A Night of Research

I have been getting books from the library to help me improve as a writer.  The first book that I started reading is "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk Jr and E.B. White.  It was recommended by the senior editors at Demand Studios, and after a few minutes of reading, I could easily see why.  The usage rules put forth in this book are simple and straightforward, and absolutely essential for quality writing.  What I like about this book is the way Strunk and White explain the rules and give examples of how to apply them.

One of the rules that I found interesting was #14: Put statements in positive form.  "The reader is dissatisfied with being told only what is not; the reader wishes to be told what is."  This really made me think about how I write.  Do I say "not honest" or "dishonest"?  Have I written "did not remember" or "forgot"? Do I use phrases like "did not pay attention" rather than simply "ignored"? 

The point the authors were emphasizing here is that writers want their readers to understand and enjoy what they are reading.  Using negative words and phrases make the reader think harder than they need to, which detracts from the message.