Tag Archives: technique

Politics, Writing

Politics of Language

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That’s not to say political language. One purpose of this site is to challenge the way we use language and our assumptions about it. The very word, politics, is charged and a good place to start. Because language is never neutral; it is always advocating, even when it proffers neutrality.

You have your pick of resources that discuss the conventions of language – grammar, mechanics, usage. I’m pretty fond of the following resources because they’re for both new and lifetime learners:

Language is Manipulative

But writing that moves, that engenders action or feeling, requires direction and control from the author. Language is always manipulative, in that it wants to evoke something from the audience. Otherwise, why say anything at all? Even in the most academic literature, you want to communicate, clearly and succinctly, the subject matter so that the audience is aware, understands, and applies information all up Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Just as a journalist needs to become aware of their biases in order to avoid writing from their bias, all writers who wish to master their craft must be aware of the bias implicit in language. We study word origins to know their context and how context has changed over time, not only to avoid embarrassment, but also to put ourselves in the best position to use language to make our communication clear.

Clarity is a Choice

My grad school mentor, Stephen Geller, often said that the hardest thing to write is the simple, declarative sentence. He said it of screenwriting, but it applies to all communication. We often hide our charged words in a thicket of other words. Corporate speak is one phrase that comes to mind. Political doublespeak is another where we manipulate ambiguity to hide our true intention.

Politics 1 comes through Greek (citadel) from the Sanskrit (fortress.) From it we get the rules for living together (policy) and the methods of enforcement (police.) Exploring the politics of language gives us the ability to read on and between the lines of communication. It helps us gain perspective not only on what we say, but also how different audiences might hear it. And while we all want to be heard, what we really want is to be understood.

1 American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. © 2011-2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company [back]

Image Credit: LastOneIn, Soapbox waiting for your speech (cropped from original)

Writing

Do you enjoy writing?

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I enjoy having written. That’s my usual response. We writers like to talk up the challenges of process. We have our ways of avoiding the “pain” of putting words on paper. But procrastination is part of every profession. Writers are no different, but they make more movies about frustrated writers than frustrated doctors or lawyers.

A lot is made of writer’s block, but often it’s the case that writers block – we block our creativity, our momentum, or our progress.

Writing on Purpose

When you’re writing for someone else, whether an assignment, a contract, or a commission, that obligation weighs heavily on you. When you’re a creative writer, it’s easy to blame your lack of inspiration on the patron.  But that’s just a diversion.

My definition of writer’s block is lack of preparation. New writers working on assignment think they can just start typing. And then they’re surprised when the words don’t flow. If you are good at just starting without an idea, you can type yourself into content, or a corner.

Free writing is a fine technique, but be prepared to edit.  It’s lousy for contracted work. You need instead to do some research, and if you have trouble figuring that out then start by writing questions. It’s easier to write questions than answers; and it’s easier to answer questions than it is to think of things to say.

Writing for Purpose

When I’m doing creative work, I heed the words of one of my writing professors, Richard Wiley, who said, “Writers write to discover what they have to say.” You don’t have to know your thoughts in advance. You have a perfectly blank space to fill with all your thoughts, which you are free to winnow later.

In my work for businesses, I built a career being a great first-draft writer. I’m excellent at editing in my head. You can imagine how difficult it is to shut that editor off when trying to discover something new.  The discipline of writing rests on knowing when to apply a particular technique, and it won’t surprise you to know that the best way to develop that discipline is practice.

So, you can see free writing is helpful for either creative or business writing, so long as you adjust your goal for each. Research also is important when you remind yourself to research to get started not to avoid starting.

Writing for Fun

When it’s challenging, I remind myself that’s the process. For an experience to feel like a breakthrough, you have to feel thwarted at some point. When you apply technique to break inertia and gather momentum, that’s when it starts getting fun. Because who doesn’t enjoy it when things start to fly.

 

Image Credit: Beyond Neon, Twisted (cropped from original)