If Ben Franklin were alive today, he would be...uh, very old. But his writing style would be as current as e-mail, yet as timeless as the man himself.
This great American championed succinct writing, and his epigrams became part of our national heritage. Before discussing his classic quotes, let’s first examine how he grew into an acclaimed wordsmith.
Apprenticed as a printer’s helper, Franklin studied the handbills and circulars his shop printed. When newsletters and newspapers began in the colonies, Franklin submitted letters or witty sayings under a pseudonym.
More and more of his short sayings began to appear. People enjoyed them, so Franklin decided to publish even more with the creation of “Poor Richard’s Almanac.” What attracted readers to him?
a. He wrote simply. He knew his Audience, and focused on basic words and ideas.
b. He wrote briefly. The Almanac itself emphasizes frugality and brevity. “Silence is not always a sign of wisdom, but babbling is ever a mark of folly,” Franklin said.
c. He used humor. Franklin’s sayings are among the most quoted in history.
d. He spoke of moral truths, and offered valuable advice.
Next time you sit down to write, remember that the reader’s very busy. So deliver your message simply and memorably.
Rix Quinn wrote the book “Words That Stick,” which offers lots of writing advice for both students and professionals. It’s available through your local bookstore, or Ten Speed Press. http://www.tenspeed.com/catalog/all/item.php3?id=1661
What do you think about this article? Do you agree or disagree with it? Be the first to comment on this article, and share your thoughts with the world. No registration is required to post comments.
Benjamin Franklin included many gout remedies in the writing he produced in his later years. Franklin loved strong drink and red meat. He probably suffered from osteoarthritis rather than gout, however....
If you're like a number of folks, you may have got caught up in the craze of buying and collecting Franklin Mint sterling silver coins, medals, and ingots from the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's that you're now...
"Time is what we need the most and what we use the least." Benjamin FranklinI asked a potential client if he had received my e-mail sent out four days ago. He replied, "I've been swamped." When we visited...
When one is considering how to get into the precious metals investment industry, one option that might not immediately come to mind is looking into how one can sell Franklin Half Dollars. These coins come...
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing I is know a plumber or plumbing contractor serving Concord NH, Moultonboro NH, Laconia NH and Rochester NH. We are much more....
Mr. and Mrs. Franklin are
good mixers - they
were able to blend three different
materials to make up the
exterior walls of their new'
home,
stucco and wood were used,
each having its own texture
but...
Chiropractic means treatment by hand and this profession was founded in 1895 in the US and today this profession has spread far and wide and there are so many chiropractor's all around the world....
How To Conjure Up Romantic Sayings Marie Wilson Sometimes guys get nervous about "how to be romantic." We try to cover it up and those of us that are "slick" do a good job of covering it up. But even the...
If you wish to write your first story you should look for some story writing help and strategies. Follow a few helpful tips and you will show the world your writing skills. You can get tips from other writers.
Last year while researching a book on memorable speeches and essays, I stumbled across an ageless writing technique that continues to captivate readers.Advice articles first appeared several hundred years ago.
So you've been asked to submit a military bio, and you have no idea what it is and how to write it? Don't stress - this article will explain how to write a military bio.
Some of my readers see my first work, Fallacy 2012, as a spiritual novel. Indeed there are a lot of discourses about love, life and the sense of all of it and certainly about the existence of a superior power,
If you want to make money writing about PC gaming then there is some good news and bad news; there is a huge demand for this type of writing, but there are also many people trying to make a living writing...
There are many different types of online jobs available for those who want to try to make a living working from home. Thanks to the Internet, there are an endless number of possibilities available, no...
You know that the quality of your website content will directly affect how successful your marketing campaigns are, but you may doubt your talents when it comes to writing copy that sells. Perhaps you know for
When you hire a Toronto copywriting service you assume that they are the professionals and know how to handle your needs, right? This is the approach many businesses take, but you will learn in good time...
Writing a good press release is key to getting your information and achievements - whether professional or otherwise - out into the public domain. Largely for the benefit of journalists deciding what to print,
As innovations have increased, there is a rising demand for technical writing that guides users through the features and instructions of high-tech products. Fields requiring this documentation include software
If you like to travel, and you would like to turn your experience into cash then one way of doing this is by writing a travel book. There is a huge appetite for travel books and if you judge the market...
Are you having a tough time trying to determine legitimate ways to make money in an economy which is slowly crawling to recovery? If this is you, maybe you should cast your gaze towards freelance writing....
l. Introduce yourself to the editor of your local newspaper. (Or, if you do business within a certain neighborhood, talk to the editor of the neighborhood paper or shopper.)Tell him/her about your...
The following answer sounds simplistic...but think about it. The single worst writing mistake is "not starting."In my 20-plus years as a magazine editor, I read dozens - perhaps hundreds - of articles on...
Have you ever heard of William H. Russell? His company's name was Russell, Majors, and Waddell, and they hauled freight.Let's say you want to ship some pots and pans across the country. If you contacted...
I worked as a business magazine editor for about 20 years. During that time, thousands of news stories and press releases crossed my desk.How does an editor decide what stories to run, and which ones to...
I hate to admit this, but I rarely get an original idea. That's bad for a writer.However, I've got lots of paperback friends who help me sound smarter. They're the seven reference texts I keep on top of my...
You can create a great headline, a dynamic first sentence, and a brilliant lead paragraph. But if you can't hold readers during those middle paragraphs, they'll never see your conclusion.What can you do?...
Somebody once said there are more book titles beginning with the words "how to" than with anything else. Perhaps that's because we all want to learn to do things better.I've spent hours combing library shelves
Writing better is critical for students. But it's even more important for business communicators.Let's face it...if you write succinctly, you can (a) win promotions, (b) lead people with your creative...
I went to school in the dark ages, B.C. (before computer). But lessons learned back then still stick to me like paste.Mostly we learned this stuff on the playground, in the lunchroom, or at events like...
I've been in the communications business a long time...over 25 years. During that period I've gathered writing suggestions from all over, and put much of it in my new book "Words That Stick."In the next few...
Article: Benjamin Franklin: His Ageless Writing Tips Author: Rix Quinn Publication Date: 2007-06-01 Total Views: 364 Word Count: 239 Category:Home /
Reference / Writing
Categories
