When Good People Write Bad Sentences: 12 Steps to Better Writing Habits (Paperback)

by Robert W. Harris (Author) "JANET H., FRED S., AND PAT C. ARE THREE HAPPY individuals..." (more)
Key Phrases: Standard English, Embracing Step, After Sam (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
At last, help for writers who can admit they have a problem.

Do you get a lift by dangling a participle? Has your punctuation ever caused difficulties at home or at work? Do you consider yourself just a "social misspeller?"

These are just a few of the warning signs that you might have an addiction to bad writing. But fear not. This practical guide to eliminating bad writing habits will put you on the path to recovery. Filled with accessible advice and examples, this "powerful 12-step program" identifies the most common writing mistakes and offers simple ways to correct them. Here, you can learn to overcome wordiness, formality, incompleteness, and other problems that stand in the way of clear communication. And as you learn to eliminate ineffective sentences, you'll be "writing off" jargon, mixed metaphors, clichés, and more.

The advice in this ingenious and useful book has helped Tom G., Martha D., and Cathy W.* write more clearly, confidently, and persuasively. It can do the same for you - whether you write for school, work, or pleasure. If you've tried other programs, only to fall back on bad habits, let Standard English be your guide. This book will show you how.

Get ready to improve your writing skills - one sentence at a time.

*their real names


About the Author
Robert W. Harris has worked as a technical and business writer for the past 20 years. He is the author of ten books, including Fun with Phone Solicitors and Understanding Desktop Publishing.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (June 14, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312328044
• ISBN-13: 978-0312328047
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #992,658 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars let's reconsider, May 25, 2006

By	Mandy Gipson (Oklahoma City, OK United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read through the other reviews and I understand where they're coming from. Yes, the book is written like an alcoholic's 12 step program BUT Harris is kind of right. At first, I was almost confused as to whether it was a joke or not, but as I read further, I realized that the bad habits that writers have are actually base upon insecurities. Harris tells the reader to suck it up - quit caring so much about what other people might think of your writing - and write good srong sentences. Once you actually get to the 12 steps, I think there is some really useful information in there. I was not overpowered by techinical issues. Harris clearly and simply states what to look out for in your own writing. He actually lists them - which makes this a good reference manual to put on my desk. So the book is based on a joke (if that's what you want to call it). I found it funny. Even funnier, I saw myself in what he was saying.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Humorous read..., January 22, 2005

By	fiona (Canada) - See all my reviews

This book was pretty humorous. I picked it up after I thought it would be kind of like Eats, Shoots and Leaves. It deals more with sentence structure, though (although some parts of it does deal with grammar).

Harris writes about our "inner child writer" and how it still has a lot of repressed feelings, which is why we lash out and write bad sentences. I didn't really consider myself a malescribe, but I can certainly understand the frustration and disappointment when you encounter one.

Although this book was informative and humorous, my only complaint was that it went a little too far. At times, parts of it seemed far-fetched and there was a bit too much exaggeration. I know this was supposed to be a humorous approch - but maybe less is more. For example, Harris states that malescribism can lead to depression, and even death. Well, I'd say very rarely.

Despite my one dislike about it, When Good People Write Bad Sentences is a humorous and informative read. Especially when you have malescribism. (Oops, was that supposed to be a sentence fragment?) :)

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars An average book buried by a single gag, November 27, 2005

By	Daniel L Edelen (Mt. Orab, OH USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Is it possible for a book on writing to be based on a joke? A single joke? If you're considering "When Good People Write Bad Sentences," then prepare yourself for a book that contains a running gag so hopelessly overdone you'll tire of it by about the tenth page.

Yes, folks, here's a writing book based on the jocular idea that bad writers are suffering from a form of victimization/addiction called "malescribism" that renders their grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure worthy of a twelve-step program. The sad fact is that a decent book on fixing those problems is buried under that cutesy idea.

That decent part consists of the general sentence-writing help you'll find in a hundred other books covering how to write better. So, in truth, the gag is all that distinguishes this book from others. In a trade size with less than 200 pages, the book also suffers from large amounts of white space. This could actually be only 150 pages in length if less generously spaced.

If you want to compose better prose or just write a comprehensible e-mail message, you could probably do worse--unless twelve-step jokes give you hives.