Writing Advice from C.S. Lewis

A couple of weeks ago, I bookmarked another delightful piece of correspondence from Letters of Note, a wonderful diversionary site I find myself returning to on a weekly basis. In this installment, writer C.S. Lewis pens a letter to a young fan that includes some interesting advice on the craft of writing. Lewis offers five suggestions for writers:

1. Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean and make sure your sentence couldn't mean anything else.

2. Always prefer the plain direct word to the long, vague one. Don't implement promises, but keep them.

3. Never use abstract nouns when concrete ones will do. If you mean "More people died" don't say "Mortality rose."

4. In writing. Don't use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was "terrible," describe it so that we'll be terrified. Don't say it was "delightful"; make us say "delightful" when we've read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, "Please will you do my job for me."

5. Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.

I have yet to decide whether I should figuratively pin this advice to my writing corkboard, even though I recognize that I'm guilty of some of what he suggests are errors. As for the first item, I have no issue. In fact, I could argue that I'm too obsessed with being understood. It is one thing to put together language and words in order to be clear. It is another thing to go on and on, restating the same argument, making a broad and detailed case for the sole purpose of not being misunderstood. Of course, you must then balance this against the requirement for brevity, the so-called economy of words. Not my strong suit.

His second recommendation simply pains me. While his example is quite clear and apt (who "implements" promises, anyway?), I admit to the joy of an extended vocabulary. There are so many wonderful words that would fail to see the light of day if we limited ourselves to the lowest common denominator in our word choice. I suppose it depends in part upon the style and audience of the written material.

Number three, I'm in full agreement. I remember school days in which I would attempt to use such constructions of abstraction, mostly in a silly attempt to impress my instructors with the use of "bigger words." However, I believe there is a natural tension here, as teachers often encourage such constructions to encourage the use of a broader vocabulary. You know, the whole "use this word in a sentence" meme.

The fourth is a matter of art as much a matter of construction. Some writers simply have that gift to make the reader emotionally connect to their material. In visual arts, including video, the artist can make creative use of color and music to create the desired mood or response in the audience. With the written word, I'm not so certain there is such a clear-cut, manipulative formula. It is all in how you tell the story, or whether it is a good story told well.

Finally, a lesson in the proper use of hyperbole. If you use language at the extreme, then all that is left is absurdity. Our political class could take some lessons from this. Still, the avoidance of unnecessary exaggeration is good advice, except when used as a tool to further the story in a desirable way. But it is a tool that should be used sparingly - if you are telling a tale, or using it to illustrate a point. Exaggeration or hyperbole presented as fact lowers the value of the writing, and maybe even of the writer.

In the end, the goal is to inform or to entertain, and sometimes both. But to do it well, both the message and the mechanics matter. I have much to learn about each.