Breaking the Rules with Spunk & Bite
I blogged recently about Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style and how much it’s helped my writing. Strunk & White’s magnum opus is indispensable reading for any writer, and I revisit it profitably from time to time. There’s no replacement for knowing the rules.
It quickly becomes obvious, though, that just toeing the line isn’t enough. Rules, the cliche goes, were made to be broken. Writing on the straight and narrow isn’t just boring to the reader – it’s boring to the writer, too. A little judicious rule-breaking is the only way to produce something readable.
But no matter how accomplished a scribe you are, you can always use a little brush-up on the basics of written rebellion. Enter Arthur Plotnik: His book Spunk & Bite offers a little light unstrunktion
to those in need.
Throughout Spunk & Bite, Plotnik nips playfully at the proscriptive advice that even White never quite managed to follow. He talks about how, when, and why to break the rules to best effect, so you can get your point across clearly and hold the reader’s attention.
Unique, catchy writing is the only way to separate from the pack in today’s word-filled world. In Plotnik’s words, In writing, wrong means only the failure to connect with one’s audience.
Conventions are supposed to help us do so, but a good writer never lets them get in the way.
When you’re looking to break the rules, make Arthur Plotnik your partner in crime.
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