There is no single style of writing most conducive to producing in the mind clear images and forceful impressions. But that is not to say a writer cannot fortify his style in definite ways. Writing is no easy task, and the challenge lies in making oneself articulate and intelligible to readers.

Nobody, by any means, is a perfect writer. There will always be at least one paragraph, sentence, transition, or word that could have been constructed in a more compelling way. I have composed, in what follows, a guide which will assist writers in producing masterful works capable of captivating and engaging readers like never before.

Economy of Mental Energies

Economizing the reader's attention is probably the single most important principle to consider when writing, and it is enunciated in Herbert Spencer's book, "The Philosophy of Style." The necessity of this principle arises from an intuition about the reader. Briefly stated, every reader has a limited supply of mental resources they are willing to expend in order to understand a text. If a writer wishes to present an idea to his audience, he must do so in as few words as possible. The writer should keep sentences and paragraphs brief and succinct, if not, the reader's attention will rapidly diminish in a frenzy of clamorous jargon.

An economy of mental energies denotes the limited resources and faculties of the mind. A writer must be inclined to preserving the reader's mental energies by writing with brevity and cogency if he is to be successful in his craft. In the words of Spencer, "the importance of economizing the reader's or hearer's attention, to so present ideas that they may be apprehended with the least possible mental effort, is the desideratum."

Word Order

The order of words in a sentence can either lead to a world of confusion or penetrate the reader's imagination with vivacity. Take the sentence, "A dragon, black as night, razed the town in a scorch of fiery torment." Notice here that the noun, "dragon," is succeeded by its modifier, "black." In most cases, this is poor word placement. A noun, if introduced first, may inadvertently draw images of familiarity into the reader's mind. In mythology and folklore, the most common color of dragon is green. Therefore, this is the kind of dragon most likely to emerge from a reader's thoughts. This may cause a clash of familiar ideas with ideas of novelty.

The example I formerly provided should be arranged like this: "Black as night was the dragon that razed the town in a scorch of fiery torment." Now that we have the modifiers in front, a reader will be forced to modify the word that comes next, instead of appealing to associated ideas. This way, a reader won't pause in perplexity, and he will retain mental energies.

Excessive Use of Commas

Run-ons and inordinately long sentences are sure to drain the reader's economy of mental resources. I see, time and time again, writers frivolously extending sentences with commas, semicolons, and dashes when the use of a period is sufficient. Commas should be used with restraint. Overuse will fluster the mind and compel the reader to unnaturally interpret the text.

Use more periods. Not only do periods mark the end of a sentence, giving readers a chance to reflect with a short pause, but they are aesthetically pleasing. There is nothing that leaves a greater impression on a reader than when a brief, powerful sentence culminates in the holy grail of punctuation--the period.

I have not exhausted the possible methods for the cultivation of the art of writing. The emphasis of placing eminent words at the ends of sentences has been left out. And The use of similes, metaphors, and analogies are sure to bolster and clarify any writing style. But the techniques addressed, which stem from the principle of economy, are appropriate skills to hone for amateur writers. Use them, and watch your writing soar like a properly modified dragon.