. A singular subject requires a singular verb. A plural subject requires a plural verb.
Confusion results when singular and plural nouns are used interchangeably: "Creighton is
having its best basketball season in years." But "The Bluejays are having their best basketball
season in years."
Two cases that can be confusing:
1. Collective nouns such as team or committee can take either singular or plural verbs and
pronouns. Generally, these should be treated as singular, requiring singular pronouns
and verbs. The exception should be if the members of the collective unit aren't acting as
a unit: "The couple were fighting regularly before their divorce." This is again a time
when you should consider rewriting because it doesn't sound right: "Ricky and Lucy
were fighting regularly before their divorce."
2. Some compound subjects might appear plural but actually be singular because the two
elements become a single unit: "Peanut butter and jelly is my son's favorite kind of
sandwich."
Use Active Voice
!
Just as most of us find active people more stimulating than passive people, active verbs
produce livelier writing. Examine your verbs and ask whether the subject is giving or receiving.
Is the subject acting, or being acted upon? See if you can rewrite to make the subject the giver.
Compound verbs using forms of the verb "to be" frequently are passive verbs that can be
stronger. Active verbs also frequently demand more specificity in the subject and objects,
making the whole sentence stronger.
!For instance: "I was given a wonderful Valentine's gift this year" is not as strong or as specific
as, "A White House intern gave me a wonderful Valentine's gift this year." Either way, the verb is
a form of "to give." But the active voice is stronger and requires a specific subject that the first
sentence lacks.