Who better?
Many business people faced with the task of writing for marketing purposes are quick to say:
Hey, I’m no Hemingway!
But really, who better than Hemingway to emulate? Rather than embracing the flowery prose of the literati, he chose to eschew obfuscation at every turn and write simply and clearly.
So let’s see what Ernest can teach us about effective writing.
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!
4. Be positive, not negative.
Since Hemingway was not necessarily 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 blogger or copywriter 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.”
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Is a mac painless or stable? As the marketer would you prefer the windows users to think about the pain they are going through or is stable still a better choice?
This is really great. I see that this post is not apart of a series. I think it should be. I think you should do a series like “Wisdom from grandmasters” and add Stephen King, Hemingway etc. just like your tutorial series. (Ok, I admit, I’m an addict for series — just like comic books…)
Thanks for a great post! Happy Halloween.
I’m sure Stephen King would have plenty to say about ending your blog posts – cliffhangers every time and not revealing your conclusion until 500 posts later!
Great post, Brian. I have to admit Hemingway is one of my heroes of writing and just for the reasons stated above: His (mostly) short and direct style cuts to the core of things.
I agree with Yu: This is a topic well worth turning into a series. Does the Aristotle post count, though?
Heh, I guess I do have a bit of a “Masters” series going, although I haven’t thought of it that way formally.
Great post. Coetze, who’s writing is similiar to Hemingway, is one of my favortites, for his ability to write terse, powerful prose.
Great post. I love Hemingway. It’s important to remember what he wasn’t good at too. His novels, um, suck. They are melodramatic and simplistic.
His short stories and novellas on the other hand are absolutely brilliant.
Brian, I’m assuming you read the Wired collection of 6 word stories?
Mark, I didn’t… got a link?
I don’t think anyone will ever beat Hemingway on that one though, at least in my book (as a father).
I remember reading an article comparing the reading level by grade of various newspapers, authors, etc. The NY Times was noted as a 10th grade reading level. NY Daily News rated a 7th grade-level read.
Hemingway came in at between 3rd and 5th grade, most notably for his shorter, less complex sentences.
He would have made a good copywriter, huh Roberta?
Wired posted an enormous list of them here.
And since you asked, I have to point this out: Inspired by your post on fascinating bullet points, I wrote about six word stories last week as a way to improve bulleted lists.
(Granted, my post is more for creative writers.)
But I’m not competitive or anything. : )
Oh Brian, I think anyone can be a pretty decent copywriter when they have a good coach, great resources, true passion for the product and genuine respect for the prospect…
… all while writing meaningfully and persuasively at the 3rd grade level. So maybe not Fitzgerald, but definitely Hemingway :=)
Great tips that are useful and not shitty!
Short story for You:
Copyblogger advice: SEO Copywriting, First place reached.
Thank you…..
Roberta’s comment made me think. Maybe after we write the copy we should have it run through those tests that tells you which level it is. It can act as check. But if you’re already following the ‘copywriting’ rules then it should come up in a lower level.
It’s kinda funny because people usually aim for higher level writing and in copywriting it’s reverse logic…
Roberta and Yu’s comments about reading level reminded me of my teaching days. A reading specialist helped me explain reading level guidelines to the writers for a site I work on. (We were getting too much esoteric academic work.)
Figuring out a piece’s reading level can be a little trickier than I realized, but Fry’s readability graph simplifies the process. His graph looks at the # of words per sentence and the # of syllables per word.
Be wary of using the word “but” in your copywriting.
Whenever you use the word “but”, everything you say before it is perceived to be a lie.
Example: I really like you Nick, but….
Once she said “but”… I knew I was getting dumped.
Just some food for thought.
Nick
Yes Nick, I’ve read Michel Fortin’s advice on that (which is contained in the post I link to above), but it’s too simplistically asserted to make me avoid using “but” in many cases.
Now, look at the sentence I just wote. Does my use of the word “but” negate the fact that I knew and had read the source of your advice? No, it reinforces the fact that I HAD read it and that the advice is nowhere near universally applicable.
In fact, the use of the word “but” is a powerful rhetorical tool for shooting down specious arguments.
True.
I guess you just need to understand the context you’re using it in.
Good point about using the word “but” in shooting down specious arguments.
I should clarify, I don’t follow the rule to eliminate “but” from everything I write.
I do try to make sure it works in whatever I’m writing though.
I shouldn’t have used the word “Everything” in my statement above of “everything you say…” – that was a pretty bold statement, and you quickly proved it wrong.
My bad.
Nick
I found it quite humorous that you used Michael’s example of “positive” language: “discomfort” as a positive replacement for “painless” – do as a say, not as I do!
Otherwise, a very useful post.
Thanks
I got here through an unreproduceable series of clicks that started at reallivepreacher.com, so it’s likely I’ll never find my way back.
The one thing I think you left out, that business writers simply cannot be taught to emulate, is that Hemingway always had something to say.
That is key, isn’t it Keith?
Bu I don’t know that a business writer “cannot be taught” to know what to say, though. It’s usually just a matter of changing someone’s perspective.
And a lot of people *do* know what to say, but think they have to write a bunch of complicated prose. Hemingway proves that when you have something to say, it’s best to just say it as clearly as possible.
Wow, I found my way back. Amazing!
Yes, true, but.
Having something to say really starts with having a clear thought. You’re never going to boil the words down to the bone if you don’t know what the thought is.
That’s the biggest problem I’ve seen in business writing. It’s not the writing. Writing comes second. It’s the thinking.
But Mickey Spillane was a better writer,
he didn’t get bogged down trying to impress other intellectuals, must be why he isn’t well known or appreciated today.
I agree with rule number 4. People like possitive news and read…
Dental work is fun! I’m with Keith, by the way on writing as the expression of thinking. It’s a great way to think yourself to the point. But you have to be willing to rewrite, edit and polish to give readers the quickest and most persuasive route, a process which feels much like dental work, come to think of it.
While I enjoyed this feature, I felt like I was left dangling. What were the other four rules Hemmingway received as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star?
The rules from the KCS were 1-4 in the list.
I think I am falling in love with your blog!
I’ve bookmarked this post and I’m sure it’s one I’ll be returning to as I progress with the Harry McFry story.
Many thanks!
Thomas Hamburger Jnr
Sentimental and nostalgic. Great.B
This is really great. I see that this post is not apart of a series.
Every copywriter (marketing especially) should live by Hemingway’s six word story. It’s a powerful example of how much information you can convey in a really short space.
’six-word story – lesson in brevity’
“For sale: baby shoes, never used.”
This is so subtle, yet invoke a whole lot of emotion within.
Great.
“avoid ambiguity, adopt clarity”
I was able to read a lot of Hemingway when I was in high school. I think his writing helped me when I started writing as a sophmore. When I wrote my first book I really attributed my work load to Hemingway’s influence as well as other writers. I titled my first book Cry of the Panther: Quest of a Species. To my utter amazement it ended up as a New York Times besteseller. I still pinch myself. As an aspiring writer I went on and worked hard at my second book I called How To Awaken The Writer Within that I put on my website http://www.awakenthewriterwithin.com. (Is it okay to mention my website?) There is one of Hemingway’s rules that I really picked up on-Use Vigorous English. Thank you.
Jim McMullen
Another great article Brian.
I have a habit of using run-on sentences and paragraphs. Now I’ll make a conscious effort to keep ‘em short.
I don’t think so these make any difference.
Very nice article.Really useful.I used to write long words.But i think i can work on that.
I’ve only read one of Hemingway’s rules:
Don’t drink until after you have finished the day’s writing.
~Graham
Brian:
I did a search on “Hemingway,” and was directed to this post.
Another one germane to productivity and/or writing better was the following:
“Always stop when you are going good and don’t think about it or worry about it until you start to write the next day. That way your subconscious will work on it all of the time.”
“Ernest Hemingway on Writing” by Larry W. Phillips, page 42.
Great article on Hemingway!
I was fortunate years ago in college to have studied Hemingway’s writing and novels. As a result, he was highly influential in my published writing. Though I eventually developed my own style, still today I can see his influence seeping into my sequel on the endangered panther/cougar in the Everglades. These tips should be read several times over by all writers to let them seep into your subconscious like rain swollen river current in the swampland. Again, superb article!
eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation
Great post! Just discovered this blog and it is fantastic!
Just a thought. . . .NEVER THROW THE SHIT AWAY. ON A GIVEN TIME IN THE FUTURE READING THE SHIT AGAIN ONE MIGHT FIND A GOLDEN NUGGET IN THAT PILE OF SHIT. DON”T BE AFRAID TO DIG INTO THESHIT!
Thank you,
JIM
Hey, I love the Hemingway tips. As writer’s workshop administrator and Master’s Class facilitator on Chuck Palahniuk’s (Fight Club, Haunted, Rant) official website, helping writers is what I do. I would take a bit of exception to the Dave Garfinkel explication on point six, though.
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!
Besides the obvious metaphoric challenge–the average person cannot move a boulder, under any circumstance, without a fulcrum and a mighty long, mighty strong lever. Where’s Archimedes when you need him?–the suggestion in the quoted advice is that a strong enough intent toward clarity is all you need.
I’m here to say that doesn’t do it. Writers need specific tools, techniques, and understandings. The “want to” is only half of it (if that). You can’t write well through simple will power and brute effort any more than you can sing well on that basis. Witness American Idol for a long list of humiliation for people who wanted it badly, but didn’t have any technique.
Technique, before power.
The technique for vigorous prose begins with the basic advice found in Strunk & White:
Eliminate needless words.
Rely on strong verbs.
Trim back on modifiers.
The last point is crucial and locked in tight with the others. If you’re stacking up a copious number of adjectives and adverbs, chances are you’re trying to prop up weak verbs.
One of the smartest copy edits you can run is to cut every single modifier from your copy–or your fiction, for that matter–then substitute action verbs (shoot, run, fly, create, drink, hit, hurt…) for “to be” verbs (is, am, are, was, were) as much as possible.
Finally, add a few of your modifiers back, where they feel needed. Make an effort not to stack them. In other words, let’s say you’ve got the sentence:
“John left the room in a fantastic hurry, frantically hoping that Mary would not see him.”
Well, the first thing you’d do is cut adjectives like “fantastic” and adverbs like “frantically.”
What’s a better way to say that John left in a fantastic hurry?
How about this: “John fled the room.”
What’s a better way to convey “frantically hoping?”
How about: “praying”
“John fled the room, praying that Mary wouldn’t see him.”
If you feel the need to bolster “praying” and you have John “earnestly praying” (is there any other way to pray?) then you need a different verb–one that satisfies your own sense of urgency. Maybe you could get there with a small reversal from negative to positive on the end:
“John fled the room, terrified that Mary would see him.”
Please be sure that John isn’t “quietly terrified.” The reader already understands that he wishes to flee without detection.
I’ve gone on at some length, perhaps shunning brevity or not trimming enough in my own explication, but I hope I’ve offered a few tools that will make it easier to move your reader than to move boulders.
cheers
Mark Vanderpool
Writer’s Workshop Admin
http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net
In case you’re wondering, I have no idea why I called point three “point six” in my opening paragraph; otherwise, I’m happy with the previous post.
I’m more accustomed to forum posting than commenting on blogs. In most forums, you can edit your own post right after making it.
It’s a minor matter, in any case… but scrupulous self-editing is a must for writers.
great tips! thanks for the wisdom…. brad
Heh heh… Go Hemingway!! Simple, straight and to-the-point!! Real writing isn’t flowery bullsh*t ‘cos that don’t tell no one nothing!!
I would add that a good writing requires autor to write the text because he or she likes it, not because they are expected to get paid. But this works for bloggers… experienced writers know that very well.
The last tip of Hemingway’s I believe you have to read between the lines. Life is full of shit -isn’t it? One great big game and I think Hemingway wasn’t willing to keep playing the big game.
Hemingway was a very gifted artist in his field.
I don’t get how one makes money from a blog or e-books.
In the past , I have given advice away free for joining my newsletter.
I also have a monthly draw on my book if you join my newsletter.
Perfect. As Krug joked, “Eliminate half of what you’ve written, then eliminate half of what’s left.” Make a point.
What if english is not your language? Should you try to make your self understandable in english or keep your website in your own language?
great tips especially the fourth one.
To write with logic, brevity and interest is truly a craft. Thanks for the advice.
Thanks for the techniques ! As Usual simple advice is the best
Every copywriter should live by Hemingway’s six word story. It’s a powerful example of how much information you can convey in a really short space.
A very good post. Interesting. I’ve told many people over the years to cut, cut, and cut again. Simplicity is the key.
Thanks.
Anthony
Okay, I’m clearly really late getting to this article, but I really loved it.. #4 changed the way I write.
Thanks a lot!
I thought that six-word story was Fitzgerald’s, not Hemingway’s. According to the anecdotes I’ve read anyway. The only decent Hemingway novel was the cross-dressing one he suppressed.
Hemingway tried to put the shit in the wastebasket. People of our time (including me) put it in their blogs. SCNR
I believe Hemingway’s style is effective for marketing because it’s honest. People relate with and trust in people who write to be understood, not to impress.
#4 proves to be very useful. I’m fond of using prefixes before to indicate negativity but I found out that applying this rule makes the quality of the article better… Choice of words does matter a lot.
Hemingway understood and Bukowski understood and Steinbeck understood most of the time. Many do not understand. Faulkner understood, but he was too drunk to break down his work. You must break down your writing. Updike had potential, but he went to Harvard and Harvard killed it.
This is cool. I especially love the last (5th) one. It makes sense. It really does.
I wrote an essay on my Love Life for my Girlfriend, and she used to read it everyday for more than a month. Even I still enjoy reading it again and again.
I’m a programmer. Most of the things I write is for meachines. I rarely write a good essay for humans…
Very interesting post. I always find I try to explain things in my writing that take up 20 words, when really I could say the same thing in fewer than 10.
I definitely agree shorter the better, straight too the point. I tend to waffle on when writing.
Tips bloggers should live by.
hahaha, love the the 5th rule. The rest are great too, thanks.
Very good post. I love to read Hemingway. His novels are really great.
What would you say J.Steinbeck’s 5 tips for writing well would be?
re#4
My dentist always says just before putting in the needle, it will pinch a bit. Last visit I said, I know, I know, it’s going to hurt like heck! I hope next time she says it versa visa, might only then only feel like a pinch ?
Good advice from Hemingway. I’lll do my best to follow the advice on my blog, which, weirdly, is also about top fives…
Hemingway said there were two kinds of writers: Putter-inners, and taker-outers.
He was the latter, and worked diligently to pare every non-essential word from his writing. His basic message was to always rewrite, rewrite, rewrite to find your style.
His writing vocabulary was about 5,000 words, the equivalent of a five-year-old child. But every one of them was perfect.
It’s not about how many bricks you use to build a wall, but how you place them.
I think I am falling in love with your blog!
I’ve bookmarked this post and I’m sure it’s one I’ll be returning to as I progress with the Harry McFry story.
Many thanks!
But Mickey Spillane was a better writer,
he didn’t get bogged down trying to impress other intellectuals, must be why he isn’t well known or appreciated today.
Great article on writing tips. I am definitely bookmarking this page for future reference. This is the first post of yours I read, you got me curious so I’m off to read more.
There are two “rulebooks” for writing that I love — Stephen King’s On Writing, and Elmore Leonard’s Ten Rules for Good Writing. Not a lot different from Hemingway’s advice. If you ever have to write dialogue, there is no better teacher than Leonard.
This one goes in my posts to keep file
Good writeup… I really enjoyed this post all tips are helpful i’ll consider all the things.
Thanks,
Don’t agree about the upword rule. I think the concern about pain, for example, is built in to to the idea of dental work. Why talk about “no discomfort” when painless gets right in there? Just grab the bull by the horns and directly address the concern. Also don’t think this should be a rule. I like the sound of economical better than the sound of inexpensive but it’s a nuance issue. Inexpensive makes me think I’m still spending money, just less of it. Economical makes me think I’m saving money, even if I’m spending it. And cheap would be even better, depending on the context – you’d use it for air fare, but not for a cruise, which is all about being pampered. Cheap plane tickets, affordable cruise. It’s all about nuance, psychology and your target’s mindset, not rules.
Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, Andrew Vachss. Action, dialogue, and conflict. If it has merit, say it. Editors can make it presentable. Show don’t tell. Action verbs. 6th grade vocabulary. Then rewrite, rewrite, rewrite! That’s the magic key. My credo.
Ripper post, Brian. Many thanks. I can barely imagine what line you’ll take when you finally get around to writing about the Teletubbies, but I can’t bloody wait! Best regards, P.
Hemingway was a raging alcoholic. We have a lot in common.
Great post and proof that things never really do change (basic standard truths and foundations). What worked then, works now. Computer keyboard, pen and paper…no matter. Words are timeless.
Yes, I likey. These are good classics I have heard.
Per #1 :
Some writers take it too far though, I think. Like Augusten Burroughs (Running with Scissors), for example, he writes quick good reads, but the sentences are all so short, I feel it lacks a little in what literature is all about — words and sentences and paragraphs. It is what it is and it is good, it’s just that in the reading of his material, I am left feeling the want of some good old fashioned literature.
To me, sentences can be too short. I think people like me who might have a tendency to ramble on to unnecessary ends should strive and aim to meet all these rules because I won’t achieve them even when I try my best, but the people who are already short-winded should not get too carried away in following these rules, especially if it means a loss of style or description.
Oddly, I find on the Internet, a place where people really need to keep their sentences short and tight to meet the attention span of their audience, bloggers can be exceptionally boring in their long-winded-windiness.
I got here through an unreproduceable series of clicks that started at reallivepreacher.com, so it’s likely I’ll never find my way back.
These tips are as relevant in the e-business age as they were in his time.
“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.”
…that line makes me feel like we all have a chance at greatness if we only put in the work for it.
Be positive not negtive, agreed your article since the reader looking what the best performance in web.
Here is five good steps to writing very well. Right now i’m writing some health related articles and i got proper guidelines from here.
It’s “Using vigorous English” that I find the most difficult. As I understand it Hemingway mostly wrote standing up. He was also a great sportsman. So, plenty of vigour in his life. I think I’ll go out now and take some exercise before writing more.