Championship Writing: 50 Ways to Improve Your Writing [Paperback]

Paula LaRocque (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2000

A fun-to-read guide that teaches writers how to construct graceful, concise sentences with flair.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paula LaRocque is best known for her regular columns on writing well in The Dallas Morning News, Quill magazine, APME News and other publications that reach a broad professional and consumer audience. She also spreads her writing knowledge through regular appearances on KDKA, the NPR affiliate radio station in Dallas, and other radio programs throughout North America. She is in high demand as a speaker at journalism and business writing events. She recently retired as the assistant managing editor and writing coach at The Dallas Morning News, where she had worked since 1981. She was a writing consultant for the Associated Press Washington Bureau from 1989 to 1993, and in 1993 she appeared in a PBS special, 'The Writing Coach: With Paula LaRocque'. She previously taught creative and journalistic writing at Western Michigan University, Texas A&M, Southern Methodist University and Texas Christian University.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Short and simple: Fuzzy writers force readers to do their work

Clarity is crucial to good writing of any kind. Whether the communication is a news story, press release, letter, memo or report, its merit rests on its understandability. If it’s unclear, it can only bewilder, annoy or mislead.

The two basic qualities of clear writing are comfortingly simple. The first is brevity, and the second is simplicity. Length is critical — whether of word, sentence, paragraph or finished piece. And while a simple and accessible subject might seem necessary to clear communication, it isn't. That's the whole point: Making the content simple and accessible is the writer's job. Clear writing is the product of thoughtful communicators who not only understand the subject, but know how to make others understand it, too.

For example, watch the story emerge in this newspaper writer's work. He rewrote his dense and uninviting lead after a workshop on clear writing. See how the story — the only thing that interests readers — is lost in the original but found in the clear and attractive revision.

Original: A major reassessment that could lead to big changes in Orange County's public transportation system is beginning, prompted in part by a new anti-smog law that is boosting business' demand for better service.

Revision: Local government leaders want to make it easier for Orange County residents to get around without their cars.

The difference between those two passages is the difference between unclear and clear writing. The rewritten version goes beyond a literal transcription of the original and is the product of fresh thinking about how to tell a story. To rewrite, the author asked himself:

• what was most interesting about the story

• how it might affect people

• how he would tell it if he were telling it.

Those questions helped him to write a clear, interesting story rather than a fuzzy, dull report.

Although the argument for clarity is too obvious and sound to reject, some writers still resist. They come close to suggesting that the work can't or even shouldn't be perfectly clear. Of course, they can't sensibly say they prefer muddy, pretentious, careless prose. So they say something more acceptable — that it isn't really weak or that it's weak for good reasons.

Or they criticize the clear version: That's an over-simplification. Or: Well, that dumbs it down a bit. Or: This muddy writing that the average intelligent person can't understand is actually clearer and more precise, if you know the specialized language.

All that is sophistry. Good, clear writing is neither dumb nor oversimple (unless it’s also written by the unintelligent). And unclear writing is self-indulgent if not arrogant.

The truth is that the best communicators are and have always been the clearest communicators — from Winston Churchill to Albert Einstein. They've learned that knowledge isn't worth much if we can't convey it to others. The same principle applies to creative writing as well. Authors who create work known for its purity and excellence also create work known for its simplicity. Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald spring to mind. So do contemporary writers such as John McPhee or Joan Didion. Norman Maclean's A River Runs Through It is admired for its restraint, clarity and plain language. Exceptions such as James Joyce or William Faulkner are known for innovation rather than clarity. But those authors were trying to create new forms and, face it, most readers of works such as Finnegan's Wake are reading it for a seminar — in other words, because they have to.

Even knowing all that, many writers still resist applying the principles of clarity to their work. They don't want to change. And they don't want to do the careful, thoughtful work that clear writing demands — they want the readers to do it. Here, from a press release, is the kind of writing that results:

To enhance the federal government's ability to address emerging issues and minimize conflict among goals for environmental quality, energy security, and economic strength, a task force of the Commission on Science, Technology, and Government has urged creation of a strong top-level institutional mechanism in the Executive Branch to provide policy analyses and policy direction to the president.

That writing is incomprehensible. Aside from the problems of length, density and arcane vocabulary, what is a "top-level institutional mechanism"? Is it a person, a committee, another agency? We don't know, and there's no way to tell without consulting the writer. To rewrite, let’s assume that a “top-level institutional mechanism” is a committee.

A government task force has asked the president to form an environmental committee to advise him on environmental issues. The committee, recommended by the Commission on Science, Technology, and Government, would also would seek to reduce conflict with other special interest groups.

This rewritten version shows that shorter, more conversational sentences promote clarity. It also suggests that when dealing with complex material, it’s usually better to begin with a general, clear statement and add specifics later paragraphs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Marion Street Press, LLC (December 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966517636
• ISBN-13: 978-0966517637
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #149,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Website:
www.paulalarocque.com

Paula LaRocque's first novel, "Chalk Line," will be published in September 2011 by Marion Street Mysteries. She's a writer and writing consultant who has conducted workshops for hundreds of media, government, academic, and business groups across the United States, Canada, and Europe. She also has been writing consultant for the Associated Press, the Drehscheibe Institute in Bonn, and the European Stars & Stripes in Germany.

For ten years, she taught technical communication at Western Michigan University's School of Engineering, and journalism at Texas A&M, Southern Methodist, and Texas Christian universities. And for the following 20 years, she was assistant managing editor and writing coach at The Dallas Morning News.

She has been a columnist for the Society of Professional Journalists' Quill magazine for more than than two decades. Her commentaries air regularly on National Public Radio in Dallas. She's author of three non-fiction books (Marion Street Press, Inc.):

* "The Book on Writing: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Well"
(This comprehensive work, a good seller since its 2004 publication, has had great reviews and has five stars on Amazon.com.)

* "On Words: Insight Into How Our Words Work--and Don't"
(This collection of Paula's print and radio commentaries on the language and the way we use it was published in 2007 and is a popular gift item.)

* "Championship Writing: 50 Ways to Improve Your Writing"
(This collection of writing and language columns was published in 2000.)

In 2001, Paula returned to the dream of her childhood: writing fiction. Her first novel, "Chalk Line," launches a mystery series set in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and featuring Detective Ben Gallagher.

Paula is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Inc., the Houston Writers Guild, and the Dallas-Fort Worth Writers Workshop. A member of the Associated Press Managing Editors association from the early 1990s through 2001, she was elected to the Board of Directors and appointed an officer. In 2001, the association granted her its highest honor: the Meritorious Service Award for exemplary contribution to journalism.

She earned a BA degree Summa Cum Laude in 1971 and an MA in 1972 (Western Michigan University). She also worked on a doctorate, but her academic and journalism career became so demanding she did not complete it.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quick hints with big value, March 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Championship Writing: 50 Ways to Improve Your Writing (Paperback)

Paula LaRocque does something that so many authors fail to do when writing their guidebooks on the craft -- give clear, concise and useful information that applies to the beginner and professional alike. My shelves are stocked with texts that would, undoubtedly, help me improve my writing skills if I were willing to devote countless hours to deciphering their suggestions. But for one with limited time to write, much less read about writing, "Championship Writing" provides tools and tips that I can cover in 10 minutes or less. Pick up a copy to keep beside your computer for those moments when writer's block has you staring off into space. Once I've finished one of LaRocque's chapters I'm ready to dive back into my own prose.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Making The Difficult Easy, February 3, 2001

By 

"organized4ever" (BC, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Championship Writing: 50 Ways to Improve Your Writing (Paperback)

This is the title of column 31 in Championship Writing. This chapter tells how to use analogies to make difficult subjects easier to write about. This is just one of 50 columns, first published in the Professional Journalists' publication 'Quill', that make up this book. Originally written for the working writer, anyone who wants to write with more clarity and power will benefit from the solid advice given in this book.

Unlike the dry, dull approach of most books about grammar and composition, Paula La Roques' personable writing style makes reading about split infinitives and verbs- fun. This is more than a book on grammar though, it is easy to see how to improve your own writing just by reading the numerous examples (taken from the leading news media of the day) on composition throughout the book.

I got more than one laugh out of the examples taken from the column entitled 'Pet Peeves' although the one that bothers me and I that see online the most wasn't mentioned (people writing loose for lose.)

For every example of poor writing (and there are hundreds) there is a suggested improvement that makes such a difference in the revision. Working writers will find this to be an invaluable resource. Writing teachers will appreciate the in depth discussion on writing the 'lead' or 'hook' because it is so important and not just for the non-fiction writer, fiction writers are always looking for that perfect opening too.

Not a book for the rank beginner, but you can't help but improve your writing if you follow the advice in Championship Writing.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Guide to Destroy Good Writing, June 18, 2010

By 

Elizabeth Cain - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Championship Writing: 50 Ways to Improve Your Writing (Paperback)

When I bought this book from the author, she seemed to be excellent at her trade, and I thought her book would help me to become a better writer. Almost immeaditely after starting the book, I was surprised to discover the book was devoted to helping journalists write. I felt misled since the back of the book seemed to be advertising to novelists. I kept reading none the less.
The book only gives one way to help your writing- make it shorter. The ironic part is that her entire message is to reduce repetition and redundency, but the entire book is just the same message repeated over and over again! She should have applied her own priniciples!
The final straw came, for me, about a third of the way into the book. Throughout, she had been citing examples of heavy, complicated writing, and then showing what it was like after her editing mechanisms had been applied. It was fairly obvious she had chosen the worst-case scenarios, things that likely are never actually written aside from a few freak cases. What drove me over the edge was one of these examples. When she cited it, it was beautiful: imagery and allusions that really tugged on my heartstrings. I loved it. Honestly, certain phrases in it were amazing. If it had been in a book, I would have recommended it to everyone I met. The writing was amazing. However, she applied her harsh red pen, and took everything out of it, destoying, laying it bare as emotionless journalistic garble. She destroyed it.
This book promises to improve your writing. However, the author, an editor who probably nags journalists to no end, more often than not destroys good writing.