H.P. Lovecraft’s Writing Advice
A small excerpt with a piece of advice with which I definitely agree:
He advocates for cultivating a love of uncommon words:
One superlatively important effect of wide reading is the enlargement of vocabulary which always accompanies it. The average student is gravely impeded by the narrow range of words from which he must choose, and he soon discovers that in long compositions he cannot avoid monotony. In reading, the novice should note the varied mode of expression practiced by good authors, and should keep in his mind for future use the many appropriate synonymes he encounters. Never should an unfamiliar word be passed over without elucidation; for with a little conscientious research we may each day add to our conquests in the realm of philology, and become more and more ready for graceful independent expression. But in enlarging the vocabulary, we must beware lest we misuse our new possessions. We must remember that there are fine distinctions betwixt apparently similar words, and that language must ever be selected with intelligent care.
A small excerpt that enumerates mistakes to avoid that perhaps aren’t as relevant as they once were:
Barbarous compound nouns, as viewpoint or upkeep.
Use of nouns for verbs, as “he motored to Boston,” or “he voiced a protest.”
Use of false or unauthorized words, as burglarize or supremest.
What Alana Found 