First You Write a Sentence
"The sentence is the common ground where every writer walks. A good sentence can be written (and read) by anyone if we simply give it the gift of our time, and it is as close as most of us will get to making something truly beautiful. Using minimal technical terms and sources ranging from the Bible and Shakespeare to George Orwell and Maggie Nelson, as well as scientific studies of what can best fire the reader's mind, author Joe Moran shows how we can all write in a way that is clear, compelling and alive. Whether dealing with finding the ideal word, building a sentence, or constructing a paragraph, First You Write a Sentence informs by light example: much richer than a style guide, it can be read not only for instruction but for pleasure and delight. And along the way, it shows how good writing can help us notice the world, make ourselves known to others, and live more meaningful lives. It's an elegant gem in praise of the English sentence"
Stats for nerds
5recommend
12mentions
6people
2019–2025years
92% recommend8% neutral
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- See also the excellent book "First You Write a Sentence" by Joe Moran.
- Love it. I also really enjoyed the book "First You Write a Sentence" by Joe Moran
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/607260/first-you-wr...
- Related book recommendation: "First, You Write a Sentence", by Joe Moran. Even if you're not aspiring to improve your own writing, and you simply love to read, it's really worthwhile.
- It's definitely nothing new but good advice bears repeating over the decades :)
For big picture stuff on writing I also like "On Writing Well" by William Zissner and "First You Write A Sentence" by Joe Moran (which is a bit more British).
- I used to think this way about prose too, but a book called "First You Write a Sentence" by Moran changed my assumption on this one. As Moran points out, the "sound" of writing conveys meaning in itself. A little flourish, so long as it's not distracting, can improve the clarity of a sentence and make it more pleasant to read.
- My recommendation is First You Write a Sentence. by Joe Moran. It feels like a recent classic and I re-read chapters all the time.
