writing-prose

Writing Prose

Write like you talk. Then cut.

Every sentence must pass this test: "Would I say this to a friend?" If not, rewrite it. A sentence that sounds clumsy read aloud usually hides a muddled idea; fix the thinking, not just the words.

Brevity

• AI-assisted writing runs long: paragraph after paragraph of plausible-sounding text that says little.
• Cut to what you'd say out loud to a busy person. Keep every idea the reader needs and drop the words that carry none.
• If a cut loses meaning, keep the words. If it only loses padding, cut.

# Bad
After careful consideration of the various factors involved in the
decision-making process, we have determined that the optimal course
of action would be...

# Good
We decided to...

What makes it worth reading

Usefulness = Correctness × Novelty × Importance × Strength

• Correct: true, but not so vague it says nothing.
• Novel: unknown to the reader, surprising, or unarticulated.
• Important: actually matters to them.
• Strong: as bold as possible without becoming false.

These multiply: zero in any one is zero value. Qualify a claim only to state real uncertainty or scope, never to hedge against criticism.

No em dashes

House style bans em dashes. Before delivering, search the text for — and rewrite each hit with a comma, period, colon, or parentheses.

No counts that go stale

• Never state how many items a changing set holds ("our 12 services", "the four steps below"). Name the items, link the list, or write "every" or "these".
• Before delivering, test each number: does adding or removing one item make it wrong? If yes, rewrite it.
• Keep numbers in quotes and code. Keep numbers that set a limit, record a measurement or past event, or state a fact that cannot change.