First You Write a Sentence cover art

First You Write a Sentence

The Elements of Reading, Writing . . . and Life

Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

First You Write a Sentence

By: Joe Moran
Narrated by: John Lee
Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £11.34

Buy Now for £11.34

About this listen

“Do you want to write clearer, livelier prose? This witty primer will help.” The New York Times Book Review

An exploration of how the most ordinary words can be turned into verbal constellations of extraordinary grace through the art of building sentences


The sentence is the common ground where every writer walks. A good sentence can be written (and read) by anyone if we simply give it the gift of our time, and it is as close as most of us will get to making something truly beautiful. Using minimal technical terms and sources ranging from the Bible and Shakespeare to George Orwell and Maggie Nelson, as well as scientific studies of what can best fire the reader's mind, author Joe Moran shows how we can all write in a way that is clear, compelling and alive.

Whether dealing with finding the ideal word, building a sentence, or constructing a paragraph, First You Write a Sentence informs by light example: much richer than a style guide, it can be read not only for instruction but for pleasure and delight. And along the way, it shows how good writing can help us notice the world, make ourselves known to others, and live more meaningful lives. It's an elegant gem in praise of the English sentence.
Communication & Social Skills Linguistics Personal Development Social Sciences Writing & Publishing Witty
No reviews yet