The tension that overuse of literary speech brings to the reader (listener) and writer (speaker)
- I’ve always wanted to learn and actually teach how to start a piece of good writing. At school and university, it is connected with the ability of students to craft an essay that is not only fun to write but also fun to read and share. In my courses and community, I wish to teach participants how to write simple and enjoyable notes to work with. This might actually lead to improved intellectual productivity and, to be honest, to my better understanding of principles that could later be transformed into a chapter of a book on note-taking.
- But I didn’t have any clue what I was missing. The voice that we use in our writing is different — novice note-takers tend to gravitate toward mannered speech, which is quite different from the way we speak. Yet notes are our inner dialogue made visible in the form of letters that convey meaning significant to us. So, in order to teach students, pupils, and participants in my “bigger” programs, I need to learn the difference between a speech-based voice and the more ornate style of mannered speech. When I learn how to tell them apart, I can control and actually teach the difference.
- So, let’s start with mannered speech, because for now it’s simpler to describe.
- A mannered style requires effort from the writer, which is why so many young note-takers and essayists find it difficult to take notes or write something compelling and truly interesting. There is another category that tends to fail because of the desire to write mannered texts — Lyubishev style loggers.
- I would advise, under such circumstances, to avoid overcomplicating things. Don’t fall prey to the tyranny of the blank page. Just start.
- Mannered writing is not what a real person uses in speech — it’s like breathing. The trick is to learn to hear yourself.
- Just try keeping a daily journal and write two pages every day, then read them. The language we use in speech is structured in a specific way; our brains are hardwired to talk simply.
- Imagine that you are talking about a shopping list — using speech syntax is crucial. With mannered speech, we tend to overuse adverbs and adjectives. Avoiding them makes a written sentence cleaner and the verb sound stronger.
- Natural speech is economical; when we talk, we want to convey meaning as fast and as clearly as we can.
- The first thing would be to avoid using too many adjectives and adverbs.
- So, let’s test the concept. I’d like to check the adverb and adjective content of several of my notes and see if I am acting or living.
- I’m not sure yet what the count of adverbs and adjectives should be, but I’m sure that some amount is absolutely necessary.
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🧠 theBrain mapping
ID: 202510301948 Source:: Friend:: Child:: Next:: The first principle of a creative writing – write as you talk
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