Eric Arthur Blair, more commonly known by the pen name George Orwell, was very much against totalitarian governments. His writings reflect that, especially 1984 and Animal Farm. In addition to being opposed to bad governments, Orwell was opposed to bad writing. He gave 12 tips to better writing in his essay, Politics and the English Language. This work is a lamentation on “ugly and inaccurate” written English, which he claimed was a cause and effect of foolish thinking and corrupt politics.

While Orwell’s tips were not designed specifically for bloggers, the same principles apply here.

A scrupulous blogger will ask themselves these 4 critical questions:

1. What is the message I’m trying to convey to my readers?
2. What are the best words to express this message?
3. Are there any metaphors or idioms that will make it easier to understand?
4. Are these metaphors and idioms fresh enough to have a positive effect on my readers?

After this, 2 more questions need to be asked:

1. Could the message be worded shorter? Bigger is not always better. Sometimes the best way it to go is straight to the point without embellishing the message.
2. Have I written something that is unavoidably ugly?

Orwell also gave 6 more writing tips, quoted from his essay:

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

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