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Three Cures for Rotten Writing

By Michael Stelzner

This morning while walking past my kitchen, I caught a putrid smell.

You know what I mean. Something that stops you in your tracks…

And I started to think—sometimes unbaked writing has a similar, nasty stench.

Have you ever read something that was really bad? So poorly composed that you were repulsed?

Perhaps you wrote something that just plain stinks.

Well, here are tips to prevent that gross response to your writing:

  • Clean with Microsoft Word: Start with a quick spray of Word’s dictionary and grammar checker.
  • Let it sit overnight: Contrary to conventional wisdom, letting your words sit will not result in a stench.
  • Get a second nose: Try an editor or a peer. Have them sniff over your work. Perhaps they will smell something your nose can’t pick up.

There are most certainly other cures to the writing stench.

Please share your advice.

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This entry was posted on Monday, August 13th, 2007 at 7:15 am and is filed under Freelance Writing, Writing White Papers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

  • My favorite "de-stinkers" include:
    * Compare what you wrote with the original outline, or mind map
    * Eliminate unnecessary adjectives--less is always more
    * Replace passive verbs, i.e., "vote was influenced by report," with "report influenced vote"
    * Make sure you've included plenty of subheads to organize your message

    Always remember to keep your copies of Strunk & White's Elements of Style and William Zinsser's On Writing Well next to your computer!
  • I like that second recommendation, let it sit overnight. When I used to write essays and stuff, if I come back later, I can improve on them way better. Its like, when you come back later, you forget about what you wrote exactly, so you have to re-read, and when you re-read, you think of improvements.
  • Jim, Ted and Angela;

    Thanks for your comments.

    May your words smell like roses all the time!

    :)

    MIke
  • Totally agree. Besides blogging I also produce a weekly e-newsletter for a readership of about 27,000. It goes out on the weekends, so I try to take a first run at it on Monday or Tuesday. I do my first copy quickly to get the flow, then go back & edit a couple of times.

    After that, I send it to a couple of people - one does the graphics & one distributes it - for input. Sometimes they're also able to give me a little different perspective if I've been too internally focused.

    I find, too, that sometimes if I'm feeling shaky about my writing, the outside opinions actually give me positive reinforcement - not just constructive criticism!
  • Boy does this blog ring true! It seems like I finally have to tell myself, enough is enough! Every time I look at something I wrote, it seems looks like it could use a few more changes.

    But letting it sit over night is great advice. And in my case, my wife acts as a great editor if I can get her to do it ... uh one more time please.
  • Curt - Glad to hear you agree with my second nose strategy. There's something to getting another person to confirm you smell as good as you think you do. - Mike
  • Michael,
    Outstanding!
    I can tell you first hand I've written a nice pile of smelly stuff that smells like dead fish on dry ice. I super like your suggestion. Down here in the Everglades when my writing really goes south I sometimes pause in my research and spend some time inside alligator sloughs observing incoming wading bird activity. With low light inside the tree line it offers a relaxation and a kind of mind get-a-way. Where ever anyone is located in the world, there must be a stretch of wilderness they can retreat to and calm things down before they go back to their writing. Thank again for your insight.
    Jim
  • Curt Eiworth
    In my experience, constructive criticism bounces right back at you with the speed a force 7 gale if read your work aloud to your spouse (yes I'm married to another journalist).

    Let it rest until the next day and rewrite. In the meantime, take the kitchen garbage out.
  • Manya - Great idea! Now I have justification for my verbal rumblings. - Mike
  • Talk to yourself.
    No matter what you're writing, you can't go wrong reading it aloud. Slowly, if necessary, and word for word. As you see them on the paper or screen, not the words you think you wrote--do not read a contraction if you didn't write one. This method uncovers all manner rotten writing.

    (Note: This method doesn't work as well for real life, kitchen-type fetidness.)
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