1. Be clear.
2. Look upon prepositions with suspicion.
3. Be concise. Writers who use too many words believe they are being true to their voice. In real life, wordiness and true voice are enemies.
4. If a word ends in "ing," reconsider. "Ing" words are like the elastic in your panties that has gone lax.
5. Trust but verify Spell-check.
6. Avoid clichés (which is a cliché itself).
7. Be conscious of nuance—you say "please don't go" to your lover and "stay" to your dog.
8. Use adverbs sparingly.
9. Rewrite? Nothing is correct the first time. Look at your writing with an objective eye. If that involves changing words, do it! Writing rules are guidelines only. Trust your ear but be ruthless.
10. End with a bang not a wimper.
Nan Lundeen blogs, writes, and edits at www.mooingaround.com. She is searching for a publisher for her handbook, Moo of Writing: How to Milk Your Potential.
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