Eschew Surplusage
ESCHEW SURPLUSAGE
In an 1895 essay about the writing of James Fenimore Cooper, Mark Twain laid out 18 rules for writing. #14 simply and perfectly states, “Eschew surplusage.” (I mean, is there a way that one could possibly express the idea that a writer should avoid extraneous and frivolous verbiage in less than two words? I don’t think so.).
So, what I have done here is to take that wonderful sentiment and completely turn it inside out by rendering it, ironically, in the most gaudy and visually extraneous way that I could—while still making it, more or less, readable.
I’m only explaining this to keep people from feeling the need to unnecessarily point out that I have misunderstood the entire meaning and sentiment of the quote.
1 Like