Brush Up

Here's an article from Writer's Digest.com that I thought had a lot of good advice.

Brush Up on Your Writing Style in 10 Minutes or Less
December 15, 2010
by Brandon Royal

Everyone can benefit from the occasional reminder of the principles of strong writing. Below are 10 tips and exercises designed to make your writing more clear and concise. Think of them as a 10-minute refresher course.

1. USE STRAIGHTFORWARD LANGUAGE.
The most fundamental way to simplify writing is to use simpler words. Simple words—whether verbs, nouns or adjectives—tend to have broader connotations, while complicated words have more specific meanings. Thus, you have a lower margin for error when using simpler words. Substitute a less familiar word with a more readily understandable one.

Rewrite the following sentences by expressing the ideas more simply:

The hurricane destroyed almost all structures along the coastline. Most homes were destroyed when water and wind joined forces to rip off roofs and collapse walls.

Read the rest of the article here.