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Hey Joe, I think agree on that when I said, " The writer should use the best word be it big, little, sophisticated or simple. That doesn't mean sprinkling big clever words through like seasoning. They have to belong."
Although there are outlets where the writing can be at a more sophisticated level
posted by
Azur
on October 27, 2005 at 10:48 AM
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MayB
This is the second entry of your blog today that I have read and have REALLY appreciated. Though I do understand your message and point, I don't necessarily agree. Too often I read articles where the author strains to scatter difficult words throughout with purpose (I suppose) to show his command of vocubulary. Unfortunately, after skipping over a few words, not wishing to consult a dictionary throughout my reading, I find myself tired of jumping hurdles and dodging stumbling blocks, and therefore dismiss the article or story.
Yes, challenging the reader 1 time every 3 pages or so is fine by me. But, being forced to run through an obstacle course of words just for the sake of doing so tends to irritate me.
posted by
Joe_Love
on October 26, 2005 at 9:31 PM
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Mayb,
Good point. I don't think that dumbing down your vocabulary is a compliment to your audience. It feels patronizing. I love words, I love the sound of them and looking up etymologies, and the literal roots of words, and the more I do, the more I appreciate them, but I've stopped equating articulation and a vocabulary with intelligence. There are different kinds of intelligence and I couldn't do what an engineer or a scientist does.
posted by
Blanche.
on October 26, 2005 at 4:41 PM
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Brisbane artist you are a better minimalist than me. I enjoy the contrast of using full sentences in text and explaining complex stories in short headlines.
posted by
Azur
on October 24, 2005 at 7:25 PM
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A and B, it was a brilliant marketing ploy wasn't it? Talk about brand recognition
posted by
Azur
on October 24, 2005 at 7:23 PM
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Majroj there is something in that
Some of the writers whose work I edited at the newspaper still wrote in an old fashioned style - some even used verbs and nouns. It is a pleasure to ready that style.
posted by
Azur
on October 24, 2005 at 7:22 PM
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straightforward, why not!? Is there something I over-stated there. Please let me know. I need readers to put me straight
posted by
Azur
on October 24, 2005 at 7:19 PM
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Avante-garde, I think the fun comes into it when we have developed our vocabularies enough that we can throw a little caution to the wind.
posted by
Azur
on October 24, 2005 at 7:18 PM
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QuirkyAlone, it's strange isn't it how we never run out of words to learn?
posted by
Azur
on October 24, 2005 at 7:17 PM
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Military-wife very true
posted by
Azur
on October 24, 2005 at 7:14 PM
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Littlemspickles, I think that this need not apply only to fiction.
Thanks for the comment re my scholarship - sometimes I think I am mad to study again
posted by
Azur
on October 24, 2005 at 7:12 PM
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Dave Cryer thank you. I just want to clarify, not so much for you because you know what I mean, but when I say the words "must belong" I don't mean that we should aim to be perfectly correct and write from a textbook (although the kids need to learn how to do it right) but that the word should earn its place - sometimes that can be achieved by using a word which was unexpected. I love the postcards and yours has meaning to me because I have stood in that place - twice.
posted by
Azur
on October 24, 2005 at 7:11 PM
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 Excellent post with exquisitely selected vocabulary. 'They have to belong' is an important mantra. Kids in school, when they first discover the thesaurus, go a bit crazy with new-found words. But, as I did, they learn. I use the dictionary many times every day. |
posted by
_dave_says_ack_
on October 21, 2005 at 2:16 AM
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I guess it depends on the audience you are writing for!
I know that with documents used for political arenas the language is meant to be kept in plain English and newspapers also have to be conscious of words they choose - although I think they are guilty also of using only the basic (boring) words to describe just about everything. Here of course, pleas note a slight bias as our state newspaper basically thrives on crocodile stories and scantily clad females to boost circulation!
But, as a reader of fiction I appreciate your words of wisdom. For example, I love Roald Dahl - both his adult and children writing. He had a knack of using the best word to create a little world of his own. He also had a habit of making up words for his kids books - and they are just fantastic to read aloud - they just roll off your tongue.
PS. Saw a comment on PoetJPB's blog from you mentioning a course you were doing - congratulations on your scholarship to undertake it!!!!
posted by
littlemspickles
on October 20, 2005 at 1:28 PM
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I once told a student that I was tutoring
"A dictionary is a wonderful thing" and it still is a wonderful thing.
posted by
Bel_
on October 20, 2005 at 1:26 PM
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I actually enjoy when I come across words I don't know the meaning of, for then I can "enrich my word power" by looking them up...and that is akin to sitting at the big table with the grownups...lol. nice analogy, great post!
posted by
Julia.
on October 20, 2005 at 11:06 AM
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MayB
I wholeheartedly agree. There is the perfect word for every description. It may not be the fanciest one, either.
posted by
avant-garde
on October 20, 2005 at 8:18 AM
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Read older books.
Their vocabularies were much richer than today's.
Strunk's concision can be too telegraphic at times.
posted by
majroj
on October 19, 2005 at 7:37 PM
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Yep, push the boundaries and enlarge the scope of teh words as well, MayB!?
posted by
Straightforward
on October 19, 2005 at 6:58 PM
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I guess Readers' Digest has made billions from that quote alone.
B.
posted by
A-and-B
on October 19, 2005 at 2:57 PM
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Minimal
do you know that sometimes I like to cut words to a bare minimum.
Just because I can like a challenge - I like to substitute pictures when ever I can.
I deal with people who often can't read or write or can't speak or read English
This appeals to me.
I love sign language - stuff like that.
Jo
posted by
brisbane_artist
on October 19, 2005 at 2:33 PM
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Cunninglinguist, I like a man who not only knows what a thesaurus is but
knows how to use it.
Funnily enough there is a blogger who channels Shakespeare's work - Decshak.
posted by
Azur
on October 19, 2005 at 2:19 PM
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I find that my vocabulary fluctuates
some days everything is flowing and I feel like I'm channeling the spirit of Shakespeare and other times, I'll be writing and not have access to words that are SOMEWHERE in my memory bank. I don't know where they went, but, once upon a time they were available up there. I don't stress too much about it. There too many easy access thesauruseses around ;-)
posted by
CunningLinguist
on October 19, 2005 at 2:05 PM
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Word.smith, some writers can do expansive prose. I prefer economy using a well-judged selection of words.
posted by
Azur
on October 19, 2005 at 1:17 PM
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Tapsel-T, thanks for this and for the kind referral you left elsewhere
posted by
Azur
on October 19, 2005 at 1:16 PM
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Ginnieb, thanks. It would be remiss not to start babies on that journey
posted by
Azur
on October 19, 2005 at 1:15 PM
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Symphony, thank you. Good to see you
posted by
Azur
on October 19, 2005 at 1:14 PM
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JohnMcNab
Anyone who has experienced vicissitudes will appreciate it is the right word
posted by
Azur
on October 19, 2005 at 1:13 PM
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MayB
Oddly enough, MayB, just before reading your blog, I was writing and the only word that fitted at the time was
vicissitudes. I had to smile at the fact that the writer had to look up how to spell it, so what chance did the reader have.
posted by
johnmacnab
on October 19, 2005 at 11:55 AM
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Great post...well said
Take care
posted by
_Symphony_
on October 19, 2005 at 10:39 AM
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Love the last paragraph MayB!
It's all great but that last part really hit home! Thank you!
posted by
ginnieb
on October 19, 2005 at 8:04 AM
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As usual, a great post, MayB.
posted by
TAPS.
on October 19, 2005 at 7:54 AM
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I agree with what you've said,
but there is the school of thought (I was reading an article pertaining to story telling) that recommends simple language, that the author not get in there and by their word usage clutter up the tale and have the reader become aware of the writer's presence. Personally, I think that our creativity just has to be sprinkled over our writing and that we should write as we are inclined. There is also the fact that some bits of information are better conveyed by using certain words over others.
posted by
word.smith
on October 19, 2005 at 7:48 AM
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CarolynMoe, that sounds like frontier stuff so I hope we see posts again soon.
posted by
Azur
on October 19, 2005 at 6:43 AM
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I find my writing so "vocabulary friendly" that it reads like material for twisted adult children of alcoholics... 
posted by
cmoe
on October 19, 2005 at 6:29 AM
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