Friday, November 9, 2012

Quote of the Day (Mark Twain, on Writing Style)



“I never write metropolis for seven cents because I can get the same price for city. I never write policeman because I can get the same money for cop.”—Mark Twain quoted in The Writer's Chapbook: A Compendium of Fact, Opinion, Wit, and Advice from the Twentieth Century's Preeminent Writers, edited by George Plimpton (1989)

(Thanks to my friend Holly--the epitome of writing style, for my money--for the constant inspiration.)

1 comment:

Ken Houghton said...

So the man =didn't= get paid by the word. How, then, do we explain those long passages of "2,500 words before dinner," then?