Tips on Writing From Ernest Hemingway


1. Use short sentences.Hemingway was famous for a terse minimalist style of writing that dispensed with flowery adjectives and got straight to the point. In short, Hemingway wrote with simple genius.
Perhaps his finest demonstration of short sentence prowess was when he was challenged to tell an entire story in only 6 words:
For sale: baby shoes, never used.

2. Use short first paragraphs.See opening.

3. Use vigorous English.
Here’s David Garfinkel’s take on this one:
It’s muscular, forceful. Vigorous English comes from passion, focus and intention. It’s the difference between putting in a good effort and TRYING to move a boulder… and actually sweating, grunting, straining your muscles to the point of exhaustion… and MOVING the freaking thing! I think in the music world Rick Ross does this to almost its full potential. Lots of alliteration and tongue-twisters in Ross records.

4. Be positive, not negative.
Since Hemingway wasn’t the cheeriest guy in the world, what does he mean by be positive? Basically, you should say what something is rather than what it isn’t.
This is what Michel Fortin calls using up words:
By stating what something isn’t can be counterproductive since it is still directing the mind, albeit in the opposite way. If I told you that dental work is painless for example, you’ll still focus on the word “pain” in “painless.”
• Instead of saying “inexpensive,” say “economical,”
• Instead of saying “this procedure is painless,” say “there’s little discomfort” or “it’s relatively comfortable,”
• And instead of saying “this software is error-free” or “foolproof,” say “this software is consistent” or “stable.”

5. Never have only 4 rules.

Actually, Hemingway did only have 4 rules for writing, and they were those he was given as a cub reporter at the Kansas City Star in 1917. But, as any web writer knows, having only 4 rules will never do.
So, in order to have 5, I had to dig a little deeper to get the most important of Hemingway’s writing tips of all:
“I write one page of masterpiece to ninety-one pages of shit,” Hemingway confided to F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1934. “I try to put the shit in the wastebasket.”

...Good....
....brood...
...turns my mood...
..Ernest Hemingway...
...one of the greatest everyday

I agree with you. But I don't agree with using vigorous words in this digital age, though Hemingway is not a writer of today. Please don't impress readers with vigorous words. Our Nigerian readers love you to write something like Chimamanda Ngozi Edichie's 'Purple Hybiscus' as if you're a novice. Make it simple in such a way it will make them remember their past. As a teacher, I discover that if you want to impress your audience, observe them and then show them how they behave. This is really what good comedians are doing.
Thanks a lot!