A Quote by Mark Twain

When you catch an adjective, kill it - perhaps the best possible advice for budding writers. — © Mark Twain
When you catch an adjective, kill it - perhaps the best possible advice for budding writers.
I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English?it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them?then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice.
When you catch an adjective, kill it.
When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them--then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are far apart.
Because all writers are human beings first and writers second, my guess is that any advice for living with a writer is about the same as advice for living with a plumber or a refrigerator salesperson.
The only sort of descriptive adjective or catch phrase for my music would be 'eclectic.'
If I had to give one piece of advice to a budding entrepreneur, I would say: 'Aim big.'
My best advice to writers is get yourself born in an interesting place.
I've tried to put myself in every position possible to be able to catch the football. Until you challenge yourself at a particular catch, or a particular area of the field to make a particular catch, you would never know if you can make that catch.
One of the grave dangers inherent in the various stages of any theatrical career-whether it be budding, quiescent or diminishing-is the advice of friends.
The single best piece of advice I give to aspiring writers is to always write about things that they know. I suggest that they write about people and places and events and conflicts they are familiar with. That way their writing will be real and hopefully readers will respond to it. I try to take my own advice.
Advice to young writers? Always the same advice: learn to trust our own judgment.
My advice to women directors is just to make the best work possible.
Adjective salad is delicious, with each element contributing its individual and unique flavor; but a puree of adjective soup tastes yecchy.
There's something very misleading about the literary culture that looks at writers in their 30s and calls them 'budding' or 'promising', when in fact they're peaking.
They're fancy talkers about themselves, writers. If I had to give young writers advice, I would say don't listen to writers talking about writing or themselves.
As far as advice goes, an ex-father in law of mine once gave me the best advice I ever heard. He said, "Take my advice and do what you want to." So with that, go on.
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