Salute to Safire

William Safire loved language. His weekly columns “On Language” delved into the quirky and the mundane aspects of how we write and speak. As a speechwriter to President Richard Nixon Safire is credited with creating the memorable phrases “nattering nabobs of negativism,” and “hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history,” according to his Sept. 27, 2009 obituary in The New York Times.

Author of many books, including collections of his essays on language, Safire is also remembered for his “Rules for Writers,” some of which appear below and in my book, are essential for any writer to have posted in view of his or her computer or typewriter.

• Remember to never split an infinitive.
• The passive voice should never be used.
• Do not put statements in the negative form.
• Proofread carefully to see if you words out.
• If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be by rereading and editing.
• And don't start a sentence with a conjunction. (Remember, too, a preposition is a terrible word to end a sentence with.)
• Don't overuse exclamation marks!!
• Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences, as of 10 or more words, to their antecedents.
• Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.
• If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
• Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
• Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
• Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
• Always pick on the correct idiom.
• The adverb always follows the verb.
• Last but not least, avoid cliches like the plague; seek viable alternatives.