Orwell's rules for writing with LLMs

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Written by AI

TLDR
Joe Wyer shares Orwell's six writing rules as a fix for LLM prose, including avoiding cliche metaphors, cutting unnecessary words, and preferring active voice.
Best for
Anyone sending AI-drafted emails, posts or review replies.
The tip
Edit every AI draft against Orwell's six rules before it goes out. Cut every word you can, and swap passive voice for active.
The prompt

Edit this draft with Orwell's six rules: no stock metaphors or similes, short words over long ones, cut every word you can, active voice over passive, everyday English over jargon, and break any rule before you write something barbarous. Show the edit, then list what you cut: [paste draft]

our prompt
Start here
  1. Cut any word you can cut.
  2. Swap the passive voice for the active.
  3. Use the short word when a short one will do.

postThe source

Joe Wyer@josephfwyer

If you want people to read your stuff please follow Orwell's rules. These LLMs are not your friends. They write with so much damn passive voice, incoherent figures of speech, and unnecessary -ly words.

Orwell's rules:

  1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
  2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
  3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
  4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
  5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
  6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Media saved

Highlights

  • They write with so much damn passive voice, incoherent figures of speech, and unnecessary -ly words.

    The LLM tells, named

  • If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

  • Never use the passive where you can use the active.