Good and bad writing - the writer's perspective, as compared to the reader's

Advanced writing tips...

There is an interesting thing about writing. To be a very adept writer, to practice my extreme writing skills, like a skiier would enjoy extreme skiing off of mountain tops... - I find that I wish to never repeat an important word in a single paragraph. If you're pointing to something, it's better to use two different words. That way, you have a chance to offer a little bit more detail and perspective on the issue.

However, for readability's sake - it's best to repeat these important words, now and then. The writing comes across as far less pretentious, and it is far more easily read. I sometimes find myself going back, to substitute in repeating words into my essays - where I have, previously used all unique words; this is so that the essay is more approachable by the reader.

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What is "writer's block"? I remember years ago, that a large part of a "writer's block" experience had to do with an awkward mental habit. This was a mental habit where I felt I couldn't find a word for what I wanted to say. The word was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't find that perfect word. It's vital not to stop up the floodgates, when good ideas come to mind. A new writer should write a lot in stream-of consciousness style. Now, of course, there is also the fact that a lot of clutter can build up in the mind, at that juncture where you are engaged in writing, about topic a b or c. In fact, I observed this effect a couple days ago when I was dealing with an old topic I haven't dealt with in years. One has to study the mind, and learn how to have a proper mental discipline - and get one's patterns and life habits in line with what's appropriate. Finally, I imagine writer's block can occur when a person doesn't have the opportunity to sit down at that very instant when the ideas are aligned in his mind, in that exquisite way. One is never wise to wait ten or fifteen minutes to sit down at the keyboard; you won't have anything left in hand which will flow onto the paper; all you'll be able to pen, is a few words which you had kept in mind, to remind yourself of the realization you had. But, on the other hand, there are different seasons of a person's life. If one is busier, and has social obligations, one can schedule a time at that best of time of day - perhaps in the morning, just after arising out of bed. And one might actually discover that ideas flesh out and get more context before they hit the page, which is a very refreshing kind of experience. Certainly at those times of one's life, one's volume of text output will go way down.

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From a writer's perspective, the best writing is the clear and detailed examination of a topic. Writing for the author, is in it's core, and purist sense - an agenda of learning. How does one best learn? By careful and complete analysis... This means many things... one thing is that oftentimes, one feels led to use very specific technical words to describe what you're talking about.

Naturally however, analytical prose or notes are very unapproachable. They are not good communication.

Again here... you see the interest of a writer in creating what is good writing for him, may be not in sync with what is in the best interests of a reader.

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Obfuscating is not analyzing. 99% of technical literature - things written in the guild language - are written in an intentionally obfuscated manner. People want to puff themselves up, and appear as if they were more well versed in their topic, than they actually are. I'll tell ya, if you are spouting the same perspective that everyone else in your guild has - you, as a writer, are not doing an analysis for yourself; so you have no need to use all that specific language. It shows a lot more skill to transcribe the idea into the language of commoners.

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I adore using the elipsis when I write, because it allows me to write as I think - and as I would speak something... I don't have to think about exact punctuation. I put a capital letter at the beginning of what would obviously be emerging as a new sentence, and if I know for sure, I place a period just before that. A good excercise for new writers is writing with absolutely no punctuation, except the elipsis and the capital letters at the beginning of each new idea.

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There are times when I do intentionally obfuscate my writings with creative types of word order, and phrasing. This is fun for me. And I feel it's a good way to maintain my dignity in places on the net where I'm discussing controversial or taboo topics. It gives an air of professionalism to the essay. Although, things can come to a point where it's not coherent. And that, perhaps, can be quite the opposite of dignity!

Here, we have the same issue mentioned at the top of this page. The extreme writer will adore this kind of excercise... but the actual text, itself, does not exist as good communication. (However, in fact, this form of linguistical play becomes a very fun and efficient kind of way to banter, while text messaging with other writer friends)

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Interestingly enough, grandiosity is not one of these things which leads to a better experience for the writer... Parading yourself around in your linguistical style, leads you to miss key points, when you are thinking and learning about something with your pen. In another sense, however, the opposite is also true; portraying yourself as eloquent - that sort of self esteem - is important both socially for you, and also mentally for your proficiency as a writer. The issue is, you ought not to "parade yourself" - specifically design wording which is exclusively intended to do that.

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A key ethic: Also, you never want, as a writer, to sacrifice analysis for style - even if it is better communication to speak in a conversational tone, with a different phrasing. It's better to choose the specific word which describes your idea more exactly. Now, if you want to make the essay more approachable to readers, you can go back and edit it quickly, later (the job of the writer, not a manager at a magazine or publishing house). Writing is, at it's core, the process of learning; one is in danger of denying oneself that, if one caters to readers first, when you ought to be catering to your own learning processes. If you do so, you will have nixed the purpose of your entire endeavor - which is to communicate something inspiring and meaningful.

(In the same way, you never want to leave a sentence written which you know reflects an untruism, just because it sounds good, or you think it would make your point more powerfully. There are exceptions here... I find that it is ok sometimes to do this, when the clause or sentence is obviously a smooth conversation piece of the paragraph - if this is the case, you are being honest with yourself, and with the reader)