Chocker with baseless assertions such as 'sentences with lots of nouns are always bad' or that Chinese writing makes abstract concepts concrete because Chinese characters are actual pictures of the things the words mean. He advises that you shouldn't go on too long about twenty times. The parts that do this are great.įor the rest, it's just overstuffed with words. But what this book needed, aside from a much more active editor, is a whole lot less rambling on about writing in the abstract and a whole lot more specific examples (which, hilariously, is one of his major recommendations to authors: be concrete). Which is annoying because the 4% has some really good ideas and observations. For the rest, it's just overstuffed with words. ' Joe Moran has a genius for turning the prosaic poetic' Peter Hennessy. ' Moran is a past master at producing fine, accessible non-fiction' Helen Davies, Sunday Times It's an elegant gem in praise of the English sentence. And along the way it shows how good writing can help us notice the world, make ourselves known to others and live more meaningful lives. Whether dealing with finding the ideal word, building a sentence or constructing a paragraph, First You Write a Sentence informs by light example: much richer than a style guide, it can be read not just for instruction but for pleasure and delight. Using sources ranging from the Bible and Shakespeare to George Orwell and Maggie Nelson, and scientific studies of what can best fire the reader's mind, he shows how we can all write in a way that is clear, compelling and alive. Using minimal technical terms, First You Write a Sentence is his unpedantic but authoritative explanation of how the most ordinary words can be turned into verbal constellations of extraordinary grace. A good sentence can be written (and read) by anyone if we simply give it the gift of our time, and it is as close as most of us will get to making something truly beautiful.Įnter acclaimed author Professor Joe Moran. A poet writes in sentences, but so does the unsung author who came up with Items trapped in doors cause delays. The sentence is the common ground where every writer walks. when you've read it, you realise you've changed your attitude to writing (and reading)' John Simpson, formerly Chief Editor of the OED and author of The Word Detective when you've read it, you realise you've changed your attitude to writing (and reading)' John Simpson, formerly Chief Editor of the OED and author of The Word Detective The sentence is the common ground 'What a lovely thing this is: a book that delights in the sheer textural joy of good sentences. Any writer should read it' Bee Wilson ' Thoughtful, engaging, and lively. 'What a lovely thing this is: a book that delights in the sheer textural joy of good sentences.
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