George Orwell: tricks to write well

Translated from Vilaweb.cat:

"George Orwell, remembered by his books against authoritarian ideas and governments, was also very carefull in the use of language and a defender of good writing. In fact, he is considered one of the authors who has expressed himself better in English, in novels like Farm Rebellion or in essays like 'Shooting an Elephant'. Now, a web dedicated to writing tells us the basic rules that Orwell, born Eric Arthur Blair, took into account when filling a white sheet.

First, he made himself four basic questions: What I want to say? With which words will I say it? Which image will make it most clear? Will it be good enough to have an effect?

A good writer, he said, must also think how to say something with few words and must not say anything that sounds wrong. More effective rules: never use a metaphor or any other language tool habitual in the writing language; never use a long word if there is a short one with the same meaning; delete a word if possible; don't use passive voice if active is possible; don't use foreign expressions, neither scientific terms if it is possible to say the same in normal words. And finally: better break all these rules than to write something stupid.

The tricks, shown in Writingclasses.com, were explaines by Orwell in the book 'Politics and the English Language'."