Also bear in mind, when you're choosing your words and stringing them together, how they sound. This may seem absurd: readers read with their eyes. But in fact they hear what they are reading far more than you realize.

Don’t say you were a bit confused and sort of tired and a little depressed and somewhat annoyed. Be tired. Be confused. Be depressed. Be annoyed. Don’t hedge your prose with little timidities. Good writing is lean and confident.

Never hesitate to imitate another writer - every person learning a craft or an art needs models. Eventually you'll find your own voice and will shed the skin of the writer you imitated.

Be grateful for every word you can cut.

Four basic premises of writing: clarity, brevity, simplicity, and humanity.

Examine every word you put on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose.

My four articles of faith: clarity, simplicity, brevity and humanity.