Tag Archives: Orwell
Amen and Awoman?!
Monday, January 4, 2021 “When I use a word,”Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘It means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.” In the news this morning: “Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., altered … Continue reading
The Unknown Orwell
Although Orwell is best known for 1984 and Animal Farm, his greatest writing may have been his first novel, Down and Out in Paris and London. (external link) It is rarely reviewed or mentioned yet it is powerful, hammering work. … Continue reading
Is This a British Attitude or Something Else?
I was astounded by this writing from Wallpaper* Magazine (external link). This review talks about equality at the same time they admire a private club with a “suitably rigorous admittance process.” This sounds like the same upper class that Orwell … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts on writing, Writing by others
Tagged elitism, fops, Orwell, pretentious writing, private clubs, wallpaper magazine
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Not Only
Writers use “not only” to vary their writing but it can be wordy. It also brings in a negative tone with the word “not.” See how much more direct the second instances are compared to the first. In the first … Continue reading
A Bot’s Answer to Pretentious Artist Statements
The online Oxford Living Dictionaries defines bollocks in this way: Plural Noun British vulgar slang 1. The testicles. 2. (treated as singular ) Nonsense; rubbish (used to express contempt or disagreement, or as an exclamation of annoyance). Solidy in keeping … Continue reading
Down And Out In Paris And London by George Orwell
I left Boris at my room and went down to the pawnshop. When I got there I found that it was shut and would not open till four in the afternoon. It was now about half-past one, and I had … Continue reading
What If Civil War Monuments Were Books?
There’s a deeply disturbing trend to remove Civil War monuments and to rename parks, schools, and streets whose subjects are no longer in favor. Librarians and scholars, on the other hand, celebrate banned books, publications so controversial in their time that … Continue reading
Are Long Paragraphs Dead on The Web?
And what can be done about it? In my efforts to compose sparse and spritely pose I have become afraid of long paragraphs. Such paragraphs on a web page look dense, blocky, and impenetrable . I tend to write no more … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized, Writing tips
Tagged brevity, long paragraphs, Melville, Orwell
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How do I Develop My Own Writing Style?
Your writing style develops naturally out of your experiences and preferences. I’m not sure you can use more adjectives, metaphors, or quotations than you would normally would without sounding pretentious or affected. Tom Robbins’ writing went off in spectacular tangents … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged newspaper style, Orwell, Politics and the English Language, writing style
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