The last time I gave a talk to elementary school students, I emphasized the importance of practice for the writer. Write as much as you can and read good books, too. I think there's value to the writer in keeping the writing going, but sometimes it's hard to categorize one's writing. In other words, what does the professional writer do who enjoys writing unprofessionally at times?
For example, as the readers of Tristan's Travels already know, I have a tendency towards silliness. The problem was that I didn't really want to associate the silly writing too closely with the more serious writing found on this blog. Not sure why I never thought of it before...but I have created a second blog entitled The Restless Auditor; it's very silly. So far, the content is taken from revised posts from sometime ago. New content will eventually follow.
Besides being another form of writing practice for me, the silly blog serves as a kind of recreational release valve. It's a way of responding to annoyances with humor, and it seems to work for me anyway. I hope you can check out The Restless Auditor--and let me know what you think (maybe).
Ever thought about how the internet has changed communication? I don't mean speed. We all know it's fast, but what's the tradeoff for that blazing speed? Take the publishing field, for instance. It's very common to send an e-mail to an editor or fellow writer and for the response to take so long (if at all) that one almost forgets what the original question was about. If you're like me, non-responses are a pet peeve. In my day job, they are easy enough to understand, but I tend to be more irked by them as a writer. (Suggestion of the day, use an "out of office" automatic reply to tell senders when to expect a response. It's courteous and informative.)
The thing is, though, that more than likely the person can't manage their e-mails and Farmville simultaneously. So, while we let petty annoyances build over such silly things as unanswered e-mails, there's probably a good chance the person hasn't even seen the message--or whatever else you may be waiting for the person to address. For all you know, then, there is no reason at all to let yourself be annoyed by it. Want to feel better? Just imagine the fellow staring blankly at a growing e-mail inbox. It works for me. (Pink flamingos on their front lawn are also always a nice touch.)
I know I've trudged along some of this dusty trail before with the "Connection Illusion," but the internet's effect upon how we communicate greatly interests me. I don't know the statistics, but the anecdotal evidence certainly suggests that writing quality for students within the halls of higher education is becoming poorer. Between e-mail, instant messaging, and Facebook, it seems that it's hard to write is a decent sentence it is. LOL. (Joke, people.)
Researching topics is another interesting area. Do young people even know how to write a research paper without the internet? I know when I looked it up on Google, it said that... Oh, never mind.
Anyway, that's it for today. Sorry it was such a rotten post, but I have to check my Facebook.
Update: Please visit my friend's Deborah King's blog on this general issue, too. See also "Why I Left Facebook."
Hope you enjoyed Friday's interview! More surprises on the way, so "stay tuned," as they say.
Shortly after getting back from the Blue Mountains, it was time to put down the work on my mystery novel and start revising a children's book I wrote almost a decade ago. (Once the publication time nears, I'll share more details.) I thought I'd share several practical techniques with which the aspiring/perspiring writer may wish to experiment.
First, reading aloud is a great way to check general readability as well as the flow of the narrative. Does it sound choppy or smooth, forced or natural? Unless your aiming for a technical or academic audience, this technique works just as well with a children's book (intended to be read aloud) as with an adult mystery or fantasy. In other words, it doesn't need to be a "read aloud" kind of book for this technique to prove helpful. It's also helpful at times to have someone close to you read it aloud to you. This let's the writer be even more ruthless in his slicing of the text. Of course, reading it aloud to family and friends can also be useful--especially when the kids start giggling (at the right spots).
Second, try selecting and writing down the first three words of each consecutive sentence for two to three of your paragraphs. When finished, glance down the columns to easily identify repeated sentence patterns. Sometimes this can also be used as confirmation to your auditory test of the material: does it read well?
Third, every author knows a phrase--e.g. passive verb constructions--or words that he has to avoid using too frequently. (The perfect example of this kind of thing is a PE teacher in high school who mysteriously was selected to teach health. His favorite word in the 1980s was basically. On one of the more boring class days, I recall making a mark on my notebook every time he used it throughout the day's class. I think he must have said that word close to fifty times by the end of the day; I began to really hate that word. Oh, I think impacted was another favorite of his. Moving on from the Ferris Bueller era...) If you're a smart user of Apple products, use your Pages word search function to search for those dangerous words or phrases. If you are sadly stuck with a Microsoft product, you'll just need to toss it and buy an iMac--and iWork's Pages software! :) Seriously, though, a repeated phrase or word in a book is just as annoying as a yawning teacher who's saying the same words aloud over and over; it drives the reader crazy.
Not to digress too much from my original revision and review theme, but remember one of the cardinal rules of writing: write what you know. This has been very helpful to me in the writing process. In fact, I tend to imagine the setting or environment of my story to be like a character in and of itself. Not to put a plug in...but, if you look at Tristan's Travels, you'll see that there is a sense in which the ocean and the north Oregon Coast setting is like a mischievous character.
Even taking photos or a short video of an important place can be helpful to you later in recalling the look, feel, and sounds of a particular setting. Another good technique is carrying a small notebook with you for jotting notes when doing research trips. If you choose to write about places and things you know little or nothing about, you will come across as someone who is not serious about his craft.
An aspriring writer recently inquired about some good books to read to become a stronger writer. Everyone seems to want a shortcut, but, besides practicing writing as often as possible, I really think READING the classics is one of the best things any writer can do to sharpen his skills. In Sean Astin's book There and Back Again, he mentions Christopher Lee's practice of re-reading J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings on a continual basis as an actor because of its powerful epic qualities of myth and story. When I'm actively writing, I also tend to crave good fiction like a thirsty person longs for cold water. It's a kind of mental exercise that's helpful in training yourself how to write "right."
That's not to say there aren't some great books on writing, too. Two fine suggestions focusing on the art and mechanics of writing would be Eats, Shoots, & Leaves as well as Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Although I'm not a particular fan of Stephen King, he's also written some excellent essays on the writing process.
Well, I think I've thoroughly over-written this topic for today. Sorry... If you have other writing questions, feel free to pass them along. I may choose to write (less) on them in the future.
(Update) If you want to check your dependence upon passive voice, try searching your manuscript for "ing" to pinpoint problem areas. This, combined with other techniques, can stengthen the narrative.
