Lucy Larcom Quotes

Good writing does not come from verbiage but from words.

You know what writers say about their long books: If I had another year, the book would be half as long.

I am a stickler for damn good writing.

I think in most cases, unless you're writing about a character who is garrulous, you say what you've got to say and then get out. Those little conjunctions, those little turnaround words help you do it. That's the way I like to write: I get rid of things rather than add them.

Be prepared to fall out of love with your words. I'm still too verbose at times.

In composing, as a general rule, run your pen through every other word you have written; you have no idea what vigor it will give your style.

Do not say a little in many words but a great deal in a few.

You just can't make bad writing look good. But if you have good writing, you just say it, and it's almost done.

Adverbs lead to overwriting. Try taking them out and reading your prose again to see how it sounds. Simple and less words are more powerful.

The best advice on writing I've ever received was from William Zinsser: 'Be grateful for every word you can cut.'

I think precision in writing goes hand in hand with not trying to say everything. You try and say two-thirds, so the reader will involve himself or herself.

My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.

You have to have something worth saying and then the ability to say it- writing's a double skill, really.

I'm tired of wasting letters when punctuation will do, period.

If you re-read your work, you can find on re-reading a great deal of repetition can be avoided by re-reading and editing.

I know I have a problem with semi-colon abuse and have written page-long sentences. Nobody needs to be reading page-long sentences, at least not written by me.

There's a great power in words, if you don't hitch too many of them together.

I think the best advice I give is to try not to write. Try not to overwrite, try not to make it sound too good. Just use your own voice. Use your own style of putting it down.

In a newspaper, you only have so much room. It teaches you the value of getting to the point, of not pampering yourself with your glorious writing. I've always been much more interested in one powerful sentence that stays with you. That's my style.

You know that I write slowly. This is chiefly because I am never satisfied until I have said as much as possible in a few words, and writing briefly takes far more time than writing at length.

But the shortest works are always the best.

My writing tends to become very dense, so I have to keep some cushion. Sometimes, words that seem superfluous are actually essential for the overall effect.

If you consistently write 'The sun set' rather than 'The sun sank slowly in the bright western sky,' your story will move three times as fast. Of course, there are times you want the longer version for atmosphere - but not many. Wordiness not only kills pace; it bores readers.

I think in any writing you're paying attention to detail.

I write scenes - often quite long scenes - mainly because I still get seduced into writing six lines where one and a half will do.