Novelist Cormac McCarthy’s tips on how to write a great science paper https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02918-5 …
-
-
Replying to @stevenstrogatz
For decades I have brooded on what makes good written English good, and I've concluded that Somerset Maugham was right: the three cardinal virtues are simplicity, clarity, and euphony. The last of these gets the least attention from modern gurus -- which is a great pity.
1 reply 7 retweets 27 likes -
Replying to @MathPrinceps @stevenstrogatz
The three fundamental components of euphony in English are onomatopoeia, prosody (i.e., prose melody), and rhythm. Their joint use is best learned from the language's great poets and orators. I suggest http://bit.ly/2CMxriW and http://bit.ly/2oT6MrY for a start.
1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes
All very subtle stuff. Fascinating, but maddeningly elusive. Onomatopoeia and prosody especially. Hardly any clear rules to go by. (By the way, Somerset Maugham's discussion of the three cardinal virtues appears in his superb memoir, THE SUMMING UP. Strongly recommended.)
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.