“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” -Mark Twain, author and humorist (1835-1910)
That’s some damn useful advice.
Twainquotes.com has more of his writing quotes, but oddly doesn’t have the one above. The Mark Twain Wikiquote site does, though. There’s also Mark My Words, for those of you who like your quotes on paper.
Yours truly,
Mr. X
…aspiring…
My favorite Twain quote is: “Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”
Another classic, surprisingly topical:
“Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it.” -Mark Twain
Yours truly,
Mr. X
…alas, alack…