44 You Have a Book in You When you’re looking for the most e昀昀ective way to write about an idea or incident, keep the Rule of 吀栀ree in mind. First, the concept is introduced, then repeated and inten- si昀椀ed, and 昀椀nally concluded at some later point. 吀栀is principle can be used over the course of an entire book, in an individual chapter, or even in a single paragraph. 吀栀e Rule of 吀栀ree will prevent you from winging it in your writing. 吀栀e greatest writers never wing it, even though that’s exactly what they seem to be doing. A Writing Secret from George Orwell George Orwell, the author of 1984, was a great champion of individual freedom. Consequently, he hated any form of restriction or forced restraint, especially pertaining to thought and language. For this reason, Orwell was very sensitive about clichés. He saw them as thinly disguised barriers to genuine self- expression and self- realization. In guidelines for fellow writers, Orwell was very clear on this point: never use a 昀椀gure of speech that you’ve pre- viously seen in print. Certainly this is good advice, but it’s not always easy to follow. Stock phrases are everywhere in the media, and they creep into the way we express our- selves in all sorts of situations, including the writing of books. In fact, many readers actually appreciate a writer who uses prepackaged phrases and ideas. 吀栀at doesn’t necessarily mean you should do it—Orwell would be