He does not require any introduction. As a philosopher, writer and teacher (The School of Life), Alain de Botton has touched our lives in many ways. And there is much to learn from him especially when it comes to writing.
We will do just that.
Below is the approach Alain de Botton uses while writing. This is particularly helpful to those who are not familiar with the process of editing. Let’s try this.
- Write a sentence.
- Make it simple, precise and interesting so that while our reader comfortably absorbs this particular sentence, she also remains curious to read next.
- Read it to yourself. You may also try reading it aloud.
- Check if it passes all three tests: simplicity, precision, and let’s call it interestingness.
- If it passes the sentence, move on. If it does not, take it back to the workshop and work on it until you get it right.
Looks simple, isn’t it? But as the cliché goes, simple things are the hardest. Not expanding on the ease or difficulty of this technique, I would urge you to try using this. You can do this after every sentence, and if that sounds too monotonous, edit your sentences once you have finished a paragraph or a page. Happy Writing!
Kalampedia 