The Elements of Style: The Twitter edition

Some longstanding guidelines, plus a few new tips for the 140-character world.

I have at least four copies of The Elements of Style. Written by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White and originally published in 1918, this book has stood the test of time. It’s been a great writing resource for me over the years, even though there are still dozens of its rules that I break with each blog post. I recently read the book again and noticed how many of the rules are relevant for Twitter and other short-form, social media writing.

Here are some guidelines for tweeting adapted from or inspired by The Elements of Style. I hope you find these suggestions helpful and entertaining:

Elementary rules of usage in tweets

Elementary principles of tweet composition

Elements of style rules you won’t find in The Elements of Style

To read the full story, log in.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today

Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.