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

~ 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...)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
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Customers buy this book with Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies by Sol Stein

Getting the Words Right: 39 Ways to Improve Your Writing + Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies
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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 (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #165,819 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #53 in  Books > Reference > Writing > Editing

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More About the Author

Theodore A. Rees Cheney
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
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 to the late George Plimpton in his Paris Review. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
revision routines, words reduction, crowded section, bareback riding
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Jacques Barzun, New York, Rees Cheney, Loren Eiseley, Day of Fate, Richard Selzer, Techniques of Fiction Writing, Ten Speed Press, William Zinsser, Anchor Books, Games of Ball, Gettysburg Address, Lewis Thomas, Random House, The Elements of Style, Viking Press, Writing Creative Nonfiction
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars I have recommended this book for 10 years!, November 21, 2005
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!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Great advice, unreadable type, August 3, 2007
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.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An Indespensible Book on Writing, January 13, 2007
Every writer should have this at his side. I've read portions of it and then tried to apply Cheney's advice. What I most enjoy is that it really reads well, its not a tedious textbook. He really applies what he teaches, even an an academic work. I write inspirational nonfiction and I find myself incredibly inspired after I read a passage. Its an exceptional book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Cheney Gets His Words Right
I've been writing and editing off and on for about 25 years, and this is one of the best books I found on editing. Read more
Published 27 days ago by S. G. Fortosis

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Advise for Writers
This book is chock full of good advise. In spite of a small flaw, I recommend it. The flaw is in the print. It's brown rather than standard black. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Wanderer

5.0 out of 5 stars Getting The Words Right - 39 ways to improve your writing
The first sentence let's you know this is a concise, direct and
immediately accessible book which will improve your writing. Read more
Published 15 months ago by LAURA BURTON

3.0 out of 5 stars Good content, poor book design
Before I bought the book I saw a review that complained about the type size and page layout, and I thought that the reviewer was just nitpicking. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Elijah

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
I learned a LOT! This book isn't so dry you dread picking it up. It's interesting and motivating all together!
Published 18 months ago by Otto

5.0 out of 5 stars The book on editing
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... Read more
Published on January 24, 2008 by Konrad Zielinski

4.0 out of 5 stars User Friendly for writers
I found this easy to use, with good ideas. I would suggest only getting after your first few drafts, when you've finished with plot and structure. Read more
Published on November 19, 2007 by Grimm Leigh

5.0 out of 5 stars Cheney Shows Us How It's Done
As a freelance writer, I have inhaled all of Professor Cheney's books. I have to say, though, that Getting The Words Right, challenged me the most. Read more
Published on April 7, 2007 by Dale E. Tafoya

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Must Have" For Any Author
I rarely write reviews of books I've purchased--a book must be truly superb (or truly awful) to be worth the effort. This one is superb. Read more
Published on January 7, 2007 by music lover

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!
Most of my writing is done as a professional, drafting letters to clients. Somehow my writing had always seemed verbose and clunky. Read more
Published on December 25, 2006 by MK

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