“Write Like Hemingway” by Allen Loibner-Waitkus

WRITE LIKE HEMINGWAY Allen Loibner-Waitkus

While Hemingway never served up writing advice to the masses, we can glean a few things from his written comments on writing, various interviews, and his works themselves. Vonnegut narrowed his list down to seven, but never one to be verbose, Hemingway’s list can be narrowed down to only four.

1. USE SHORT SENTENCES.

While sophisticated writing should include simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences, don’t bog your readers down with 100-word sentences. Shorter sentences move your readers along and don’t make them feel like they have to put significant effort into reading.

2. USE SHORT FIRST PARAGRAPHS.

Three to five sentences is plenty. Get to the point.

3. USE VIGOROUS ENGLISH.

Vigorous English is all about focus. Find the perfect word, not the easy word. Using vigorous language requires you to revise, revise, and revise again. Once your draft is complete, look at each word. Is there a better, stronger word you could use?

4. BE POSITIVE, NOT NEGATIVE.

This does not mean everything has to be sunshine and unicorns. Write “economical,” not “inexpensive.” Write “bad,” not “not good.”