If ever someone epitomized what it means to be a writer, it was C.S. Lewis.
He wrote engaging fiction across several genres. His theological and apologetic works are still read and discussed decades after his death. Those in his field of study still use and consult his academic writing.
On top of all of this, he wrote hundreds of letters. He made it a priority to respond to every letter ever written to him. Because of this, we have so much more information about who he was as a person and about his views on certain topics.
Some of his greatest letters were responses to children who were Narnia fans. They would often share their feelings about the books and ask questions about the characters or writing in general. One such child was Joan Lancaster.
Joan and Lewis corresponded for almost a decade. He first responded to a letter from her in April 1954. Lewis last wrote her in September 1963, two months before his death. During those years, she kept him updated on her academic progress, advancement as an opera singer, and her attempts at writing stories and poems.
She often sent him writing samples and asked for advice. Lewis frequently complimented her work, but he also critiqued it. In an August 1958 letter, he told Joan how she could improve the fantasy and spy stories she sent him. “I hope you don’t mind me telling you all this,” he wrote. “One can learn only by seeing one’s mistakes.”
Two years earlier, in June 1956, he gave her advice on being a better writer. His tips are as good for us today as they were for Joan in the 1950s. Here are summations followed by Lewis’ actual words to her.
1. Use the clearest word possible.
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. Avoid vague words.
Always prefer the plain direct word to the long, vague one. Don’t implement promises, but keep them.
3. Choose concrete nouns.
Never use abstract nouns when concrete ones will do. If you mean “more people died” don’t say “mortality rose.”
4. Describe don’t tell.
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.”
5. Stop overstating.
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.
Which of those pieces of advice is the most difficult for you to follow? What other tips have improved your writing?
Source: The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3: Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy, 1950-1963 — Editor: Walter Hooper
Not Safe But Good
C.S. Lewis quote of the week
Your teaching must be timeless at its heart and wear a modern dress.
“Christian Apologetics,” God in the Dock
Door Jam
Interesting articles from others
Freud’s Last Session, featuring a fictional conversation between Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis, will debut on Netflix on April 20. — What’s On Netflix
C.S. Lewis Was Right on History — Providence
Lamp Post
Additional recent articles from me
Why Are More Pastors Thinking About Quitting? — Lifeway Research
Growing Percentage of Americans See Declining Religious Influence — Lifeway Research
Academia is in the ditch it is in largely because every one of these rules for writing is deliberately broken.