Sharpening the Saw, Pt. 1
Mar 21 '00
Strong, clear writing can be as elusive as an ISP with no down time. Yet it is our writing that reflects our personality for good or ill. A professor of mine once said that clear writing is the sign of clear thinking, while obscure writing reflects an imprecise mind.
That being said, let me start this opinion with a disclaimer. I do not consider myself one of the best epinionators around. There are many examples of fine writing here and there are many reviews on how to write a good epinion. I’ll skip the advice on what elements a review needs to make it a strong one and instead offer advice on good writing—advice gleaned from a career in editing.
Writing is my trade. Having spent more years than I care to share learning how to write, I am convinced that it is much more a craft than an art. Yes, there are artists with the language just as there are artists with a paintbrush. Long before a masterpiece is painted, though, the craft must be learned. Edison spoke truly when he said invention is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.
That philosophy being shared, I will now offer you a few tools to put in your communication palette to make your writing here at epinions more solid. For many of you, this may seem fundamental. For others, I hope it is helpful and practical.
Be Organized
Before you write your review, know what you are going to say. Just as each person develops their own system of time management (sticky notes, to-do lists, day planners), so each writer must develop a system of organization. The planners will create a tri-level outline before ever calling up the review page. Others may list the points they want to bring up and then determine the order. Still others will simply organize it in their head, molding the structure to fit their story.
It’s up to you to determine which method is going to serve you best. It’s also up to you to make sure you do choose a method and that your review is well organized. Here’s a suggestion: Take the next three reviews you plan to write. For the first one, create a tri-level outline (meaning it starts with the major points in Roman numerals, the subpoints in capital letters and the sub-sub-points in Arabic numerals) before writing the review. For the second one, create a list of points you want to cover and then write the review. For the third one, simply organize the thoughts in your head first. Evaluate. Which method worked best for you? Which review was the most highly recommended (or got the most comments, praise, etc.)? Which do you think was the best?
Follow the Rules
The debate will rage about how much a rating should be affected by good grammar and spelling. No matter how it is resolved, you have an obligation to communicate. Grammar exists not to merely confound students but to communicate your thoughts. It is a tool in your communications portfolio and one that should be wielded with a craftsman’s care.
The word grammar can intimidate people. It conjures images of nuns with long rulers, ready to rap the knuckles of a student who uses which instead of that or fails to use a serial comma at the end of a complex series of phrases. Yet, most of us know more about grammar than we think we do. Few of us have difficulty communicating verbally and we learn good grammar almost by osmosis as a young child.
There are some very good, amusing grammar books available if you feel insecure in your use of the language. Check out your local library or use up an Amazon gift certificate for these (I checked, these are all still available at Amazon):
1,001 Pitfalls in English Grammar by Vincent Foster Hopper
Actiongrammar: Fast, No-hassle Answers on Everyday Usage and Punctuation
Adios, Strunk and White by Gary and Glynis Hoffman
Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults upon Our Language by Richard Lederer
When Words Collide: A Media Writer's Guide to Grammar and Style by Lauren Kessler and Duncan McDonald
Word Court: Wherein Verbal Virtue is Rewarded, Crimes Against the Language are Punished, and Poetic Justice is Done by Barbara Wallraff
Torn Wings and Faux Pas by Karen Elizabeth Gordon
Break the Rules
Yes, you did read that correctly. Once I had left the ivory towers behind, a quick lesson learned was that what my English teachers taught me as hard and fast rules were anything but. Your goal is to communicate and, sometimes, to entertain. If following the rules creates a boring, unreadable monograph, then break the rules. Some of the most common rules that are OK to break are:
 Never end a sentence with a preposition
 Never begin a sentence with an and or but
 Never repeat a word in a paragraph (leading to the disease one grammar expert labeled “synonomania”)
 Never use a sentence fragment
The trick is to first know the rule and to break it only intentionally, never by accident.
Know Your Audience and Objective
There is no one perfect style that fits every occasion just as there is no one perfect outfit that can be worn to every event. There is a time for the cocktail dress, a time for the blue jeans, and a time for sexy lingerie. Figure out what your readers want to know, what they will find amusing, what they will find offensive. Then give them what they want to know, or be interesting enough that they’ll read you even if you don’t reveal the world’s vast secrets.
Have an objective in mind. What do you want to accomplish with your review? What do you want your fellow epinionators to be thinking when they click away from your page? Know this before you ever start writing.
Conclusion
So there are the major tools that this not-quite-so-crusty copyeditor suggests you have in your toolbox. Part two of this review will give some quick guidelines—the finer tools that this artisan can’t do without.
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Epinions.com ID:
Redlass
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 - Top 500 |
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Member: Bridgette
Location: Lansing, Michigan
Reviews written: 526
Trusted by: 482 members
About Me:
I have many loves: family, books, theater, writing, and the many communities I belong to.
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