(I know I'm derailing the thread... sorry. I'd split the thread, but I can't.)
Especially if you're apt with language, it's hard to delete a particularly good turn of phrase. I look at it like cleaning house. Write it, and strip out anything unnecessary, down to the last comma. And don't fall in love with what you've written.
I know I can make my revision one or two paragraphs, but I'm also trying to do actual, paid work simultaneously.![]()
User Tag List
Thread: Elements of Style
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04-30-2007, 09:43 AM #11
I... suppose. Yeah!
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04-30-2007, 09:45 AM #12
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04-30-2007, 09:46 AM #13
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04-30-2007, 09:47 AM #14
Well, I'll agree with that. I noticed your efforts. And it's also a long process, to learn to think in a different way and then condense stuff to retain coherence/truth and decide what level of nuance might be unnecessary.
One thing to always consider is your audience.
And I agree that quality writing in philosophy is primarily about clarity ... and being succinct is a factor too...Truth is most beautiful when stated in as few words as possible."Hey Capa -- We're only stardust." ~ "Sunshine"
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04-30-2007, 09:47 AM #15
I moved out the off-topic posts from Eileen's Agnostic Devout thread and copied a few that were still on topic there, for context.
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04-30-2007, 09:49 AM #16
Working in a professional environment helps, don't you find? I write "clever" pieces that are crossed through by an editor (boss) and then I do the same to others.
At the end of the day, it is about getting the point across in a succint accurate way. Using a word that few understand should be a last resort, if a more widely understood one will not suffice.
Of course, it's also fun to write on multiple levels, to see if people pick a subtext, but get the basics right first.
-Geoff
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04-30-2007, 09:59 AM #17
Legal training definitely helped. It makes me wonder why lawyers are, on the whole, such terrible writers.
Actually, my first foray into editing was in eleventh grade. I took a Writing II class that focused only on editing -- how to strip things down to their essence.
It was the most useful class I've ever had.
I... suppose. Yeah!
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04-30-2007, 10:12 AM #18
I'll say the same about my technical editing class and (to a lesser degree) about the user documents classes.
Seems to have helped my creative writing, too.Who rises in the morning, looks in the mirror and says, "I think I will do something stupid today?" -- James HollisIf people never did silly things nothing intelligent would ever get done. -- Ludwig WittgensteinWhaling is illegal in Oklahoma.
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04-30-2007, 10:23 AM #19
Could it be because the legal profession attracts some quite pompous rule obsessed naysayers? Sorry, I don't include you in that.. but it does, right? Regardless of the training they just like to witter on in a pompous manner sometimes.
Also, many legal firms seem to charge by the page. Never a good idea when balancing that with succintness. That certainly used to be the case, but maybe is less common in today's email world?
-Geoff
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04-30-2007, 10:26 AM #20
I suspect it has to do with learning to temper iNtuiting with Sensing in your writing.
Who rises in the morning, looks in the mirror and says, "I think I will do something stupid today?" -- James HollisIf people never did silly things nothing intelligent would ever get done. -- Ludwig WittgensteinWhaling is illegal in Oklahoma.
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