🚀 go-pugleaf

Here are my rules of thumb -- mostly learned from my dad, who was a better
editor than I've ever had the privilege of working with since.

1)  Kill your darlings.  If is sounds wonderful, like it could simply not
be said any better, it's probably something you read.  Sometimes you work
an entire paragraph around one ever so clever sentence -- kill em, and
write straight prose.

2)  If it's really important, let somebody you trust read it before you
send it out.

3)  Corrolary to #2 -- listen to what your trusted reader has to say.

4)  Outline in complete sentences.  Any really good piece of non-fiction
can usually be summarized in a single sentence, whether it's a book or a
600 word article.  If you can't write the sentence, you don't know what the
piece is about yet.  The discipline of the complete sentence forces you to
really think your ideas through before you start writing.  

5)  Trying to write non-fiction without a complete written outline is like
trying to drive from Los Angeles to Dubuque without a map.  It can be done,
but it's not sensible.

6)  When your're out of things to say, stop.

Chris.
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Chris Carstens
ProLine: chrisc@pro-harold
Internet: chrisc@pro-harold.cts.com
UUCP: crash!pro-harold!chrisc
San Diego, California, USA