Me
I am so frusterated because apparently I took too long to publish my blog, and now I am stuck rewriting it.
I found that I related to Ian’s message. I too find myself using Big words in order to appear well read. Fact is, I use a thesaurus and have been encouraged to throughout my schooling. I recently have come to the conclusion that if a reader can not understand what I have written because I have used many fancy words, than I am not doing my job as a writer. Writing above all is a tool of communication. How can one communicate through written words if they are not “speaking the same language?” It is coincidentally unintelligent to write in this manner because I am not writing to effectively communicate to my audience.
Ian also stated that he often finds himself BSing and reiterating himself. I catch myself in this predicament often. I think I can point to the source of the problem. All throughout my academic career (it has become a career at this point) any assignment I have received has had either a page length or word requirement. Rather than creating some numerical limit, I wish professors would specify the quality of analysis they wish to receive. I think then, and only then, will students concentrate on the quality of their work rather than meeting some meaningless number. The first time I encountered such an assignment was from Benninghoff. I specifically asked how long our papers should be for the first assignment, and he gave me some strange answer that left me confused. You mean, there is no length requirement? I thought to myself, then how do I know when I am done? And here is the answer, when you have completed the question. Quality of my papers verse quantity. A lesson in BSing that I can leave behind.
Metaphors:
Early bird gets the worm.
I like this metaphor because I actually picture a cute yellow bird plucking in the ground early in the morning at a slimy gray worm. As it applies to writing: Maybe this is a far stretch, but, when you start early on an assignment, you have time to revise and make necessary adjustments. When you wait for the "worm", ones paper is not as clear and focused. I think many writes use the "writers block" as an excuse for starting papers close to the due date. Just freakin write, get something down on paper, and you will work your way through the so called block. If I would only take my own advice...
The more you learn, the less you know.
I have a love-hate affliction with this metaphor. I find that the more I read from Williams or Strunk and White, the poorer of a writer I am. I begin to realize all of the errors I make and in end, have a fear of writing anything.
Style vs The Elements of Style
As we have discussed numerous times, my above title is a contradiction of what we are learning in class. Rather, it is not one verse the other, but more so, where is either more applicable to our specific professional, academic and personal needs?
Elements of Style is a small handbook that I will frequent for advice on my improper grammar. I know what sounds right, but could not tell you why. That is why Elements of Style will benefit me. Style on the other hand, was kind of a hard, dry read for me. I constantly found my mind drifting to other topics and therefore, I am sure I did not grasp all the information that I needed to. Going back through Style, I have found bits and pieces of information that will help my coherence and clarity. It just seems to me that The Elements of Style was a very technical approach to writing. This will be helpful for writing technical papers and academic reports. Style on the other hand will help me within my professional and personal life more so.
Style --Chapters 4-6
Williams discusses the importance of emphasis and coherence in these few chapters. Coherence seems to me to be an obvious task when writing. However, clearly, myself and others find this to be difficult.
In chapter four, Williams dicusses "trimming the ends" of sentences. I often find myself typing unnecessary words to erect a more complete sentence, when, in fact, I could have ommitted the last couple of words and had a more clear and direct product.
Williams also explains that when trying to emphasize a point, that we often lose the significance of the point when it has been placed in the middle of a sentence. As I have just done in that last sentence. A more efficient way to say that is: The point of emphasis is lost when placed in the middle of a long sentence.
In chapter five, Williams simply states that a Paragraph = Issue + Discussion. This simple layout makes writing papers conceptually very graspable. (fun word???)
I dont think his tables are very coherent ironically. Maybe I am just looking to deep. I just feel there is a more presentable visual application of the information he is portraying. What that is, I dont know. But I am sure there is a better way.
Later in Chapter six, Williams states that there is a big failure to revise. I always find myself falling under this problem. I think I have convinced myself, out of pure laziness, that I write better when i have little time. In a sense, this can be true because I can organize my thoughts better under pressure. However, many, and I mean many, of the mistakes found on my "final drafts" are errors that I should have caught the first time through.
Thats all for now
Elements of Style
I found Strunk and White’s Elements of Style interesting and helpful in many ways. A couple of the rules made me think closely about what I want to achieve through writing. What I want to achieve will vary from task to task.
In Chapter 5: An Approach to Style, number four states “Write with nouns and verbs,” as opposed to adjectives and adverbs. This simple task will be difficult for me because throughout my writing education, I was taught to include many adjectives to help paint the scene. I suppose that nouns and verbs are more descriptive and precise.
Rule 17: Omit needless words, is also a rule that I must work on. I think my peers and I have perfected the art of adding “filler” words to lengthen our papers, whether one calls this BS ing a paper or not is up to interpretation. I realize that by deleting unnecessary words my paper will appear stronger and more concise.
I will refer to this book on a regular basis when proofreading my drafts for grammar and apostrophe rules.
Sarah
Williams’ Style: Toward Clarity and Grace: Chapters 1-3
Williams’ Style: Toward Clarity and Grace was an interesting read. I found the first few sentences in Chapter one amusing. Williams referred to other “style” books as cliché and offers a new way of thinking about language. The first three chapters deal with causes, clarity and cohesion within writing. In Chapter two, I was amazed with how clear William’s examples became after a quick rewrite. Unfortunately, I had a difficult time pinpointing exactly how I would go about achieving the same clarity.
Williams states that the first two principles of clear writing are, 1. Naming the cast of characters, and 2. Arranging verbs that name the crucial actions demonstrated by the character. It seems to me that this is just taking responsibility for ones actions. I could see how a Public Relation’s representative would not use these elements of clarity to relate a message to the mass media.
The bold words in the chapters definitely grabbed my attention. However, it often distracted me from the main text.
I began implementing Strunk, White, and Williams’ clarity rules within a paper from my ENGL 323 class last semester.
Omitting needless words was the easiest process. It was almost embarrassingly easy. To the point where I wondered how I could have turned in any assignment without prior knowledge of Strunk and White’s rule #17. I never realized that writing was such a craft. I always put words down on a paper, without much thought for revision, and turn it in. I know that this “bad habit” of writing needless words must have been reinforced by rigid length requirements of class assignments. This is all I have to say about this topic.
Sarah
My full name is Sarah Kimberlee Denise Louise Marie Schafbuch Mills. Long, yes. I am 22 years old, finishing my major in Psychology with a minor in Writing and Art.
I was born in Ann Arbor and have lived in Michigan for most of my life. I say most because first semester freshman year I ventured out to live independently from my parents to attend Morehead State University where I was recruited to play soccer. Needless to say I am back home.
I have a younger brother, Andrew, 18, and an older sister, Meghan, 25. I am very close to both of them and my parents. I value family above all else.
My writing career consists of many EMU classes and long nights lounging in my bed with a journal on my lap, listening to Ella Fitzgerald. I used to think that I wanted to be a journalist, but after JRNL 215, I realized that I loathed the rigidity that most journalism requires. So, for now, I just write purely for my friends and my own amusement. On that note, ENGL 335 is a great class. (Take it with Proff. Hume).
Thats it for now,
Sarah
