Eleven Rules for Effective Writing (aka “How to Write Good”)

Here are 11 rules for effective writing, with thanks to Kendall Gray of The Appellate Record for reminding me of them:

1. Avoid alliteration. Always.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. Avoid clichés like the plague.  (They’re old hat.)
4. Eschew ampersands and abbreviations, etc.
5. One should never generalize.
6. Comparisons are as bad as clichés.
7. Be more or less specific.
8. Sentence fragments?  Eliminate.
9. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
10. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.
11. Who needs rhetorical questions?