Small Peculiar

Folks, after more than twenty years in this business I can tell you that much of bad writing comes down to lack of confidence. Lack of confidence in what? In any of the three things involved in writing: yourself, your reader, or language. If you don’t have faith in all three of those things, you will repeat yourself, for fear of not getting your idea across, and you will use four words where one would do, for fear of sounding stupid. When you find yourself using an expression like on a daily basis, know this: you’re afraid, and language can smell fear. So can the reader. Crack a whip if you’re going to write. Brandish a chair.