Tips from an internet stranger

FOUND IN THE LIBRARY

Google, undoubtedly, knows how I stumbled across Mike Sager's website. I do not. I have never read any of his articles for Esquire or any of his books. But I do find his list of writing tips freshly rendered and instructive. (And I would link them, but his website is Flash-like and the URL never changes.) Sure, some of it is old news:

Make every word count.

Show, don’t tell.

When in doubt, cut it out.

Make sure that your lede hooks the reader.

But most is at least dressed in memorable and concise new clothing:

Employ Holy Shit details.

Be careful of too much effect. It becomes affect.

Combine the everyday with the eye-popping.

And you may, like I did below, find a new pearl:

As dialog runs, have the characters do "business." The business should be "telling"—something that advances the story or the character in a subtle or not so subtle way.

What amused me most, however, were his sharply specific commands:

Do not start stories with the time, season, or weather conditions.

Do not start with "It was" or "It’s" or "When."

Think of something to describe besides clothes!

File your stories early, ten words shorter than the length assigned.