Getting the Words Right: 39 Ways to Improve Your Writing (Paperback)

by Theodore Cheney (Author) "The title of this book, Getting the Words Right, was a direct theft on my part from an interview about revision that Ernest Hemingway gave..." (more)
Key Phrases: revision routines, words reduction, crowded section, Jacques Barzun, New York, Rees Cheney (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
For more than 20 years, Getting the Words Right has helped readers from all professions and walks of life rewrite, revise, and refine their writing. That tradition continues with this all-new edition that features 39 targeted ways to improve writing by:

-Practicing the three fundamentals of revision (reducing, rearranging, and rewording) -Trimming weak or extra words to express ideas in a concise, forceful way -Creating smooth transitions between paragraphs -Correcting invisible faults of inconsistency, incoherence, and imbalance -Effectively checking for accuracy and errors (from dangling modifiers to comma splices)

With the tips and techniques in this book, readers will get it "write" every time!

About the Author
A longtime University professor, Theodore A Rees Cheney is also the author of Writing Creative Nonfiction.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Writers Digest Books; 2 edition (June 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158297358X
• ISBN-13: 978-1582973586
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #141,926 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I have recommended this book for 10 years!, November 21, 2005

By	Susan Graham "About Words Agency" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm the owner of a literary agency (About Words Agency), and when sending 99.95% of the submissions back to their authors for revision, I make sure to recommend Getting The Words Right, by Theodore Cheney in every single reply. I tell authors to read Stein on Writing, by Sol Stein, and then read Getting The Words Right. The two books work very well together. Cheney's method of working on the biggest problems first, like eliminating the first two or three chapters, and last of all, checking for smaller things such as spelling and punctuation, makes so much sense! It is the most efficient method of editing, and with increasingly busy lives, seems the most reasonable method as well. For a trademarked, innovative method of using your word processor to help you with the editing process, I also recommend Write in Style, by Bobbie Christmas. The competition for agents and publishers is fierce. If you want to get to the top of the pile, read and implement Getting The Words Right before you send in a query!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great advice, unreadable type, August 3, 2007

By	Janice King "Technical Copywriter and Copywri... (www.writinghightech.com) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Theodore Rees Cheney is a favorite guide for improving my writing. This book is another great example of his sound advice, relevant examples, and useful exercises. But the type size is so small and faint I had to use a magnifier to read it and the decorative flourishes on each page quickly become an annoying distraction. Shame on the publisher for diminishing such a good work. 5 stars for the content; zero stars for the page design.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book on editing, January 24, 2008

By	Konrad Zielinski (Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Every time I reread a section of this book I learn somthing new about editing my fiction.

The author convinced me early that he know what he was talking about and the conviction stayed throughout. It seems clear that he applied every single one of his editing maxims to the work itself. Practicing what he preaches.

Having first read copy from the library I immediately ordered my own and have re read most of it several times. I have no doubt that it will be read through many more times before I have absorbed all of the wisdom it contains