Clarity > Clever: Ten Rules Every Writer Needs
My Top Ten Rules for Writing (Letterman Style)
When I was in middle school, my mom let me stay up late in the summer to watch David Letterman. The deal was, I had to head to bed right after the Top Ten list. Maybe that’s why I’ve always loved lists.
David Ogilvy—the godfather of modern advertising—had his own list: ten rules for writing. He once said, “People who think well, write well.”
In that same spirit, after 20+ years in publishing (and 11 as a literary agent), here are my ten rules for writing:
- Writers are readers. Don’t read? Don’t write.
- Clarity > clever. Simplicity wins.
- Facts hit the brain. Stories hit the heart.
- If it’s boring to write, it’ll be boring to read.
- Match the genre. An email ≠ a book.
- Writing requires writing. Put in the work.
- Nonfiction = problems + promises.
- Hope is not a strategy.
- Revision is where the magic happens.
- Some beats none. Always.
Like Ogilvy, I believe writing is a muscle. Natural talent only grows through practice. Writing isn’t just a noun. Writing is a verb.
Did I miss any? If you’ve got a personal favorite rule for writing, send it my way. Would love to hear it.
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