If you want to be clear, if you want to be quoted, using effective language must be your top priority.In today's business and politics this is hardly ever the case. In many instances, imprecise language is used intentionally to avoid taking a stance. This is hardly a recent problem, and as George Orwell wrote in his 1946 essay, Politics and the English Language, the condition is curable. By following Orwell's five rules for writing, you'll distinguish yourself from competitors and clearly communicate your ideas:

This last effort of the mind cuts out all stale or mixed images, all prefabricated phrases, needless repetitions, and humbug and vagueness generally. But one can often be in doubt about the effect of a word or a phrase, and one needs rules that one can rely on when instinct fails. I thinkthe following rules will cover most cases:

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

These rules sound elementary, and so they are, but they demand a deep change of attitude in anyone who has grown used to writing in the style now fashionable. One could keep all of them and still write bad English, but one could not write the kind of stuff that I quoted in those five specimens at the beginning of this article.

I hope you find these rules a good start. If you enjoyed this brief journal entry, be sure to read Orwell's original essay. It has many helpful examples and is a joy to read.

Hey all — a few tips, for blog writing in particular, but I thought they'd be applicable to writing of all kinds — here you go!

Blogging can bring your business exposure, credibility, and whole lot more revenue - so it's in your best interest to deliver a steady stream of powerful writing. But for a lot of us, that's a tall order. If you're finding your creative juices running a little dry, this list of quick and easy tips is sure to get them flowing again.

 The rest of the articke may be read here.

Here's a fantastic selection of tools for writers of any style. This is a list of tips aimed at improving your writing skills that I cribbed from another site here. Before you start firing off submissions to publishers or you embark on that eBook writing project, do yourself a favor and review.

• Writing Tool #1: Branch to the Right
  
• Writing Tool #2: Use Strong Verbs
  
• Writing Tool #3: Beware of Adverbs
  
• Writing Tool #4: Period As a Stop Sign
  
• Writing Tool #5: Observe Word Territory
  
• Writing Tool #6: Play with Words
  
• Writing Tool #7: Dig for the Concrete and Specific
  
• Writing Tool #8: Seek Original Images
  
• Writing Tool #9: Prefer Simple to Technical
  
• Writing Tool #10: Recognize Your Story's Roots
  
• Writing Tool #11 Back Off or Show Off
  
• Writing Tool #12: Control the Pace
  
• Writing Tool #13: Show and Tell
  
• Writing Tool #14: Interesting Names
  
• Writing Tool #15: Reveal Character Traits
  
• Writing Tool #16: Odd and Interesting Things
  
• Writing Tool #17: The Number of Elements
  
• Writing Tool #18: Internal Cliffhangers
  
• Writing Tool #19: Tune Your Voice
  
• Writing Tool #20: Narrative Opportunities
  
• Writing Tool #21: Quotes and Dialogue
  
• Writing Tool #22: Get Ready
  
• Writing Tool #23: Place Gold Coins Along the Path
  
• Writing Tool #24: Name the Big Parts
  
• Writing Tool #25: Repeat
  
• Writing Tool #26: Fear Not the Long Sentence
  
• Writing Tool #27: Riffing for Originality
  
• Writing Tool #28: Writing Cinematically
  
• Writing Tool #29: Report for Scenes
  
• Writing Tool #30: Write Endings to Lock the Box
  
• Writing Tool #31: Parallel Lines
  
• Writing Tool #32: Let It Flow
  
• Writing Tool #33: Rehearsal
  
• Writing Tool #34: Cut Big, Then Small
  
• Writing Tool #35: Use Punctuation
  
• Writing Tool #36: Write A Mission Statement for Your Story
  
• Writing Tool #37: Long Projects
  
• Writing Tool #38: Polish Your Jewels
  
• Writing Tool #39: The Voice of Verbs
  
• Writing Tool #40: The Broken Line
  
• Writing Tool #41: X-Ray Reading
  
• Writing Tool #42: Paragraphs
  
• Writing Tool #43: Self-criticism
  
• Writing Tool #44: Save String
  
• Writing Tool #45: Foreshadow
  
• Writing Tool #46: Storytellers, Start Your Engines
  
• Writing Tool #47: Collaboration
  
• Writing Tool #48: Create An Editing Support Group
  
• Writing Tool #49: Learn from Criticism
  
• Writing Tool #50: The Writing Process

All of these tools come various sections of Poynter Online which is a rich resource for journalists. If for some reason you want to see last year's post (for the comments perhaps), you can do so here.

You can also visit our previous post on Grammar and Punctuation Rules if you really want to sharpen your skills.

Just found out I won a short story contest today — in a local journal. There were 132 entries.

*DRUMROLL*

I placed first! I am so totally pumped. I got high marks from the judges and lots of helpful comments to polish the story up. So I'm going to do just that and send it in for the Writer's Digest Short Short Story contest. I've thought about it several times, just haven't actually worked up the nerve to do it. But now I think I can.

So now I'm pushing forward. I did a story for a contest that was due a few days ago. For that one, I ran through several options of stuff that "sort of" hit their guide and I went through a couple false starts as options didn't please me (for this contest) and got set aside for pursuit of something else.

I finally submitted a short story based loosely on an old set of legendsI had written. I had a rough outline in mind and then, as things started going, I just went where the storyled me.

I think I wrapped up all my "loose ends" and essentially hit the editors' wishes. I guess we'll find out when the winners list comes out.

 Just came across this announcement; considering entering this as well (despite the entrance fee): 

FenCon and the Dallas Future Society are proud to announce the return of the FenCon Short Story Contest for a third year. We're once again looking for a science fiction or fantasy story on any topic. The only limits are your imagination, a maximum 5000 word count, and the short list of rules below.

The first entry is free for members of FenCon and the Dallas Future Society and just $10 for non-members. Final judging will be conducted by top industry professionals and the winner will be published in the FenCon IV Program Book!

All submissons must follow these official rules and include a completed entry form. The contest entry deadline is July 14, 2007.

When marathoner Roger Bannister (now knighted!) crossed an Oxford finish line on a windy day in 1954, he was certain he had achieved a four-minute mile.

The rest of the world, however, was amazed. The previous record had stood for nine years and writers of the time had created a myth around the four-minute mile. They had made their readership believe it was an unreachable and possibly even dangerous goal.

So what does this have to do with my writing? Just as the media in the fifties had influenced people to believe that a mile could not be completed in four minutes, we have persuaded ourselves that we can't write quickly.

Of course, I've had poor creative days too-days when writing five hundred words all day would have seemed like an insurmountable task. You can't write when you are tired or not in the mood - and quickly at that!.

But if you have a topic you're reasonably familiar with (and really dig), there's no good reason why you can'tspeed through it. Writing can be good-even if it comes quickly.

Actually, I have discovered that my fast creations are often better slow and laborious writings. Presently. I often time myself when I write-an egg timer is perfect for this.

But even more important, I keep a list of accomplishments, writing down the date, # of words, how long it took. The reason behind of recording your results is that you will track your development-much as a marathoner might record their speed. Thus, you will also likely find out that you can write fast-and well.

So go for the four-minute writing mile!