I love this letter from C.S.Lewis, containing writing advice.

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/04/c-s-lewis-on-writing.html

Standard stuff, I suppose – choosing unfussy, accurate words, etc. – but I think this explanation of showing rather than telling is particularly clear and well-conveyed:

Don't use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was "terrible," describe it so that we'll be terrified. Don't say it was "delightful"; make us say "delightful" when we've read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, "Please will you do my job for me."

R x

Nice one, Clive!

I love C.S. Lewis - though I have to say I find some of the Narnia books a bit wordy now I look back on them.

He was an astonishingly clever man - I love his 'Surprised by Joy'. One of those books where you realise someone has managed to capture in words something that is almost uncapturable (if that's a word...)

Rosy, that's fab - because he doesn't just say "don't use adjectives", he explains what's going on... Typical good teacher.

of course there are no right or wrong answers about language in the sense in which there are right and wrong answers in Arithmetic.

And I'll love him forever for this...

Emma

<Added>

I don't think there are rules. But his come pretty darn close, bless him... depending on the voice of the story, of course. But if you're just trying to write clearly and well, these are a pretty good start:

1. Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean and make sure your sentence couldn't mean anything else.

2. Always prefer the plain direct word to the long, vague one. Don't implement promises, but keep them.

3. Never use abstract nouns when concrete ones will do. If you mean "More people died" don't say "Mortality rose."

4. In writing...,

as Rosy's just quoted

5. Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.