Description

When I was in the eighth grade, my English teacher would mark up my papers with two exclamations: AWK! and VERBOSE. I was not a big fan of that guy, and looking back, his highlighting of awkward wordings and overly wordy paragraphs didn’t really help me become a better writer.

As an editor, the comment I make most frequently is, “Be explicit.” In a non-fiction work – especially one related to crafts or how-to or business – there’s simply no good reason to imply something you could otherwise state outright.

As a writer of non-fiction, I keep this print (which I doodled in my journal), stuck to the wall above my desk. I need the constant reminder, too.

Perhaps you need a constant reminder to be explicit, too. Or you know someone who would appreciate it.

This is an 8.5×11″ archival print, suitable for framing.