SOHO ENGLISH
"How to Write with Style" by Kurt Vonnegut
Directions:
1) Read Vonnegut's essay, "How to Write with Style."
2) Post a response, identifying yourself and citing a specific passage/s that spoke to you.
3) Read other people’s responses, and respond to at least one of their posts.
A simple ballpoint pen and a piece of paper can give a human access to the entire world. What the person does with this access is up to him or her. He or she may choose to develop a voice that will be heard among the rest, or end up with an unappreciated scrap of ideas.
ReplyDeleteIn "How to Write with Style", Kurt Vonnegut gives the reader guidelines on how to attain this powerful voice or writing style.
Uncoincidentally, the simplest and most direct piece of valuable advice Vonnegut gives is to write as yourself. Use your own voice. Your confidence shows and makes your writing more readable (even enjoyable).
When talking about his childhood writing epiphany, Vonnegut states, "They hoped that I would become understandable--and therefore understood." This sentence stuck out to me, and I read it several times so that I could fully absorb it. Clarity comes along with the knowing of oneself. Respecting who you are and where you come from while using it as a platform is the most effective way to succeed at the art of writing.
I've never consciously realized that Shakespeare is writing as people back then talked; writing as if we fly back in time with him doesn't make the content any better.
"Simplicity of language is not only reputable, but perhaps even sacred. The Bible opens with a sentence well within the writing skills of a lively fourteen-year-old: "'In the beginning God created the heavens and earth.'"
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt from Kurt Vonnegut's "How to Write With Style" stood out to me. Why? Because it is true. These few sentences explain how simplicity can beat complexity- more easily than one may think. Most of the time, while writing essays for example, I try to add intricate words and sentence structures. Yet, sometimes that is not always the most effective style of writing. There have been many instances where I read a very simple sentence in a book, not even taking up one line, and it had a greater affect on me than the sentences that took up three or four lines in the book. Many people forget, but the phrases "less is more" or "short and sweet" can come in handy quite often.That doesn't mean, however, to forget to elaborate on ideas, as long as one does not veer off on to another topic. Kurt also says "If a sentence, no matter how excellent, does not illuminate my subject in some new and useful way, scratch it out." He is saying that this rule should be used while writing, in order to keep one on track. Continue to remind yourself what you are writing about, and make sure your explanations are relevant to the topic.
I feel like I read something of Vonnegut's before, but I can't remember which!
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading this excerpt, only one thing grabbed me. It almost shook me. "Joyce, when he was frisky, could put together a sentence as intricate and glittering as a necklace for Cleopatra, but my favorite sentence in his short story "Eveline" is this one: 'She was tired.' At that point in the story, no other words could break the heart of a reader as those words do." How powerful is that? I wholeheartedly agree with Vonnegurt. It's as if I know exactly what is going on in that moment in the short story. It feels like a knife, piercing something. It cuts right to the point, and it's potent.
I wanted to make my post longer and talk more, but like Mr. Vonnegut says, "Do not ramble..."
I could totally relate to the "she was tired" part. I really love how you brought that point here.
DeleteSheryl:
ReplyDeleteIf only it were that easy. "When you yourself put words on paper, remember that the most damning revelation you can make about yourself is that you do not know what is interesting and what is not." But yes, we just have to incorporate ourselves as much as possible to produce the honesty of the writing.
Michelle:
ReplyDeleteYou're right; how easy it is to ramble! Getting to a sharp point that maintains a reader's interest takes much talent and experience.
It may not be easy to become a world-famous novelist, but it surely is not too difficult to pick up a pen and begin pouring out your thoughts. Maybe an idea of yours could benefit someone else and you just don't know it. What I'm saying is, putting in the effort will yield some result. Making a difference may not be as hard as you think; you just have to be creative.
"I myself find that I trust my own writing most, and others seem to trust it most, too, when I sound most like a person from Indianapolis, which is what I am."
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading, this passage caught my eye due to the truthfulness of it. When writing, you don't want to sound like an echo of someone else because it'll sound unoriginal and uninteresting. If your writing mimics someone else's, then it's not truly your own writing. "Be yourself, everyone else is already taken." This quote says that just be who you are, because thats the best thing to do. It goes the same for writing; your writing will sound the best if it's done in your own style and not someone else's because it's your own voice, and no one can take that from you. Basically, "How to Write with Style" means that you shouldn't write like someone else, but in your own way.
-Theodore Truong
In response to Evangeline:
ReplyDeleteI agree with the passage you chose because it's something I have a problem with. In all of my papers, I always hate it when my sentences are too short and too simplistic, because it just seems unintelligent in the way it's written: short, easy, and plain. I do realize that sentences like that can hold a lot of meaning, but it always bothers me, making me change it to sound more sophisticated.
-Theodore Truong
''And there went my dream of doing with words what Pablo Picasso did with paint or what any number of jazz idols did with music.If I broke all the rules of punctuation, had words mean whatever I wanted them to mean, and strung them together higgledy-piggledy, I would simply not be understood. So you, too, had to better avoid Picasso-style or jazz-style writing, if you have something worth saying and wish to be understood.''
ReplyDeleteFor me, this quote really stood out. First of all, I really liked how he used this metaphor into creating a more effective point. Plus, I also agree with Kurt because, of course, we all know how Picasso has very unique mind and sometimes, it may take several minutes or perhaps hours into deciphering some of his works. Other times, we may not even see Picasso's point because it's just too confusing. So, same goes for writing. When writing, we have to make our points both effective and straightforward, and obviously, easily understood. We want them to keep turning the pages until the very end. Well,that only depends on the simplicity of the writer so that the readers actually understand what's going on.
I agree with Theodore because when you are telling the truth, readers start trusting in your words. Kurt says, ''They want our pages to look very much like pages they have seen before. Why? It is because they themselves have a tough job to do, and they need all the help they can get from us.
ReplyDelete"Simplicity of language is not only reputable, but perhaps even sacred. The Bible opens with a sentence well within the writing skills of a lively fourteen-year-old: "'In the beginning God created the heavens and earth.'
ReplyDeleteI chose this quote because it really opened my eye. i never realized how that one simple sentence has a big meaning. It is to the point and short. The sentence did not drag and it meant so much. I read the Bible and never realized how that one sentence meant a lot.
I also agree with Theo's last comment. It is a problem for me to make a point in one sentence. I tend to become too wordy.
"So your own winning literary style must begin with interesting ideas in your head. Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, and not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style."
ReplyDeleteThis I agree with. I especially agree with the part: "... not your games with language.." Many people think that style is the way someone writes, and I guess it can be. However, the way someone uses certain words and grammar isn't always what "style" is all about. Style can also be, like Vonnegut says, "interesting ideas." It should be these ideas that hint to the audience something about yourself. Something that makes your writing unique. Something that makes your writing YOU. It may sound cheesy, but it's true. If everyone just wrote by using big words to make their style seem highly intelligent, and confusing, well.. then reading those kinds of books would get boring and tiring.
I agree with Theo's statement: "If your writing mimics someone else's, then it's not truly your own writing." That can't be told better than it already is. The whole point of style is to make it your own style, not someone else's. You want people to read one of your passages and think "Oh hey, that was definitely written by Monika." Maybe it's those clues you include or just simply what you write about that makes people think of you when they read your work.
ReplyDelete"I understand now that all those antique essays and stories with which I was to compare my own work were not magnificent for their datedness or foreignness, but for saying precisely what their authors meant them to say. My teachers wished me to write accurately, always selecting the most effective words, and relating the words to one another unambiguously, rigidly, like parts of a machine. The teachers did not want to turn me into an Englishman after all. They hoped that I would become understandable--and therefore understood" (Vonnegut 541).
ReplyDeleteThis quote is like a revelation to me! After all these years of thinking that our english teachers were simply telling us to use big words in our essays just to have big words in our essays, this quote just shatters all of those beliefs. When I think about it though, it makes sense in my head. Admittedly, longer words tend to have a much deeper meaning which can be very useful in conveying a specific thought to your audience. Of course I'd love to believe that it's 100% percent true that teachers don't nag us about using big words so we can better convey our thoughts, but I'm sure there is the occasional oddball who just likes seeing more letters than spaces in their students' papers, if you know what I mean (if you don't, don't worry about it).
-Simon
"Our audience requires us to be sympathetic and patient teachers, ever willing to simplify and clarify --whereas we would rather soar high above the crowd, singing like nightingales."
ReplyDeleteOne time or another we've probably all felt that impulse to "soar"--by extending a brilliant metaphor or stretching a terribly clever sentence. We should resist, because if we were put in the reader's shoes, we would want the writer to go on with their story and get to the point. We should be "sympathetic," as Vonnegut says.
Writing a lot doesn't always necessarily mean that it's good, sometimes we should keep in mind that "less is more," because we tend to ramble when we try to write a lot.
This passage stood out to me because it reminds me to keep what I'm trying to say simple and quick.
"Also: we are members of an egalitarian society, so there is no reason for us to write, in case we are not classically educated aristocrats, as though we were classically educated aristocrats."
This passage also ties in with the first passage. I sometimes try to use smart sounding words in my essays, and sometimes I use it in the wrong context making my essay look extremely tacky and wordy. I should keep in mind that my essay making sense is my first priority, and then I can worry about the style.
I agree with Monika. It doesn't sound cheesy at all, it's so true. There's no point in writing if all we're trying to do is sound smart and use big words. It's way more interesting and fun to read something that is filled with voice, revealing the author's imaginations, interests, etc.
ReplyDelete"Simplicity of language is not only reputable, but perhaps even sacred. The Bible opens with a sentence well within the writing skills of a lively fourteen-year-old: "'In the beginning God created the heavens and earth.'"
ReplyDeleteThe point of this excerpt is completely true, which is why it caught my attention. When writing, we should prefer to write more simply than giving a long sentence that we can sum in 3 words. By writing with simplicity, more people will be able to understand your work. Not only is it more comprehensible, the point or message is more obvious, just like how a thesis should be.
In response to Monika: I would have to say I agree with you. Everyone's style should be unique and entirely their own. Style starts from the ideas within our head which we then later pour on to the papers. If we all try to be "intellectual" with our writing, everyone would no longer be "special" and sound the same, boring.
-Johnny La
"A simple ballpoint pen and a piece of paper can give a human access to the entire world. What the person does with this access is up to him or her. He or she may choose to develop a voice that will be heard among the rest, or end up with an unappreciated scrap of ideas."
ReplyDeleteThis was really the only excerpt that truly spoke to me because it is the simple truth. It is basically saying that the power to do something great is ours if we only take the chance and have confidence in ourselves. Without confidence in our abilites, we will create just another scrap of ideas.
In response to Jonny: I have to agree completely with you Johnny, it is a lot easier to read someone's work if it is written in a simple fashion rather than a complicated one. Perhaps i should start learning from that.
"All the varieties of speech are beautiful, just as the varieties of butterflies are beautiful.""I sound most like a person from Indianapolis, which is what I am. What alternatives do I have?"
ReplyDeleteThis passage form "How to write with style" stood out to me because it shows that the kind of person you are and other things about you show in your writing. There is nothing wrong with expressing things about yourself through your writing, infact like Vonnegut said you can't help how you are, where your from or any of that. Not to mention that by expressing your self in your writing you add a personal touch to that peice of writing. It's a way to make your writing your own...
I agree with what Evangelin said, that simpicity can beat complexity. This is because when something is simple its direct,easy to understand, and beautiful. A simple sentence can be the most powerful.Plus sometimes a few words can say more then a thousand.
ReplyDelete"And there went my dream of doing with words what Pablo Picasso did with paint or what any number of jazz idols did with music. IF i broke all the rules of punctuation, had words that mean whatever i wanted them to mean, and strung them together higgledy-piggledy, i would simply not be understood. so you, too, had better avoid Picasso-style or jazz-style writing, if you have something worth saying and wish to be understood."
ReplyDeleteWrite stuff that is important to you, but make sure other people will feel the same way. Any form of art is open to interpretation. Any piece by Picasso can have multiple meanings, depending on who you ask. Jazz can be interpreted differently too. Your writing should have a clear point, but still leave some room for interpretation.
In response to Johnny La,
ReplyDeleteI prefer to write as simply as I can, but it makes writing extremely boring. Adding details makes reading more enjoyable.
"Joyce, when he was frisky, could put together a sentence as intricate and glittering as a necklace for Cleopatra, but my favorite sentence in his short story "Eveline" is this one: "She was tired." At that point in the story, no other words could break the heart of a reader as those words do."
ReplyDeleteWriting is a complicated art that one can forever improve on. It is difficult to balance long, complicated sentences with short, concise ones to create a piece of writing that fully expresses one's point. This passage is an excellent example that shows a simple sentence can impact a story just as much as any other sentence - if placed wisely. For instance, there are novels that build up suspense for pages on end and only to rid anticipation with a single sentence. Vonnegut shows that good writing does not always have to include fancy words or complicated grammar.
Response to Sheryl:
ReplyDeleteWell said. I agree with your take on writing about yourself. It makes sense that using your own voice creates more enjoyable writing because voice occurs naturally. In addition, I never truly understood the "become understandable--and therefore understood" quote until I saw your comment. It's difficult to write with good voice until you truly know yourself.
"Simplicity is not only reputable, but perhaps even sacred. The Bible opens with a sentence well within the writing skills of a lively fourteen-year-old:'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth'"
ReplyDeleteI feel like simplicity in writing is so hard for some people to achieve,even for me. When I am writing an essay, I have to go back to edit sentence structure and change my word choices. I feel like adding big words to my essays will make them sound better, but reading those essays can get tedious. Who wants to read books with big words that they are probably going to have to look up? No one. As Vonnegut states, "They have to identify thousands of little marks on the paper, and makes sense of them immediately." As an author, you want your readers to relate and connect with your book; they are not going to do that if you are throwing a bunch of big words around.Sometimes the simple and short sentences have the biggest impact on you. Teachers force us to use sentence variety and new vocabulary words, but honestly simplicity is really the best way to go. Remember, this doesn't mean that you have to keep it simple all the time; just don't over do it.
-Selma
In response to Felicia:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that fancy words or complicated grammar may not be the best way to go. The simple sentences can have the biggest impact. You are right, it is hard to achieve that balance in writing.
-Selma
"Simplicity of language is not only reputable, but perhaps even sacred. The Bible opens with a sentence well within the writing skills of a lively 14 year old. "In the beginning God created the heavens and earth."
ReplyDeleteWhen we write with simplicity the readers understand what it is we are writing about. Not only will the message or point be clear, but the readers will appreciate the concise form of your paper.
In response to joe c: yep, confidence is key. With it you can get far in life.
dang, did it again, comment above is mine.
ReplyDeleteGeorge Webb
“The writing style which is most natural for you is bound to echo speech you heard when a child.”
ReplyDeleteI feel this excerpt is true because often we write what we have heard before. Sometimes, it just flows into our writing and becomes a part of your eloquence. It doesn’t matter if English is your second language; it makes your writing style more of your own which makes it amusing for the readers. Vonnegut said that the revelations that we reveal about ourselves in our writing are elements that are fascinating to readers. The writing style should be about what you have experienced or have heard that makes your writing your own.
In response to Selma:
I agree that simple sentences are the best and throwing in some big words doesn’t necessarily make your writing better, it could end up making it worse. I think there needs to be a balance in writing, but if you have to look up every word in the dictionary, how can anyone understand your paper.
-Glizyl Luna
"So your own winning literary style must begin with interesting ideas in your head. Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, and not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style."
ReplyDeleteI really like this passage because it focuses on style and not grammar. For me, grammar has never been a huge issue, so I can do exactly what he said, write what I care about and focus on just that. Whenever my chem teacher has us take notes, he always says, "Own it." He wants us to be independent and unique and I respect that.
In response to George:
Your comment made me think of children's books. If a children's author goes out and writes a really complicated piece of work, all the kids will be confused. It's funny, though, because a lot of times adults have the same problem.
"I myself find that I trust my own writing most, and others seem to trust it most, too, when I sound most like a person from Indianapolis, which is what I am."
ReplyDeleteThis stood out to me because when I write, I don't want to sound like I'm copying someone else or trying to write like them. We all have our own style when it comes to writing and I think we should all stay true to it.
-Jackie
In response to Alison:
ReplyDeleteGrammar has never been an issue for me either, and I think that helps because I can focus on what my ideas are when I'm writing.
eee, forgot to put my name ^^ - Jackie
ReplyDelete"Find a subject you care about and which you n yourheart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, and not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style."
ReplyDeleteI so agree with this exerpt. It is so true. This explains how I can ussually tell before I even start writing whether my essays will be good or not. This is also why I dispise assingments with predesignated promts or thesises, i.e. the 'Fat Letters' ICE. When I am given a promt, I can tell right off the bat whether I care or not, and also whether my writing will be good or not. When allowed to choose what to write about you can be sure it is something you care about, its too bad we aren't always afforded this luxury...
"Your rule might be this: If a sentence, no matter how excellent, does not illuminate my subject in some new and useful way, scratch it out."
ReplyDeleteIn other words, even if that particular sentence is the single best sentence you have ever written, if it does not contribute to your piece of writing and is just words and a space filler, get rid of it. I really like this quote because it's saying you don't need some elaborate sentence with commas and semi-colons and dash's so long as it is meaningful to the story you are telling.
In response to Simon,
I completely agree. Teachers have just been telling us to use bigger words because it makes us sound smarter. True, sometimes those big words are well placed and occasionally are well used. Also, 100% percent says 100 percent percent.
"Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, and not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style."
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt should be important to writers because writing is about communicating thoughts/ideas that you think others should know about. Having purpose behind your writing makes it stand out and enhances its meaning. Not only is it easier to write what you feel strongly about or are interested in, but it is usually more interesting to read because it comes from the author at a personal level.
-Krista Dawson
I agree with Nate. I think that style is really something that puts life into your writing and makes it unique. It is what makes writing like art; although it cannot be totally abstract, it can be open to interpretation. But I also found another type of "art" that was mentioned interesting.
ReplyDelete"[Readers] have to read, an art so difficult that most people do not really master it even after having studied it all through grade school and high school - for twelve long years."
Because sentences and writing can be intricate and complex, it can make understanding the "little marks on paper" difficult. Books and essays are not written so they sit on shelves, they are made to be read. So we as writers should write in a way that is clear and simple, but at the same time show our personalities. This way the readers will be having a conversation with writers, but a conversation is pointless if someone doesn't understand.
in response to sheryl and monika,
ReplyDeleteI agree that people should write as themselves and personalize their work. This is what makes writers distinguished. For example, if you hear a childish rhyme that makes absolutely no sense but you like it for no apparent reason, you know; its Dr. Seuss. People have favorite writers because the writers always have the same voice in each piece of literature they write. If you can make all of your writing sound like its coming from you, then people will (hopefully) enjoy everything that you write.
-Krista Dawson
I agree with Krista when she says that you need to have a passion or a drive to your writing. You could be given a topic about something that repulses you or something you hate and you feel you couldn't write about, but you need to take that driving force and that desire and flip it around to put your best foot forward and write what's on your mind. People won't always agree with what your heart or head is saying, but the point is that you don't bottle it up. Write about it and create a voice.
ReplyDelete"All these varieites of speech are beautiful, just liek varieties of butterflies are beautiful. No matter what your first language is, you should treasure it all your life. If it happens not to be standard english, and if it shows itself when you write standard English, the result is usually delightful, like a very pretty girl with one eye that is green and one that is blue."
ReplyDeleteI really liked what Vonnegut was saying here. There are people out there who might take language for granted. We are lucky to go to a school so diverse that we can immerse ourselves in different customs, cultures, languages and nationalities. He is saying that even if you write "span-glish" you are writing down what you are feeling. It doesn't matter what tongue it's in, but the fact that it's out in the open. We are lucky to be able to learn german, french, chinese, hebrew or spanish at our school. I know that learning german has changed my life and I agree with vonnegut when he says language is one of the most important things.
My favorite part of Kurt Vonnegut's passage was, "All these varieites of speech are beautiful, just like varieties of butterflies are beautiful. No matter what your first language is, you should treasure it all your life." These sentences jumped out to me because I love listening to people speak in different languages because it always sounds so beautiful. And whenever people ask what my first language is, they get surprised that it is Gujarati because they don't expect it. And i love seeing their reactions. I wish i could write in Gujarati, because the writing is really beautiful and writing Gujarati words in English doesn't do it justice. Also I feel like sometimes foreign kids are afraid to speak English because they think they're going to make a mistake and I like that Vonnegut gives them encouragement to write.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Alison,
I think style is more important then grammar mostly because i suck at grammar, but also because style is what brings an idea to the reader and not the grammar. I mean it helps but i would rather read an interesting book with style then one that is boring and written properly. Like a text book.
"If I broke all the rules of punctuation, had words mean whatever I wanted them to mean, and strung them together higgledy-piggledy, I would simply not be understood."
ReplyDeleteI liked this quote because I agree with how important grammar is. The thing that annoys me most about reading other students' writing is when their grammar is so terrible that you cannot even focus on what they are saying. The purpose of writing something is for others to understand what you are saying. Nothing should get it the way of this goal. However, once the grammar of writing is perfect, the writer still needs to pay attention to style. No matter how good the grammar in "Twilight" is, I couldn't get past the first chapter because it was the blandest, most-repetitive book I had seen. Grammar and style are both needed to make writing interesting.
In response to Krista:
I agree that writing is the best when it means something or is interesting to the writer. I know that I write my best essays when I find the prompt interesting.
--Berman
I think that the most meaningful part of this essay is the idea that the most important aspect of writing is having something to say and being able to be understood. If you have something important or interesting to say than your writing will have meaning. That is, it will have meaning if your writing form (grammar, word choice, etc.) is understandable. Form is not the most important aspect of writing; form only works to convey your ideas. A quote that makes this clear is "It is this genuine caring, and not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style." In response to what Sheryl said about having your individual style understood, I think that also goes along with having something to say. Rambling is never good writing, no matter how well it is written. It will be boring and unreadable. Your ideas control how you are understood.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Alison:
ReplyDeleteI also like that are chem teacher tells us to write in our own words, so that we can own what we know. I didn't realize this till alison said it but when he says, "write it in your own words" it can relate to anything. He wants us to write in a way that we can understand.
"I understand now that all those antique essays and stories with wihich I was to compare my own work were not magnificent for their datedness or foreignness, but for saying precisely what their authors meant them to say. my teachers wished me to write accurately, always selecting the most effective words, and relating the words to one another unambiguously, rigidly, like parts of a machine. The teachers did not want to turn me into an Englishman after all. They hoped that I would become understandable- and therefore understood."
ReplyDeleteI like this passage because I still sometimes wonder what is the point of analyzing every thing we read in class?! Now I kinda get it, like Vonnegut said our teachers' don't want us to become like these great writers of the past, but they do want us to be understood. We are told to read and analyze in hopes that we will begin to catch on to how simply and beautifully they make their points, because great writers not only have beautiful sentences but they also get right to the point.
"The teachers did not want to turn me into an Englishman after all. They hoped that I would become understandable-and therefore understood."
ReplyDeleteThis is a mistake that many students make. (Myself included) Most of us want to write the best paper possible. How do we do that? Emulate the books that we read, the books that our teachers tell are the best written. More often than not, we fail at this emulation and end up making a mess of a paper that is overly wordy and difficult to understand.
-P.S. Is it possible to change the font of the comments? Serif fonts are really hard to read on computer screens.
"I myself find that I trust my own writing most, and others seem to trust it most, too, when I sound most like a person from Indianapolis, which is what I am."
ReplyDeleteWhen reading, this sentence caught my eye because when writing, people often get carried away in trying to sound intelligent or trying to impress the teacher. Which, in some cases, may be beneficial when it comes to their grade. But this kind of writing is definitely not the most intriguing to me. Pretending to be someone you're not doesn't allow you to show true character, and to me, I enjoy being able to visualize someone else's life through their works. When one's writing is real and from the heart, it is much more believable than wordy writing, which is why I am in complete agreement with Vonnegut when he makes the point that writing with personality can be trusted by all.
In response to Johnny La:
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you to an extent, but variety is the spice of life. You shouldn't have an overly simplified or overly complicated writing style because either ends up becoming a chore to read. This actually reminds me of a recent article from The Onion titled "Microsoft Word Now Includes Squiggly Blue Line To Alert Writer When Word Is Too Advanced For Mainstream Audience"
In response to Alison:
ReplyDeleteI like the quote you chose and what you said about making what you write your own. Yes grammar is important, but when reading a book the reader is not focusing on the grammar, he/she is focusing on the context. If one writes something amazing and unique, grammar mistakes are not going to stand out as much as they would if the writing was typical and dull.
In response to George,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that simplicity is key. I'm not saying all writing should be elementary but people shouldn't get caught up in huge vocabulary all the time. Sometimes the simple things are what leave an impact on the reader
"Simplicity of language is not only reputable, but perhaps even sacred."
ReplyDeleteI love this quote because it contradicts what Ms. Hettinger believes is an essential part of writing: the extravagant usage of vocabulary. I believe that even the simplest sentence can have a strong impact. It brings out the voice that an author attempts to portray in writing.
In response to Felicia:
I agree with you that, in moderation, simplistic sentences can be just as strong as a vocabulary-packed one. I remember when you read my "Child Went Forth" poem and told me that your heart stopped when you read the line "Thinking."
I complete agree with your idea that built-up suspense creates strength in a simple sentence. I had that thought in the back of my head when I wrote that poem.
-Alex Studer
"No matter what your first language, you should treasure it all your life. If it happens not to be standard English, and if it shows itself when you write standard English, the result is usually delightful, like a very pretty girl with one eye that is green and one that is blue."
ReplyDeleteI could really connect with this specific passage because my first language isn't the "standard English. In fact, it's Russian, which is a completely different language from Enlglish. I do treasure it with all my heart because it's definetly had an impact on my writing, whether it's good or bad. I don't think I've really shown my Russian in English writing but I'd really like to figure out how to because it really seems like something that would have a beautiful effect on writing.
In response to Alex P-
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. Right after seeing the prompt for an essay, I can tell whether or not i'll enjoy writing it. Of course if I'm interested in the topic the paper will be 100 times better. If, like Alex said, it's one of those ICE essays, my paper will not be nearly as strong and supported. It's plain and simple, writing is much more effective when you care about your prompt.
The part of Kurt Vonnegut's writing that particularly stood out to me was:
ReplyDelete"I myself grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, where common speech sounds like a band saw cutting galvanized tin, and employs a vocabulary as unornamental as a monkey wrench."
I like this part because he discusses how his roots affected his voice when he's writing, and got me to think, 'If i were to become a writer, i wonder if I would sound like i came from a Chicago suburb.' I also sort of questioned this passage because I have read some of Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle" and it didn't really sound urban, if anything it sounded overly sophisticated. The imagery he uses in this quote is also nice since he paints a picture of the typical urban worker and thus lets us into a bit of his past.
In response to Aqsa, i also liked that passage. I thought it was odd, yet a little true, the way that he was referring to a first language. Vonnegut talked about it like it was some cherished memory to hold onto, and i never really thought of a language like that. I guess it makes me happy that I know English since there are millions of words and synonyms to help paint a picture and thus make vivid ideas come to life on paper.
"Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, and not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style."
ReplyDeleteI feel that this qoute sums up what most writers wish to achieve.They want a person to read their work and feel the emotions flowing into them. When I read a book and can feel the emotions of the character, I think to myself, wow this really is a good book.
In response to molly:
I completely agree. People should show their true colors when writing. By doing that, I feel that their work is even better because i provides an insite into their thoughts. If your personality can shine throw in all of your writing then you have achieved what many authors wish they could.
"I myself find that I trust my own writing most, and others seem to trust it most, too, when I sound most like a person from Indianapolis, which is what I am."
ReplyDeleteThis is something I try to emulate most in my own writing: myself. You cannot pretend to be someone else when you write. Every single topic anyone writes about is somehow connected to how they feel or some other personal part of them. Even if it's the most fictional story ever, it will still emulate a part of the writers life or personality.
In response to Cody Inglesby:
I also wonder what plays a major part in an authors voice or style, and then I think about myself and my style and voice. What affects my writing, other than my personal life and feelings? Very thought provoking response.
"it may be that you, too, are capable of making necklaces for Cleopatra, so to speak. But your eloquence should be the servant of the ideas in your head."
ReplyDeleteThese two sentences ring true, especially in a high school English class. Kids everywhere try to cover up their lack of knowledge on a subject by using overly flowery language. Students all across the nation attempt to conceal their unmitigated unavailability of understanding on a topic by utilizing absurdly magniloquent word choice. See how annoying that was? It's only too easy to repeat the previous sentence with bigger, fancier words, but that doesn't hide the fact that the person has nothing valid to say. As Vonnegut asserts, simplicity, when employed properly, can convey meaning far better than hollow eloquence.
In response to Bill, I totally agree. It's hard to resist the urge to imitate a famous author's style rather than formulate our own. To add to what you said, that excerpt also goes on to contend that as a result of being forced to learn from the writings of old Englishmen, Vonnegut was able to develop his own stlye.
"Do not ramble, though. As for your use of language: Remember that two great masters of our language, William Shakespeare and James Joyce wrote sentences which were almost childlike when their subjects were most profound"
ReplyDeleteAfter reading those sentences, I took his advice and tried to think how I could make my sentences more simple. I think if I did it will help me get my point across better. Also it will help me not to ramble so much.
In response to Selma, I feel like it is also strange to put big, fancy words into an essay. It makes the essay really boring. Also sometimes a person won't use the word right which will make the essay even harder to read. It shows that you aren't that involved into what you are writing too.
"If I broke all the rules of punctuation, had words mean whatever I wanted them to mean, and strung them together higgledy-piggedy, I would not be understood."
ReplyDeleteThis issue has been brought up alot in all of these blog readings, what separates you from everybody else? Vonnegut said that the content has to be interesting as well as the style, using original punctuation would definitely be noticed, but the content would be hindered, and you'd lose overall.
In response to Wood:
The same is true when you write music, no matter how much you try to emulate a band or whatever, you can't get it without either yourself showing through, or it being intensely tedious.
" 'To be or not to be?' asks Shakespeare's Hamlet. The longest word is three letters long. Joyce, when he was frisky, could put together a sentence as intricate and glittering as a necklace for Cleopatra, but my favorite sentence in his short story 'Eveline' is the one: 'She was tired.' At that point in the story, no other words could break the heart of a reader as those words do."
ReplyDeleteLess is more; that's exactly what this paragraph is saying. Even the most brilliant writers of all time strove to make the simplest of sentences the ones that made the biggest impact. It's amazing to see that a sentence with three simple words could break hearts or even a sentence as simple as "To be or not to be?" could continue to make an impact 400 years later. Vonnegut tries to tell aspiring writers to make every sentence count.
In response to Jack:
I completely agree with the idea that many high school writers try to mask their lack of information in sentences with big words because I, too, am very guilty of it. I also agree that simple is always better. :)
"Simplicity of language is not only reputable, but perhaps even sacred."
ReplyDeleteI like this quote because it's something that i can really learn from. Grammatical errors really, really bother me in my essays, so I spent a lot of times correcting them. I focus on grammar and the way I use language. I focus TOO much on that, and sometimes forget what on earth I'm even writing about, to the point where I'm just spitting meaningless garbage onto my paper.
In response to Alex P- I'm exactly the same, I have to care about something I'm righting about for it to even have a chance of being worth reading.
ReplyDelete"And there went my dream of doing with words what Pablo Picasso did with paint or what any number of jazz idols did with music. If i broke all the rules of punctuation, had words mean whatever i wanted them to mean, and strung them together higgledy-piggledy, i would simply not be understood. So you, too, had better avoid Picasso-style or jazz-style writing, if you have something worth saying and wish to be understood."
ReplyDelete-I like this quote because it fits perfectly with everything that Vonnegut was saying. He perfectly emphasized the idea behind this paragraph while demonstrating what he is saying. My biggest issue with my writing is that i have horrible sentence structure and grammar/punctuation. If i could learn to fix this i would be able to
get my point across a lot easier.
-In response to Marc,I have the exact opposite issue! I tend to focus too little on my grammatical errors to the point where they seem to show up in almost every sentence. They do annoy me but i cant seem to tell the difference between the right and the wrong in my own writing.
"And there went my dream of doing with words what Pablo Picasso did with paint or what any number of jazz idols did with music. If I broke all the rules of punctuation, had words mean whatever I wanted them to mean...I would simply not be understood."
ReplyDeleteWhen we graded essays that one day in class, as I graded essays, I found that the essays that got the point across were not necesarily the ones with the best ideas. Although having good ideas to write about was a critical point, the better essays tended to also be the most understandable from a grammatical viewpoint. Ideas can only be shared if they can be clearly interperated.
In response to Jack, the utter absurdity of the proposed ineloquent sentence is absolutely preposterous. While the occasional individual possesses the boundless vocabulary to absorb unwieldy sentences, the majority of the population of the globe will not attempt to peruse the indicated sentence, but rather be inattentive to such blasphemy and continue to remain ignorant of the writer's non-comprehension of the prompt.
"When you yourself put words on paper, remember that the most damning revalation you can make about yourself is that you don't not know what is interesting and what is not. Don't you yourself like or dislike writers mainly for what they choose to show you or make you think about? Did you ever admire an empty-headed writer for his or her mastery if the language? No."
ReplyDeleteI chose this quote because i agree completely with Kurt Vonnegut. When reading someone else's writing I tend to judge the piece on whether i think it's interesting enough; if it keeps making me want to read on and on. If I read something and it's boring, I just stop reading. You need to keep a reader thinking in order to keep the reader interested in the book. so what better way then asking questions that grab the reader's eye and keep then thinking?
"I myself find that I trust my own writing most, and others seem to trust it most, too, when I sound most like a person from Indianapolis, which is what I am."
ReplyDeleteVonnegut is talking about how when people write they try to cover up a lack of knowledge, or what they believe to be a lack of knowledge, by using big words or fancy sentences. The most successful way to write and get a point across is to just write how you've been writing your whole life. Everyone was raised in a different household and therefore everyone was raised to speak or write a different way.
In response to Bill:
I completely agree. Most, if not all, high schoolers just try to use over wordy language to impress the teacher. Some might be able to succeed, but most just end up failing miserably. Instead of sounding 'smart', the paper is unorganized and illogical.
In response to Sydney:
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Sydney. Every person has there own style of writing. People shouldn't write to impress and try to cover up because that won't make them look any better...it's unorignal. Your own style of writing is unique. Use it wisely!
"So your own winning literary style must begin with interesting ideas in your head. Find a subject you care about. It is this genuine caring and not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element your stlye."
ReplyDeleteI agree with this quote because in order to write a good piece, you must be interested in the topic to begin with. It is just like being in a debate, but have to fight with the side that you disagree with. If you don't like what you're writing about, then you're not going to like what you write.
In response to Sabrina:
I agree with what you said because I also judge other people's works and look for topics of interest that will decide whether reading the piece is worth it or not.
"I myself find that I trust my own writing most, and others seem to trust it most, too, when I sound most like a person from Indianapolis, which is what I am."
ReplyDeleteThis quote really stood out to me as it was true when I read it a couple of times. People judge other poeple's writing way to quickly and so their opinion on them is most likely low. Even though you might think your writing is a great master piece, the person sitting next to you or your teacher might think its pretty bad.
-Shahbaz