tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046663689477874544.post3342392361228304122..comments2023-11-05T05:01:58.563-05:00Comments on Ward Six: How to Write BetterUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046663689477874544.post-13696732286736965462010-12-22T08:58:56.007-05:002010-12-22T08:58:56.007-05:00Rhian, I don't remember exactly why the guru h...Rhian, I don't remember exactly why the guru hated Strunk and White. He was pushing another, newer style guide. If I could dig up what that was it might hold a clue.Hopenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046663689477874544.post-67625573722971932562010-12-22T08:10:43.772-05:002010-12-22T08:10:43.772-05:00I agree about the pitfalls of poor structure. I...I agree about the pitfalls of poor structure. I've lost several nearly-finished novels to that phenomenon. Lately though my problems seem to be arising sooner -- think it's the prose this time...rmellishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03133206908895131438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046663689477874544.post-20493611630250969862010-12-21T21:06:48.822-05:002010-12-21T21:06:48.822-05:00Yes...been there, failed to do that.Yes...been there, failed to do that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046663689477874544.post-11600192943870681062010-12-21T16:44:13.516-05:002010-12-21T16:44:13.516-05:00The real pitfall of a shitty first draft is not fi...The real pitfall of a shitty first draft is not finding the appropriate structure for the work, not any lack of precision in the language, etc. A poor structure can set you so far back that abandoning the project can become a strong temptation.Pale Ramónnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046663689477874544.post-62995100519563947682010-12-21T15:48:37.166-05:002010-12-21T15:48:37.166-05:00Hope -- do you know specifically what the comp per...Hope -- do you know specifically what the comp person thought was wrong with S&W? I get the fact that their grasp of grammar was imperfect (though certainly far better than that of yr average editor) but I think they are exactly right about style -- but to emphasize: writing rules are made to be carefully considered and carefully broken.rmellishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03133206908895131438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046663689477874544.post-69403723471895026202010-12-21T13:43:11.311-05:002010-12-21T13:43:11.311-05:00My answer lately has not been to go back to the co...My answer lately has not been to go back to the correct sentence or the orderly sentence but to turn to my poet pals Hugo or O'Hara or Lynn Emanuel (or dozens of others). Sometimes it's a new ingredient, sometimes an omission or foreshortening, sometimes just a little surprise in the language -- but for me it's all about getting some energy, some speed & surprise on the page. I find that I can come back & sharpen this later but if the energy ain't there, for me, it's not writing it's typing. And I hate to type!Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14713491725135919073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046663689477874544.post-26278049304385275162010-12-21T13:05:12.736-05:002010-12-21T13:05:12.736-05:00A humorous take.
Actually, that whole site is hil...<a href="http://betterbooktitles.com/post/2082125008/strunkwhite" rel="nofollow">A humorous take.</a><br /><br />Actually, that whole site is hilarious -- Bipolar Express for Sylvia Plath's poems. You gotta love it.<br /><br />Writing a shitty first draft never made much sense to me. I can see the attraction for it, that you're outputting something tangible.<br /><br />The best way to improve your prose is by writing good prose. I know it sounds stupid and circular, but the conscious act of trying to make something sound better is the only way for me. Which means there's a lot of rewriting, of course. Reading it out loud also helps...<br /><br />- SungAltSunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02091271275548692502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046663689477874544.post-9956376608759652712010-12-21T11:52:59.246-05:002010-12-21T11:52:59.246-05:00We just listened in the car to White's "S...We just listened in the car to White's "Stuart Little", read by Julie Andrews. It really is a brilliant work, and Andrews does a great job with it. My son loved it. Although it's really more linked short stories than a novel. (Hey Ward Six? How 'bout that?)<br /><br />I can only write in the painstaking way, not the crappy first draft way. My production would be higher if I wrote crappy-style, but I don't enjoy going back for major revision. My own writing can inspire me and give me new ideas as I go along... but not if the writing sucks.Petenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046663689477874544.post-20943161272914608502010-12-21T10:00:15.327-05:002010-12-21T10:00:15.327-05:00Strunk and White was huge for me in college, but w...Strunk and White was huge for me in college, but when I almost taught freshman comp a few years ago, the comp guru insisted that I should not use it. <br /><br />He seemed to think it was fatally flawed. It's kind of tarnished my thoughts about that book, so it's validating to see that writers I admire think it's useful ...<br /><br />I've been wanting to reread it for awhile now. Maybe I should.Hopenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046663689477874544.post-50999213744715626412010-12-21T09:03:28.179-05:002010-12-21T09:03:28.179-05:00As for the Chronicle article: feh! No writing guid...As for the Chronicle article: feh! No writing guide should be followed like a set of eternally-fixed directives. Though I do agree with the author that some modern-day writing pedants have insane ideas about the "passive voice"; sometimes it's perfectly appropriate.rmellishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03133206908895131438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046663689477874544.post-74199035230741248362010-12-20T22:25:40.847-05:002010-12-20T22:25:40.847-05:00Hey, yeah: Strunk and White. Two Cornellians, of c...Hey, yeah: Strunk and White. Two Cornellians, of course. (The latter was the pupil of the former.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046663689477874544.post-12602631510190073582010-12-20T21:53:35.663-05:002010-12-20T21:53:35.663-05:00For a rather different view of The Elements of Sty...For a rather different view of The Elements of Style, see: http://chronicle.com/article/50-Years-of-Stupid-Grammar/25497Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com