edwinhu/writing-general

General Writing Rules (Strunk & White)

Foundational style guide for clear, concise prose based on Strunk & White's Elements of Style.

Core Principles

The Iron Law of Good Writing

Omit needless words.

Every word must earn its place. Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences.

Critical Rules

| Rule | Explanation | |------|-------------| | Write in prose | Avoid bullet points and lists unless explicitly requested | | Use active voice | "The committee approved the plan" not "The plan was approved" | | Be concrete | Specific details over vague abstractions | | Put statements in positive form | Say what something is, not what it isn't | | Use definite language | Avoid hedging, qualifiers, and weasel words |

Red Flags - Stop If You Think

| Thought | Why It's Wrong | Do Instead | |---------|----------------|------------| | "I'll add some qualifiers to be safe" | Weakens the writing | Make definite assertions | | "Let me list these points" | Bullet points are lazy | Write in prose paragraphs | | "I should sound more formal" | Formality often means wordiness | Write naturally, then edit | | "This needs more emphasis" | Overemphasis dilutes meaning | Let strong words speak |

Rationalization Table - STOP If You Think:

| Excuse | Reality | Do Instead | |--------|---------|------------| | "The passive voice is fine here" | Passive voice hides the actor; name them | REWRITE in active voice | | "This adverb adds emphasis" | Strong verbs don't need adverbs | DELETE the adverb, pick a stronger verb | | "The reader needs this context first" | Lead with the point, add context after | MOVE the point to the front | | "This paragraph needs one more sentence" | If the paragraph is complete, stop | STOP writing and move on | | "I should vary the sentence structure" | Clarity beats variety; don't complexify for style | KEEP the clear structure |

Delete & Restart Triggers

If you catch yourself writing ANY of these, DELETE THE SENTENCE and START FRESH:

| Anti-Pattern | Restart Approach | |---|---| | "It is [adjective] that..." | Rewrite as direct assertion | | "There are [X] reasons" | Replace with direct list or synthesis | | "In order to" | Replace with "to" | | Sentence > 40 words with nested clauses | Break into 2-3 sentences | | Passive voice hiding the actor | Name the actor, use active voice |

After deleting, restart the sentence with THE POINT first, then evidence.

Skipping the deletion pass is NOT HELPFUL — the user publishes bloated prose that buries their argument. Identify violations and purge them.

Drive-Aligned Framing

Skipping the sentence-level check is NOT HELPFUL — the user publishes weak prose that undermines their credibility. Reading your own output and thinking "looks good" is not editing.

• You skip the style check because the content is correct. The prose reads as AI slop — your content expertise is hidden behind bad writing.

Editing Checklist

Sentence Level

• Remove unnecessary words ("in order to" → "to")
• Replace weak verbs ("is able to" → "can")
• Convert passive to active voice
• Eliminate redundancies ("past history" → "history")

Paragraph Level

• Ensure each paragraph has one main idea
• Check topic sentences lead clearly
• Verify logical flow between paragraphs

Word Level

• Replace abstract nouns with concrete ones
• Use specific verbs over vague ones + adverbs
• Cut filler words ("very", "really", "quite", "rather")

Quick Reference: Common Fixes

| Weak | Strong | |------|--------| | utilize | use | | in order to | to | | due to the fact that | because | | at this point in time | now | | in the event that | if | | prior to | before | | subsequent to | after | | with regard to | about | | a large number of | many | | is able to | can |

Progressive Disclosure

For comprehensive guidance, consult:

• references/elements-of-style.md - Complete Strunk & White guide covering:
  • Elementary Rules of Usage (commas, colons, participles)
  • Elementary Principles of Composition (paragraph unity, active voice)
  • Words and Expressions Commonly Misused
  • Style guidance and literary reminders

Examples

Weak original:

It is important to note that there are a variety of different factors that contribute to the overall success of the project in question.

Strong revision:

Several factors determine project success.

Weak original:

The report was written by the team and was subsequently reviewed by management prior to being distributed to stakeholders.

Strong revision:

The team wrote the report, management reviewed it, and stakeholders received it.

Integration

After completing any writing task, invoke /ai-anti-patterns to check for AI writing indicators.