Dustin Boston

Note: I wrote the following text with help from Grammarly, Hemingway App, and Gemini. You can use it as a prompt for your own writing.

Hemingway writes with force. His style is bold, clear, and direct. It chooses confidence over doubt. The goal is to convey a message in its simplest form, without needless words.

This guide gives the core principles of the style using clear rules.

The Rules of Hemingway’s Style

1. Write so that others can understand

The base of Hemingway’s style is simplicity. The writing must be clear to everyone. You do this with a low reading level and common words.

• Target a low reading level: Aim for a 5th to 9th grade reading level. This makes the text easy to read. It is not childish. Good books often score in this range. A high grade level means you use complex sentences and fancy words. It does not mean you are smart.
• Use common words: Do not use rare or long words. A plain word is best. This way, your meaning is not lost.
• Avoid Long Words: Long words are hard to read. If a short word works, use it.

2. Use short, direct sentences

Sentence structure is important. Long sentences hide meaning and tire the reader. Hemingway built his writing on strong, clear sentences.

• Keep Sentences Short: Most sentences should be short. Say one thing. Then move to the next.
• Split Long Sentences: A sentence with many parts can become two sentences. Or three. Shorter sentences are stronger.
• Vary Sentence Length: Most sentences should be short. You can use a long sentence for rhythm. But use it for a reason. Do not use long sentences often.

3. Remove weak words

Confident writing is direct. It avoids words that weaken its meaning.

• Limit Adverbs: Adverbs weaken verbs. This is true for words ending in “-ly.” Do not write “she ran quickly.” Write “she sprinted.” A strong verb needs no help.
• Remove Hedges: Do not write “I think,” “maybe,” or “it seems.” State facts. Write with confidence.
• Use the active voice: The subject of the sentence must act. Do not write in the passive voice. The passive voice is weak.
  • Passive: The ball was thrown by him.
  • Active: He threw the ball.
  • Here is a test: Add “by zombies” after the verb. “The ball was thrown by zombies.” The sentence still works. It is passive.