Last, But Not Least, Avoid Cliches Like

Why Use A Modifier To Set Straight A Not-quite-right Noun When The Right Noun Is Available?

I Was Standing Next To A Famed Geo-politician When The First News Of The Argentine Attack [on The Faulkland Islands] Was Received, And Heard Him Muse Incredulously: "an Old-fashioned Naval Battle. A War Between Two Civilized Nations, Perhaps With Even A Declaration Of War, And Later A Peace Conference. Wow." No Hostages, No Nukes, No Ideologies, No Religious Fanaticism; Just A Fair-and-square War Over National Interests - Hard To Believe, In This Day And Age.

Adapt Your Style, If You Wish, To Admit The Color Of Slang Or Freshness Of Neologism, But Hang Tough On Clarity, Precision, Structure, Grace.

After Eating, An Epicure Gives A Thin Smile Of Satisfaction; A Gastronome, Burping Into His Napkin, Praises The Food In A Magazine; A Gourmet, Repressing His Burp, Criticizes The Food In The Same Magazine; A Gourmand Belches Happily And Tells Everybody Where He Ate; A Glutton Empraces The White Porcelain Alter, Or More Plainly, He Barfs.

When Duty Calls, That Is When Character Counts.