George Orwell lays out 6 rules for clear writing and forceful communication
George Orwell lays out 6 rules for clear writing and forceful communication
One of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century prioritized clear communication and warned against complex language.
George Orwell, the pen name for Eric Arthur Blair, produced arguably the most important work of the twentieth century in 1984. That, along with essential books like The Road to Wigan Pier, Animal Farm, Burmese Days, Down and Out in Paris and London, and others cemented him as an all-time thinker.
Orwell also was a prolific essayist, touching on complex topics in politics and government with razor-sharp insight and nuance — and always in terse, direct, and plain language that a wide audience could understand.
In his essay, "Politics and the English Language," he laid out six rules that would help writers avoid falling victim to obscure communication and convoluted messaging.
Orwell's prescription focuses on the use of language. Compare that to Henry Miller who directed his teachings at building a routine and workflow, and compare it once more to John Steinbeck who prioritized consistency above all else in his advice.
In sum, Orwell maintains that good writing is clear writing, and that anything less than clear writing isn't good writing. The best writers are those who don't need big words or complicated language to prop up ideas or give off an impression of intellect.
Here are Orwell's 6 rules for writing
Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
Never use a long word where a short one will do.
If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
Never use the passive where you can use the active.
Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
Complement this with Ernest Hemingway's advice for budding authors and why he had to be a "literary pirate," Kurt Vonnegut's rules for storytelling, and Zadie Smith's 10 guidelines for writers.