{"product_id":"the-writers-diet-by-helen-sword-9780226351988","title":"The Writer's Diet","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo your sentences sag? Could your paragraphs use a pick-me-up? If so, \u003cem\u003eThe Writer’s Diet\u003c\/em\u003e is for you! It’s a short, sharp introduction to great writing that will help you energise your prose and boost your verbal fitness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHelen Sword dispenses with excessive explanations and overwrought analysis. Instead, she offers an easy-to-follow set of writing principles: use active verbs whenever possible; favour concrete language over vague abstractions; avoid long strings of prepositional phrases; employ adjectives and adverbs only when they contribute something new to the meaning of a sentence; and reduce your dependence on four pernicious “waste words”: it, this, that, and there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSword then shows the rules in action through examples from William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Martin Luther King Jr., John McPhee, A. S. Byatt, Richard Dawkins, Alison Gopnik, and many more. A writing fitness test encourages you to assess your own writing and get immediate advice on addressing problem areas. While \u003cem\u003eThe Writer’s Diet\u003c\/em\u003e is as sleek and concise as the writing ideals contained within, this slim volume packs a powerful punch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith Sword’s coaching, writers of all levels can strengthen and tone their sentences with the stroke of a pen or the click of a mouse. As with any fitness routine, adhering to the rules requires energy and vigilance. The results, however, will speak for themselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47363229057260,"sku":"9780226351988","price":33.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/15748163482268.jpg?v=1772918851","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/products\/the-writers-diet-by-helen-sword-9780226351988","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}