Tired Metaphors: A Cry for Originality

George Orwell, on the heels of publishing Animal Farm and various autobiographical essays, published “Politics and the English Language“.  The essay is still being used in writing courses everywhere as a loud voice railing against predictable and unimaginative writing. In the essay, Orwell makes several remarks of note but his thesis is clear: “Now it is

Crossing Out the Wrong Words

Mark Twain once wrote: “Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.” Sure.  Sounds easy, right?  I suppose one could write an entire novel and then just go back erasing word after word until it is something that might be more presentable.  Of course, he didn’t mean this to be