Comments on: Six Rules for Rewriting http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/six-rules-for-rewriting/ Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:14:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Useful rules for writing http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/six-rules-for-rewriting/comment-page-1/#comment-26257 Useful rules for writing Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:49:38 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=456#comment-26257 [...] Nielsen’s blog is hard to follow. However, this post, on rules for ‘rewriting’ (I’d say rules for writing) is spot-on. [...] [...] Nielsen’s blog is hard to follow. However, this post, on rules for ‘rewriting’ (I’d say rules for writing) is spot-on. [...]

]]> By: Healthcare Economist · Friday Links http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/six-rules-for-rewriting/comment-page-1/#comment-26225 Healthcare Economist · Friday Links Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:06:33 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=456#comment-26225 [...] Rules for Re-writing. [...] [...] Rules for Re-writing. [...]

]]> By: David Cantor http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/six-rules-for-rewriting/comment-page-1/#comment-26210 David Cantor Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:01:58 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=456#comment-26210 Well, one of the best writers I ever encountered was Isaac Asimov. Not his science fiction, but his science-for-nonexperts nonfiction. Unbelievably lucid, and an incredible ability to make complicated ideas accessible. Anyway, according to his autobiography, just about everything he published was a first draft. And this was before wordprocessing -- no delete key. Well, one of the best writers I ever encountered was Isaac Asimov. Not his science fiction, but his science-for-nonexperts nonfiction. Unbelievably lucid, and an incredible ability to make complicated ideas accessible. Anyway, according to his autobiography, just about everything he published was a first draft. And this was before wordprocessing — no delete key.

]]> By: J. Bang http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/six-rules-for-rewriting/comment-page-1/#comment-26203 J. Bang Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:35:32 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=456#comment-26203 This post has more to do with organization than it does with writing. Without focused well organized ideas (paragraphs) and thoughts (sentences). If your writing is poorly focused and organized in the draft, then I wish you the best of luck trying to re-write it into something at all readable. This post has more to do with organization than it does with writing. Without focused well organized ideas (paragraphs) and thoughts (sentences). If your writing is poorly focused and organized in the draft, then I wish you the best of luck trying to re-write it into something at all readable.

]]> By: Michael Nielsen http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/six-rules-for-rewriting/comment-page-1/#comment-26199 Michael Nielsen Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:01:32 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=456#comment-26199 Donald - That's a great addition to the list. Thanks for the pointer to Orwell's essay, which I don't think I've read before. It's a great read: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm Donald – That’s a great addition to the list. Thanks for the pointer to Orwell’s essay, which I don’t think I’ve read before. It’s a great read: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm

]]> By: Donald A. Coffin http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/six-rules-for-rewriting/comment-page-1/#comment-26198 Donald A. Coffin Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:37:49 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=456#comment-26198 Or, as George Orwell wrote in "Politics and the English Language," "Break any of these rules rather than write anything outright barbarous." Or, as George Orwell wrote in “Politics and the English Language,”

“Break any of these rules rather than write anything outright barbarous.”

]]> By: Andy http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/six-rules-for-rewriting/comment-page-1/#comment-26196 Andy Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:50:41 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=456#comment-26196 Maybe Michael should rewrite his own article. For example, "Every sentence should grab the reader and propel them forward" is redundant. "Academics are wont to ignore this rule" needlessly uses the unusual word "wont" (why not just "academics often ignore this rule"?). "Every paragraph should contain a striking idea, originally expressed" is implausible. "The most significant ideas should be distilled into the most potent sentences possible" has the unnecessary word "possible", which weakens it. "and if they have been distilled into a simple, memorable core" is redundant. etc. Perhaps you can tell that I am not a fan of "rules" for better writing. Also, this article only seems to apply to nonfiction (I assume intentionally). Maybe Michael should rewrite his own article. For example, “Every sentence should grab the reader and propel them forward” is redundant. “Academics are wont to ignore this rule” needlessly uses the unusual word “wont” (why not just “academics often ignore this rule”?). “Every paragraph should contain a striking idea, originally expressed” is implausible.

“The most significant ideas should be distilled into the most potent sentences possible” has the unnecessary word “possible”, which weakens it. “and if they have been distilled into a simple, memorable core” is redundant.

etc.

Perhaps you can tell that I am not a fan of “rules” for better writing.

Also, this article only seems to apply to nonfiction (I assume intentionally).

]]> By: Drafting theses and papers | Real Life of a PhD Student | jobs.ac.uk http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/six-rules-for-rewriting/comment-page-1/#comment-23004 Drafting theses and papers | Real Life of a PhD Student | jobs.ac.uk Thu, 28 May 2009 22:55:43 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=456#comment-23004 [...] some point is central to the paper, it may be repeated for emphasis. Michael Nielson has proposed six rules of rewriting which are useful to make one’s writing more powerful. Among them he advises using the strongest [...] [...] some point is central to the paper, it may be repeated for emphasis. Michael Nielson has proposed six rules of rewriting which are useful to make one’s writing more powerful. Among them he advises using the strongest [...]

]]> By: How to Write a Really Good Research Paper « Successful Researcher http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/six-rules-for-rewriting/comment-page-1/#comment-21618 How to Write a Really Good Research Paper « Successful Researcher Fri, 01 May 2009 16:39:28 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=456#comment-21618 [...] post at the blog of Daniel Lemire for some important (especially for beginners) technicalities, and Six Rules for Rewriting by Michael Nielsen. Interesting discussions on collaboration (in mathematics) can be found here, [...] [...] post at the blog of Daniel Lemire for some important (especially for beginners) technicalities, and Six Rules for Rewriting by Michael Nielsen. Interesting discussions on collaboration (in mathematics) can be found here, [...]

]]> By: Career advice from the Fields medalists and some other mathematicians « Successful Researcher http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/six-rules-for-rewriting/comment-page-1/#comment-20770 Career advice from the Fields medalists and some other mathematicians « Successful Researcher Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:55:40 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=456#comment-20770 [...] also excellent career advice and writing tips from the blog of Terence Tao and Six Rules for Rewriting at the Michael Nielsen’s [...] [...] also excellent career advice and writing tips from the blog of Terence Tao and Six Rules for Rewriting at the Michael Nielsen’s [...]

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