My younger brother rarely catches my tone of voice. More often than not, he takes offense with something I say because he misinterprets how I say or mean it. I then have to explain my intention. Because of that, I’ve learned to watch my tone of voice when I text with him or comment on his Facebook status. I would prefer not to fight with him 257 days out of the year.
writing
Are You Speaking with or at Your Audience?
I believe that a product or service is best served by speaking with one’s audience rather than speaking to or at that audience. The former suggests conversation; the latter connotes superiority. The first allows for dialogue. The second results in alienation at best and hurt feelings at worst.
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You Have to Write Wrong to Write Right
The other day, I updated my Facebook status with a wish for a writing day. I said that anyone who wished to go home from work and write for the rest of the day could do so. One of my friends commented, “What if we can’t write right?” I joked that that’s when people were supposed to come see me. I then followed the comment with a more serious one: “Besides, you have to write wrong before you can write right.”
How to Weed Your Yard (and Your Writing)
Day 27. The yard is gone. The yard is gone. I can’t see the grass for the weeds…Where did the grass go?
I sometimes think about writing in terms of grass and weeds. The grass is the good, essential content. The weeds are filler words: just, so, though, like, that, anyway. My own weeds usually are “just,” “though,” and “that.” I’m self-conscious about the words. I look for them, and, if I see them, I consider what actions I should take.
Why You Should Read Your Work Aloud
One of the principles outlined in my e-book is that of reading one’s work aloud. It’s a principle by which I live and breathe. I don’t remember when it became a part of my writing process (College? Grad school? My mom?), but it’s a part of it. It’s critical to the pieces I write at Write Right, and it’s equally critical, if not more so, to the poems I write. My work is a part of an oral tradition, even if it isn’t read aloud by my readers.
Why I Write about the Writing Rules
While I do have a penchant for the writing rules, my love for them is not the primary reason why I write about them. I write about them because they are a means to an end. More effective writing and better communications are found in knowing the rules.