1. Use simple words.
2. Vary sentence structure and sentence length. Do not keep repeating the use ofcertain words like 'then' . Have a mixture of both long and short sentences.
3. Pay attention to paragraphing.
4. Very often, you have to describe people and places. When describing a personor place, fix the image of the person or place in mind. Then write as much as you can about it. Use sensory perception to include all relevant details. (Sensory perception refers to the use of your five senses i.e. sight, hearing, taste, feel andsmell.)
Describing Places
e.g.
The room was dirty. The only furniture in sight was a rickety desk and a wooden stool that wobbled precariously. The walls felt clammy and the floor had sunk alittle underneath the linoleum. A dank, musty smell of enclosed space filled mynostrils as I stood quietly. Other than the sound of my own breathing, the place was silent.
Describing People
e.g.
He was a tall, thin man with a protruding forehead. His eyes appeared to start out from their sockets. His nose was that of a hawk's. He wore a long, black coat that reached almost to his ankles, and tight black trousers. He had charming mannersbut a grating voice. His warmest smiles were so frightening that one would almost wish he was angry and hence, would frown instead.
Describing Weather
At first, there was only a rustling sound. A leafless branch kept tapping noisily, almost impatiently, onto the single paned glass window overlooking the yard. Soon, the windpicked up. Dark, angry clouds loomed overhead, as though in vengeance. Swayed by music of its own, dried leaves and broken twigs performed wildly in the air, buoyed bythe wild wind.
Paragraphing
Write in paragraphs. Each paragraph should elaborate on an aspect of the story. Move from one paragraph to another smoothly by using the correct transitional word. Transitional words help to show connections of time and place.
Examples: ‘after’,‘next’, ‘when’, ‘finally’, ‘at last’, ‘behind’, ‘beyond’, ‘inside’, ‘across’, ‘over’.
Other Important Notes to Good Writing
1. If you have dialogue in your writing, avoid using the word ‘said’ too many times. Substitute accordingly with words like ‘murmured’, ‘snapped’, ‘mumbled’, ‘cried’,‘explained’, etc.
2. Make use of your knowledge of adverbs and adjectives to add colour to your sentences. They add more details in your work.
Compare:(a) The girl stumbled upon the stone. (b) The desperate, hungry girl stumbled, at last, upon the precious blue sapphire.
Sentence (b) allows your reader to form a more accurate picture.
