There is an excellent 200-page 2026 book by the husband and wife team of Neal Allen and Anne Lamott titled Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences. Google Books has a preview up to page 23. Each rule is discussed for a few pages by both Neal and Anne.
Their rules are:
Use Strong Verbs
Replace weak verbs, which are imprecise (‘walked,’ ‘stood’), with vivid verbs, which are specific (‘trudged,’ ‘malingered’).
Question ‘Being’ and ‘Having’
The verbs ‘to be’ and ‘to have’ are the weakest of all; by nature static, they slow a narrative.
Keep It Active
Pay attention to words that end in -ed or -en and are preceded by a form of ‘to be,’ and watch out for -ing endings; try flipping the sentence to get it more active.
Stick with ‘Said’
When attributing a quote, ‘said’ is the default verb; the reader’s attention is on who said it, not how it was said.
Don’t Show Off
Let others be erudite; your job is to befriend your reader.
Prefer Anglo-Saxon Words
Favor shorter, punchier Anglo-Saxon words over fancy, abstract Latinate words.
Sound Natural
Unless you’re writing a technical manual, keep your language conversational and use modern speech patterns.
Trust Your Voice
Your natural voice has its own tempo, pitch, ease, and overall sound. Let it ring out.
Question Transitions
Transitional phrases (‘then,’ ‘next,’ ‘when,’ ‘meanwhile,’ ‘however’) are not needed unless a gap in time or logic has opened.
Link Ideas with Semicolons
If two sentences are tightly linked and one progresses from the other, consider separating them with a semicolon.
Drop ‘Very’ and Other Crutch Words
The word ‘very’ seldom improves a sentence.
Jettison {All Those} Tiny Words
Remove the clutter of short words (pronouns, prepositions, connectors).
Dress Up ‘This’
Pronouns are hard for readers to follow, especially ‘this’ and ‘it.’
Remove the Boring Stuff
Spend less time defending what you’ve written, and more time revealing the truth.
Refresh Your Words
Don’t repeat a distinctive word unless you must.
Know Your Words Inside and Out
Examining the etymology of words makes them more concrete and useful.
Stay In Tune
The better word is both precise and unnoticed. A thesaurus is your book of magic spells.
Find the Hidden Metaphor
Metaphors mirror humdrum experiences through elegant comparison. In the hands of an expert, they both illuminate and offer depth of field.
Twist Cliches
We already think in cliches; you owe it to your reader’s search for novelty to remove or deconstruct your hackneyed phrases.
Knock Three Times
For a series of terms to land, you usually need three.
Stretch Out
Long sentences require attention to detail, conjunctions, and rhythm – and a payoff at the end.
Short Sells
Interrupt lyrical or other long passages with an abrupt, short sentence.
Give Your Sentence a Finale
Even if you begin your sentence with a punch, end it stronger.
Crystallize Your Dialogue
Dialogue needs to be as zippy and economical as the rest of the book.
In Fiction, Archetype Your Characters
Below the human stereotypes are common psychological patterns that readers expect.
Show, Then Tell
Start with the concrete – what happened – and after, when appropriate, riff on your thoughts about consequences.
Give Them a Hero’s Welcome
Start off by telling the reader who to root for.
Once Is Enough
Keep your first description of a character or place distinctive enough that you aren’t tempted to add to it later.
Smell the Roses
Sight is only one of the five senses; let your readers enjoy touch, hearing, smell, and taste.
Don’t Filter
Don’t point out that someone is thinking, opining, or experiencing what is already happening on the page.
Trust Your Reader
Your reader will fill in the gaps; you only need to be complete enough.
Layer Your Sentences
Sentences convey more than information; their other purposes must be tended.
Write the Hard Stuff
Don’t shy away from the big mysteries of life.
Break the Rules
A rule may be of universal use, but need not be universally used.
Finish the Damn Thing
Your job is to complete the project. The final quality and consequences are not yet your business.
Worship (Talented) Editors
Writing is collaborative, and editors save your skin.
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