Have you ever read and story, paper, or article that you seem to have read many times over? The article “How to Say nothing in 500 words” is an essay by Professor Paul Roberts (1917-1967) that explains how to be a better writer and hook readers into what the writer is saying.
To begin the author writes an essay for a class in the form of how the many people write; with obvious content and writing what people want to hear. The author, Paul Roberts, begins with writing how most students begin a paper, wanting to put it off and dreading a 500 words minimum. The paper is then treaded along writing what everyone else has written, with no excellent detail and counting every word. Then goes on to give major suggestions to make writing and reading what has been written more interesting.
Avoiding obvious content is the first and major point. This means don’t write about what everyone has heard before because the rest of the writers have already though of that idea also. Each writer should have the own distinctive reason why they have a particular feeling towards that subject. To steam off of avoiding obvious content it is also suggested to take the unusual side of the argument. Hearing the other perspective is also writing something most readers haven not read, keeping the reader interested in what is being said.
Roberts writes to avoid use of obvious padding. Avoid filler content to try to add to the word count. When sentences can be written in a few words it shouldn’t be turned into a paragraph to make a word minimum, it is more than likely repetitive and becomes less exciting to read. That just because a sentence can be said in forty-five words instead of seven does not mean that is the route that should be taken. Roberts says that more real content should be found and written about to make that minimum, really get to know the subject that is being written.
The writer continues to say “call a fool a fool” leave out this “in my opinions” and “I believes”. Say beliefs with certainty it gets the points across better and makes one a stronger writer. Roberts also says to use euphemism to make writing and reading more exciting. A reader would reader would rather read a cliché such as “Kicked the bucket” over the man died. It causes the reading more colorful and enjoyable to read.
Avoiding pat expressions is also told by Roberts while they will happen in writing it is recommended to use them as few and far between as possible. Roberts included examples of pat expressions such as; “took the easy way out”, “parted the best of friends”, “from where I sit”, and “to the ends of the earth”. Though these expressions at one point were meaningful and better described a situation, now the words are more clue-like and have lost their intensity. The other downside to pat expressions due to lack of clarity is they become more padding, without real meaning behind the phrases they become “padding” which is Roberts also advises against.
To make the reading more intriguing Roberts recommends using “colorful words”. These are words to grab the reader’s attention and keep them wanting to read more. Colorful words are words with a preexisting association with them. The author chose the example “mother” the majority of people find a pleasant connection with the word mother. Therefore, when trying to describe a close relationship saying “she was like a mother to me” shows a close, nurturing, and caring relationship for most. While some colored words can have a very positive effect within the writing, there are also negative colored words that can do the same in when describing less then pleasant situations. Roberts uses the word “mother-in-law” as a model to negate what is being written. There are also intellectual colorful words which have a very literal meaning but have their own meaning to each reader. Examples of intellectually colorful words given by Roberts include; communist, schoolteacher, liberal, socialist, radical, and salesman. Color words are a way to greatly enhance what the writer is writing.
The author also suggests avoiding use of colorless words. These words are quite literally words that have no color they are very broad and generalized. Roberts uses the words such as; attitudes, cases, nice and circumstances that should be avoided in writing.
“How to say nothing in 500 words” is an article that gives great suggestions on how to become a better writer. There are not only ways to cut out unnecessary information but ways to enhance what is already written. Many students, speakers, and writers would benefit from reading this.
To begin the author writes an essay for a class in the form of how the many people write; with obvious content and writing what people want to hear. The author, Paul Roberts, begins with writing how most students begin a paper, wanting to put it off and dreading a 500 words minimum. The paper is then treaded along writing what everyone else has written, with no excellent detail and counting every word. Then goes on to give major suggestions to make writing and reading what has been written more interesting.
Avoiding obvious content is the first and major point. This means don’t write about what everyone has heard before because the rest of the writers have already though of that idea also. Each writer should have the own distinctive reason why they have a particular feeling towards that subject. To steam off of avoiding obvious content it is also suggested to take the unusual side of the argument. Hearing the other perspective is also writing something most readers haven not read, keeping the reader interested in what is being said.
Roberts writes to avoid use of obvious padding. Avoid filler content to try to add to the word count. When sentences can be written in a few words it shouldn’t be turned into a paragraph to make a word minimum, it is more than likely repetitive and becomes less exciting to read. That just because a sentence can be said in forty-five words instead of seven does not mean that is the route that should be taken. Roberts says that more real content should be found and written about to make that minimum, really get to know the subject that is being written.
The writer continues to say “call a fool a fool” leave out this “in my opinions” and “I believes”. Say beliefs with certainty it gets the points across better and makes one a stronger writer. Roberts also says to use euphemism to make writing and reading more exciting. A reader would reader would rather read a cliché such as “Kicked the bucket” over the man died. It causes the reading more colorful and enjoyable to read.
Avoiding pat expressions is also told by Roberts while they will happen in writing it is recommended to use them as few and far between as possible. Roberts included examples of pat expressions such as; “took the easy way out”, “parted the best of friends”, “from where I sit”, and “to the ends of the earth”. Though these expressions at one point were meaningful and better described a situation, now the words are more clue-like and have lost their intensity. The other downside to pat expressions due to lack of clarity is they become more padding, without real meaning behind the phrases they become “padding” which is Roberts also advises against.
To make the reading more intriguing Roberts recommends using “colorful words”. These are words to grab the reader’s attention and keep them wanting to read more. Colorful words are words with a preexisting association with them. The author chose the example “mother” the majority of people find a pleasant connection with the word mother. Therefore, when trying to describe a close relationship saying “she was like a mother to me” shows a close, nurturing, and caring relationship for most. While some colored words can have a very positive effect within the writing, there are also negative colored words that can do the same in when describing less then pleasant situations. Roberts uses the word “mother-in-law” as a model to negate what is being written. There are also intellectual colorful words which have a very literal meaning but have their own meaning to each reader. Examples of intellectually colorful words given by Roberts include; communist, schoolteacher, liberal, socialist, radical, and salesman. Color words are a way to greatly enhance what the writer is writing.
The author also suggests avoiding use of colorless words. These words are quite literally words that have no color they are very broad and generalized. Roberts uses the words such as; attitudes, cases, nice and circumstances that should be avoided in writing.
“How to say nothing in 500 words” is an article that gives great suggestions on how to become a better writer. There are not only ways to cut out unnecessary information but ways to enhance what is already written. Many students, speakers, and writers would benefit from reading this.