The writer's diet : a guide to fit prose

Summary: This book offers an easy-to-follow set of writing principles. For example, use active verbs whenever possible, favour concrete language over vague abstractions, avoid long strings of prepositional phrases, employ adjectives and adverbs only when they contribute something new to the meaning of a sentence and reduce your dependence on the "waste words": 'it', 'this', 'that' and 'there'. The author also shows these rules in action through examples from famous authors such as Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson. The book includes a test to help you assess your own writing and get advice on problem areas.

Record details

ISBN: 9780226351988
ISBN: 022635198X
ISBN: 9780226352039
Physical Description: print
vii, 77 pages ; 20 cm.
Publisher: Chicago ; The University of Chicago Press, 2016.
Copyright: ©2016

Content descriptions

General Note:	"First published by Auckland University Press, 2007"--Title page verso.
Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 74-76) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:	Verbal verve -- Noun density -- Prepositional podge -- Ad-dictions -- Waste words -- Afterword : Healthy writing -- Appendix : The WritersDiet test.