Reviewing the tips for writing in English that Ernest Hemingway gave throughout his life, they may sound familiar to any blog article writer.
Hemingway’s advice is very much in line with Google’s writing requirements for positioning an article: brevity, simplicity, more periods than commas, fewer adjectives, and more nouns…
But this is no accident. When Ernest Hemingway won the Nobel Prize, he crowned a literary career marked by style. The simplicity of its words and the direct and forceful paragraphs made it read even by those who did not read.
Suddenly, the editors realized that they were looking at a writing style that was ideal for all types of readers.
And that thrived for decades and decades, until today, that same style — or a very similar one — is what Artificial Intelligence and search engines consider ideal.
Obviously, each writer will find his or her own way of writing. But if you do it under Hemingway’s principles, or at least consider them, everything will be easier for you.
All of this applies much more effectively to foreign students who are learning English, or who have already learned the language and are now just looking to perfect their writing. Why? Because they will have the possibility to formulate texts in a faster and more uncomplicated way.
Ernest Hemingway and his advice for writing in English
These tips for writing in English were written at different times by Hemingway. They have a mainly literary focus but are also useful for copywriters, journalists, or people from any activity who just want to write better.
In this article, we will not follow Hemingway’s own order of priority, but we will give them according to what we believe is important to highlight for editors in general.
- Write short sentences. Always start with a short sentence. Use vigorous language. Be positive, not negative. Use more periods than commas.
- Avoid the use of adjectives, especially extravagant ones such as splendid, great, magnificent, and sumptuous…
- Study the dictionary thoroughly.
- Do not describe. Invents or constructs from personal or impersonal knowledge.
- Do not overload your writing with resonant words, nor create characters so incredible that they do not even convince the author.
- Don’t create characters, create common people in not-so-common situations.
- Reread what is written again and again.
- You never know what is going to happen in a novel. As it progresses, what needs to happen happens.
- Do not live with your back to the reality of your time.
- Don’t give up. Don’t settle.
Of course, Hemingway wrote more tips for writing in English. Only others go into the writers’ quirks and their personal aspirations, so they go outside the technical.
Perhaps the best thing about these tips is that they are designed for the brevity, forcefulness, and even sonority of the English language, and although they could well be applied in other Western languages, in none are they as good as in Shakespeare’s language.
However, it is obvious that these English writing tips are not enough. So we invite you to consider the specialized programs we have for you at our language school.
advanced grammar skills
This course is designed to perfect all aspects of English grammar. Writing is undoubtedly an absolutely precious asset in the digital age, and in all academic and professional areas, it is highly valued.
No matter what you do for a living, high-level grammar and spelling can make a big difference in your career advancement.
Composition and literature
But if you want to take writing to a professional level and become a writer, or if you are simply a journalist or publicist and want to achieve excellence, the Composition and Literature course is the one you are looking for.
There they will review English literature and the styles of different writers. This will allow you to find your own voice, -your own way of writing- but now with full knowledge of the forms already explored through the centuries.
Learn to write in English with Lingua Language Center
Now that you know what we can do for you and your English writing, just drop us a line. And if you are still learning the language, we will help you level your knowledge so that you can enter these specialized grammar and writing programs.
Our courses are available in person in Florida and online from anywhere in the world. In all cases, we award certificates that will carry the historical weight and reputation of our language school.