Writing struggles getting you down? Try a little writing humor for relief.
- Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Writing is hard work, and the struggle to produce quality content within your word count and before the deadline is real!
When writing struggles get you down, look to some good old writing humor, not only to laugh but possibly even to remind you of some essential writing skills.
Here is some of my favorite writing humor… Enjoy!
Rules For Editing
Credit: https://www.mikeysFunnies.com/
1. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
5. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat.)
6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
7. Be more or less specific.
8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
9. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
10. No sentence fragments.
11. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
12. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
14. One should NEVER generalize.
15. Comparisons are as bad as clichés.
16. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
17. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
18. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
19. The passive voice is to be ignored.
20. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words however should be enclosed in commas.
21. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
22. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
23. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth shaking ideas.
24. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
25. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.
26. Puns are for children, not groan readers.
27. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
28. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
29. Who needs rhetorical questions?
30. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.And the last one...
31. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
The The Impotence of Proofreading
Speaking of proofreading, if you haven’t watched this classic YouTube video by Taylor Mali, you’re in for a good chuckle… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OonDPGwAyfQ
Corny Writing Jokes
Why do writers always feel cold? They're always surrounded by drafts!
How many writers does it take to change a light bulb? One, but they'll spend three pages describing it.
How many mystery writers does it take to change a light bulb? Two. One to screw the bulb almost in and one to give it a surprising final twist at the end.
Where would a writer never want to live? A writer’s block.
Why did the writer break up with the editor? The editor kept changing the story.
What dinosaur is a writer's best friend? A thesaurus.
And finally…
Illustrations of Writing in Need of Editing
The images below are ones I have shared with audiences when teaching about the importance of careful editing.
This cartoon is a good reminder that we can easily confuse our readers...
This makes a good illustration of avoiding wordiness. I suggest eliminating "somebody said that" and beginning the paragraph with "Words..."
Do you agree...?
“Easy reading is damn hard writing.” ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne
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