George Orwell Helps You Write Blog Posts
By MJ Schrader. Filed in Success |Tags: advertising, writing
While George Orwell may have passed away years ago, he did help with today’s post. In 1946 that could help you feel more confident with your writing. He wrote six rules in this essay and while they were 60 years ago they still hold true.
i. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you used to seeing in print.
Writers may use the phrase inappropriately, or it may not be understood by readers.
ii. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
In his case, he felt like people who used long words were doing so to sound pretentious. Now, people reading online come from all education levels and from around the world, long or confusing words you make your reading harder for them.
iii. If is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
Your articles and posts do not need to go on for pages when one page will do. People have limited time and are more likely to read an article that gets to the point and lets them go.
iv. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
Using active writing pulls readers into your article. The opposite is true of passive writing.
v. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
This was before the multicultural foods we enjoy and before technology was something you didn’t leave home without. Currently this takes more thought and depends on your niche. If your website is “Raw recipes” you readers likely understand the difference between Vegetarian, Vegan and Raw. My readers maybe not, but my readers hopefully understand the differences between sidebars, headers, and posts. While your raw reader may not. So try to use words that your readers will understand without talking down or over their heads.
vi. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
Even then George Orwell said the rules were mostly suggestions. Using these rules as suggestions will help your article writing and blog writing share information online while helping readers around the world understand you.
And because this blog is read by people in several countries…
Gracias, Blagodaram, Danke, Tack, Arigatô, Xiè xie, Merci, Mahalo, Grazie, and Thank you!
(Spanish, Macedonian, German, Swedish, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, French, Hawaiian, Italian and English)
If I missed your language… please tell me thank you and please tell me your language. Sometimes I know other times… not so much. 
~ MJ Schrader
