The September Writers Digest Magazine is designated the “Big 10” issue, featuring a plethora, an abundance, myriad Top Ten lists by various writers. It features a lot of good stuff.

But one thing irritated me. So naturally I’ll concentrate on that.

One list, on pages 64-65, is called “Brush Up On Your Style in 10 Minutes Or Less.”

In the opening paragraph, the author, Brandon Royal, says, “Everyone can benefit from the occasional reminder of the principles of strong writing….”

Then he lists his list. Good stuff here, like “Use Straightforward Language,” “Trim Long Sentences,” and “Avoid Redundancies.” Meat-and-potatoes advice for punching up your prose. It’s well thought out and useful. Just the sort of thing young writers (especially but not exclusively) need to learn, to produce publishable manuscripts.

Until you get to Tip # 10. Here’s how it starts:

10 Avoid the Masculine Generic. The masculine generic refers to the sole use of the pronoun he or him when referring to situations involving both genders. As much as you can, make an effort to avoid using he when referring to either a he or a she, and using him when referring to either a him or a her….

He goes on to appeal to fairness, and the need to avoid putting off female readers.

Now I can understand promoting gender neutrality in your writing on the basis of making your work more saleable. I can understand it as a justice issue (though I bridle at that characterization). I can understand it as an appeal to self-interest, and the obvious dangers of making half the population mad at you.

But this bit of advice has no place on a list giving tips on strong writing. “He/she” or “him or her” is not stronger writing that “He” or “him.” “Humankind” is not a stronger word than “mankind.” “Chairperson” is not a stronger title than “chairman.”

Everybody knows this. But I’m saying it here.

And that, friends, is the strongest writing of all. When you say what you really think, rather than what you’re expected to say.