Writing tips

I'm reading "Roadshow" by Rush drummer and BMW rider Neal Peart, a book my son Steve thoughtfully chose for me for Christmas from my Amazon.com wish list.

It's the story of Peart's travels by motorcycle between venues on the Canadian band's 30th anniversary tour in 2004.

It's easy to see why Peart is the band's lyricist. He's written several books about his travels by motorcycle and bicycle and his flair for observation and command of the language make his books a delight to read.

In "Roadshow," he recalls a telephone interview he did with a reporter from the Kansas City Star and notes that Ernest Hemingway got his start as a reporter at the Star.

He writes that Hemingway recalled in later years the style sheet he was given by an editor on his first day: "Use short sentences. Use short first paragraphs. Use vigorous English. Be positive, not negative." Hemingway later said those were "the best rules I ever learned for the business of writing."

My other favorite statement about writing came from Mark Twain when he observed that the difference between the almost-right word and the right word is the difference between the lightning bug and lightning.