3 Proven Tips On Writing As Ernest Hemingway Did (That Really Work)
There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed
The above-mentioned quote by one of the most famous authors of the 20th century, Ernest Hemingway, clearly states that writing is not easy. And without any doubt, it's absolutely true. Well, I will not go into the detail of writing process here. Rather, I will focus on the writing style. I will be discussing the terse prose of Ernest Hemingway who pioneered the minimalism in English writing. Also, I will be explaining some tips on how to write the manner he did.
Hemingway's writing is famous for the simple sentences and the use of everyday vocabulary. Though, you may find some foreign words here and there, but overall his writing is simple and direct. And you will not have to consult a dictionary. Hemingway refrained from adjectives and relied on nouns and verbs mostly. This made his writing more direct, terse, and powerful.
Before we go into the detail of the main features of his writing, I want to mention here a famous anecdote from his life, which will give you an idea of his impeccable command over the craft.
Once during the lunch with other writers, Hemingway won a bet for writing a short story in just six words. He came up with this:
For sale: babies shoes, never worn
You can understand by this example that how much precise and powerful he was in his writing. He had been famous for unadorned and straightforward prose throughout his writing career. He attracted both admirers and critics for his terse prose. Now, he is considered to be one of the most followed American authors of the 20th century.
Read the timeless classic
The Old man and the Sea
This novella fetched him the Nobel Prize in literature in 1954. The Old man and the Sea is a slender classic that is inspiring and gripping in its drama. This is a story about triumph and defeat. Let me mention a quote from this intellectual thriller:
'A man can be destroyed but not defeated.'
The Old man and the Sea is a true signature of his craft. His other novels include A Farewell to Arms, The Torrent of Spring, To Have and Have not, For Whom the Bells Tolls, The Garden of Eden, True at First Light, Across the River and Into the Trees. He also penned many short stories: Men without Women, Winner Take Nothing, The Snow of Kilimanjaro
How you can write as Hemingway did
First advice on how to write like as Hemingway did is to read his works as much as you can. This will help you understand how to organize sentences and paragraphs.
Sentence length:
Hemingway wrote short and simplified sentences. He once said that his objective was to write what he felt in simplest and truest manner. If you want to write as he did, you should use short, simple, and declarative sentences. Break long and complex sentences into simpler and short sentences. This will help you achieve brevity.
Sentence speed:
The most visible stylistic of Hemingway's writing is fast sentence speed. Sentence speed means how fast readers read sentences aloud or silently. His short and declarative sentences and minimal or no use of punctuation make his writings fast to read. Hemingway waged a war against comma. He found an alternative of comma. He used 'and' to replace comma. This helped him achieve fast sentence speed. So, limit the use of punctuation, you will be writing fast lane.
If you notice pages of a Hemingway's novel, you will notice there is lots of white space on the pages. This he did to make his writing reader friendly. The pages are filled with dialogues, leaving plenty of white space. If you want to write as he did, you should leave sufficient white space on pages to make them more aesthetically pleasing.
Reread to cut out unnecessary words:
The simple and terse prose of Hemingway you see is a result of vigorous writing process. He himself said once the first draft is a shit. He edited his work heavily to attain brevity. So, reread your work to attain clarity.
These are some basic and most visible traits of his writing. As one cannot emulate other writer, many writers tried to imitate him, but none has been successful so far. You cannot learn to write as he did. But you can certainly have features of his writing in your craft, which are simplicity, brevity, and clarity.
I will put an end to this post with a famous quote of his on writing:
'We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.'
So keep on improving.
Know more about your beloved author
What's your point?
Do you like Hemingway's style of writing ?
Comments
Hi Sandeep,
I didn't know the anecdote of the six-word short story before, but one of the writers' organizations I follow on Twitter regularly sends out prompts for writing six-word stories. And Hemingway's is a tour de force.
Although he is not my favorite author, I have always said that his ability to pull emotions from his readers is his greatest attribute. If I were to build the perfect writer, I would take:
-Borges imagination
-The storytelling of Dumas
-Hemingway's ability to evoke emotions
-The character development of Tolstoy
Great Hub! I look forward to reading more.
- AUTHOR
Thanks Tebo for reading the hub and sharing your thought!
I am going to go to the library and find "The Old Man and the Sea." I do not know whether I have read it or not but will know when I read it now. Look forward to it actually after reading your hub. Thanks.
- AUTHOR
Thanks, Tessa Schlesinger! Yes, he avoided using adjectives.
You forgot that he never used adjectives and he converted adjectives and nouns so that they could be used as verbs. I can't think of an example right now, but he used language in a very original way.
- AUTHOR
Thanks MizBejabbers for sharing the insight. I would like to recommend you The Old Man And The Sea.
We each have our own style, but we can learn from other people. Hemingway's subject matter hasn't interested me, but I think eventually I will have to get around to reading at least one of his works. The family of his second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer lived in Piggott, Arkansas. He and Pauline lived in their carriage house for a couple of years, and he wrote part of A Farewell to Arms while they lived there. He is also famous because at least one of his cats, a polydactyl, left quite a legacy of polydactys running around in the city. The cat's descendants still live there. Just a tidbit, FYI. Great hub, Sandeep.
- AUTHOR
Thanks Anne!
A great hub - I have only discovering Hemingway in recent years. Aside from his prose, I feel he was also adept at summing up the tragedy of life as seen through the 'average' person - though not always in average situations. Thanks for sharing.
- AUTHOR
Thanks, Kenneth Avery for such a nice comment!
Sandeep,
Papa Bear, as he was known in later years, WAS (a) master of the simple adventure. And in each simplistic step he took via typewriter, "we" were merely passengers mostly owing for our tickets.
You did a great job on Hemingway. I loved it. Stay with it and never quit.
- AUTHOR
Yes, Mary Hyatt. He would have been very popular if he had been alive.
- AUTHOR
Colin Garrow, I request you to pick 'The Old Man and the Sea' and try to finish it. You will really love it.
I've always struggled with Hemingway's writing and have never managed to finish any of his novels (though I have read some of his stories). Interesting Hub, though it's unlikely the 'baby shoes' anecdote was one of his - it had been around for quite a while before Hemingway nabbed it.
I enjoy reading articles and books that are direct, and without a lot of fancy words that make me run to Mr. Google for definition. I think his style of writing would be very popular today in a world of fast readers .
I think I have read all of Hemingway's books.
Im a huge fan already, man. Youve done a braillint job making sure that people understand where youre coming from. And let me tell you, I get it. Great stuff and I cant wait to read more of your blogs. What youve got to say is important and needs to be read.
Medusa13 was unlucky in having an English Literature teacher who was more interested in producing 'exam passers' than enthusing him for writing. When I was at college we had Dickens thrust at us. To be honest I'd sooner have had Hemingway.
Earlier, when I was at Secondary Modern school in the late 50's-early 60's I had an English teacher - Mr Boar - who taught English because he wanted us to enjoy it. He read the 'BEOWULF' saga to us in successive lessons. Hemingway I progressed to through being enthused, and enjoyed reading his books. My own writing style is easy, not simplistic, and I use plain language similar to Hemingway in that respect.
It's not wise to copy another writer, otherwise your style comes over as 'plagiaristic'. Write your best prose, write your OWN prose, and keep it straightforward, easy to follow. End of...
- AUTHOR
I respect your views frantisek8. But I believe he was quite capable of expressing himself. I prefer the bare truth. Many times, unnecessary embellishments cover the truth. And I believe the best way to say I love you is 'I love you'. Some people may find it minimal. But I like it. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views.
Hemingway has been overrated. Oftentimes the minimalistic approach leaves much to be desired. Was he minimalistic because he could express his ideas in very few words, or because he was incapable of expressing himself more deeply? Hard to say.
- AUTHOR
Thanks, for reading and sharing a thought.
Very interesting and as well as informative article Sandeep. Keep it up..!!
- AUTHOR
Thanks Darcie French, for reading it.
Cool! My writing style was once compared to Hemmingway's.
- AUTHOR
Thanks Rebecca Mealey, for reading and sharing your thoughts. Much appreciated.
- AUTHOR
Thanks, Chelsea Rowe for sharing your thoughts. Many times, the joy of reading a fabulous book is killed by a not so good English teacher. You can reread this novel. Believe me, it's worth reading it again.
I will be brief. Excellent advice for writers.
When I was in high school, my teacher completely ruined The Old Man and the Sea for me. It was completely shoved down our throats and over analyzed for too long a period of time. I kind of shudder every time I hear that title. I love literature and this is unfortunate. Maybe I should reread it again without the negative influence of a not so good English teacher!
- AUTHOR
Thanks Amit for reading this hub between the lines. Highly appreciated.
- AUTHOR
Thanks, Kamalika De for reading and sharing thoughts. Much appreciated.
Dear Sandeep Rathore,
I have not read any of Hemingway's work till yet but have heard a lot about his work and his unique style of writing in the simplest manner. Your article has awaken the long dead quench again. I am surely looking forward to read his work now and yes - your inputs about how we can write the way he used to write are quite useful and can come handy for aspiring writers.
- AUTHOR
Thanks Sambeet for reading and sharing thoughts.
Thanks Sandeep for such a great post. As an admirer and true lover of Ernest Hemingway and his short and direct style that cuts to the core of things, I couldn't agree more with what you have elaborated throughout this article. It can indeed be an inspiring and useful piece of writing for all upcoming and dedicated writers.
Good one and nicely written Mr. Rathore. I abolutely agree with the point "Reread to cut out unnecessary words". Minimalistic approach, maximum result. Keep going man. :)
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