The practical writer

Bad writing is bad business and bad manners. When the reader must do the thinking that the writer neglected to do, the result may be different from what the writer intended. The hard part of writing is to use words in a way that serves the writer's aim. This is hard work because thinking is hard work, but careful thinking ultimately saves time and trouble for everyone concerned. Use common, short, expressive words; avoid words with many meanings. Be direct, simple, brief, vigorous, and lucid. Prefer the concrete to the abstract and the active voice to the passive.