Archive for the ‘writing’ Category:
On the tolerance of writers
I am not a big fan of diatribes against editors. But I can definitely see the point when I read something like this bit from this month’s Chicago Manual Q&A.
Q. In the sentence “I thought more people would be interested in knowing what happened to XXX, but I see that his fate, his life, doesn’t seem to bring folks together the way the water did,” would you use “don’t” instead of “doesn’t”? Or does that comma after “his life” keep the verb singular? The author will not tolerate the insertion of “and” between “his life” and “his fate.”
Good for the author!
Admittedly, it can be hard when your editor works for a publisher. But often, even when you’ve hired an editor yourself, it can be hard to remember: the editor is supposed to make your life easier, not harder. Our job is to provide you with new ideas, new information that will help you create exactly what you want to create.
If I’m doing my job, responses to an edit I suggest (yes, suggest) will be like these:
- Thanks! I was having trouble describing that.
- I can see where my original was unclear, but this doesn’t quite work either. How about… ? and occasionally…
- That doesn’t work. I’m keeping it the way it was.
What I really love is how the writer and I almost always come to agreement on each change, because we’re both working toward the same goal: helping the writer’s ideas come through. I question them, they question me, and we both learn things.
If you have an editor who thinks their ideas are more important than yours, or doesn’t want you to challenge their edits, run!
In case you’re curious, here’s the answer the terrific Chicago editors gave.
A. “Doesn’t” is correct, and “and” would change the meaning of the sentence. “Life” here is a gloss on “fate,” a parenthetical explanation or extension of it, not an additional item. Your author is right—but you have left us hanging about the curiously unifying properties of this water.
Subscribe to the comments for this postTalking and Writing, Plain and Clear
“Plain language” is a movement away from legalese, and toward clear language that people can understand. It turns out that contracts and laws don’t have to be written in gobbledygook afterall.
My friend Cheryl Stephens has been a pioneer in the plain language movement. She’s on a blog tour this week, promoting her book, Plain Language Legal Writing.
I had the opportunity to ask her a question, so I gave it some thought. I’m a big fan of plain language — I think of myself as a plain language editor — but there’s one question I’ve been asked that’s been really hard to answer. So I picked that one to ask her. And apparently it was a good choice!
Q. “You tell me to write naturally, the way I would speak, but the truth is that I even talk this way — what you call “stuffy.” I have to struggle to avoid using complex sentences and big words, even when speaking. Does plain language apply to speech, and if so, can you suggest a manner in which I could revise my speaking to be more in keeping with plain language ideas?”
Guest answer, from Cheryl Stephens:
Plain language in oral discourse encompasses many of the plain language principles used in written communication, with added emphasis on the importance of considering your audience. Additional concerns are how people listen and process information and techniques you can use to be sure the message you intend to communicate is the one being communicated.
- Short sentences.
- Start with a human subject.I will, You do, He went, The doctor will…
- Use transition words and signal words, creating a word map.
“There are 2 things to remember. First, … Second, …so that’s 2 things to do, then.”- 3/7/15 rules.
* Don’t use more than 3 examples or 3 items in a list. Break a longer list down to groups of 3 items.
* Wait through 7 seconds of silence for a response so the listener can process your information and develop a reply.
* While you won’t count your words as you speak, in oral presentations, a short sentence is less than 15 words.- Watch your pronouns.
Avoid using too many 3rd person pronouns (“He was her worst enemy.”). Listeners get lost trying to keep track of who you mean. Restate the original noun. Use personal pronouns to speak directly to the listener. “You are ……”- Be positive.Beware of negative prefixes that get lost in the process of speech or hearing: illegitimate, impossible, unlikely and so on. This is a particularly important consideration if your listeners have English as a second language.
I discuss these and other tips on my website at CherylStephens.com.
Thanks for that, Cheryl! I think paying attention to plain language in speech is an important part of learning to write in plain language. And learning to write in plain language is vital to learning to write well.
I’m going to start doing a Q. and A. as a regular feature here, though I’ll usually answer the questions myself. Send me your questions, and I’ll answer as many as I can.
Avoid cliché in your writing
Writers who defend their clichés on the grounds that "they wouldn’t have become clichés if they weren’t good" may have a terrific point. And they should enjoy that, because what they won’t have is successful writing.
How to outline a novel
Outlining is not just for non-fiction.
Should you outline your novel? For some writers, the idea of an outline feels stifling, like it will suck their creativity away. But an outline is really just a map of the novel — a way to see the big picture. A good outline shouldn’t feel constricting. It should flow and change with your writing.
Writing Non-Fiction: Write an Outline
Clean, Effective Articles and Exposition
At the coffee shop where I like to work in the mornings, you can get whatever you want for breakfast, as long as it’s either a scramble, or an omelet. I tease them, “Can I choose which one?” See, in my house, you ask for an omelet, and you might get an omelet, or, if things aren’t going as well, you might get a scramble. Same eggs and cream, same veggies and cheese, but in the end, an entirely different shape.