Writing is a lot like…

I often use analogies when explaining or attempting to understand something. I like to think I have a knack for it. A good analogy can really help someone better understand something or see it from a new perspective. Recently I’ve been trying to think of one for writing, but I’m stumped.

In a way, writing is like archery. A writer picks words like an archer draws arrows, and with them hopes to hit the target as accurately as possible. The target in the writer’s case is not a distant circle but the perfect expression of an idea or emotion.

I like the bit about accuracy, but the analogy isn’t so convincing when you look any deeper. For starters, arrows are chosen without discrimination, whereas words are selected very discriminately. One arrow is the same as the next, more or less, but that isn’t true of words. So writing is sort of like archery. But there must be another analogy, both witty and ingenious, that fully encapsulates what it is to write, right?

Maybe writing is like fighting a war. I don’t mean as a soldier marching around and shooting at things, but rather some sort of General or high commander. You know, one of the guys who comes up with strategies and clever names, like “Operation Rolling Thunder” or “Operation Magic Carpet” (a real operation, by the way).

Yes, just as a military planner tactfully deploys resources to accomplish an objective, a writer deploys his or her resources (words) to accomplish an objective (write a blog post?). Both require structure. Troops are organized and certain units are selected based on with what the mission requires, sort of like how sentences are organized and words selected depending on the purpose of the written piece.

Alright, so maybe this analogy is neither witty or ingenious (it’s terrible). So what is writing like? Maybe it isn’t like anything. Maybe it’s just… writing.

Thoughts?

Collecting words: the Sontag list

It goes without saying that great writers have a strong command of language. A big part of this can be attributed to having an extensive vocabulary from which to draw from.

The Oxford English Dictionary contains 171,476 words. Imagine if you knew every single word and exactly what they meant. Once you decided on what to write about the words would flow effortlessly from your pen (or, more likely, your keyboard).

But alas, we are not robots (despite my best efforts to pretend otherwise on the dance floor – yes, I’m single).

As it is, our vocabularies reflect the words we’ve been exposed to, as well as our brain’s ability to soak up these words and file them away for future use. A lot of it is memory.

I read the other day that Susan Sontag–the multi-talented American writer, filmmaker, professor, literary icon and political activist–kept lists of words that she encountered. Words like “persiflage”, “gruel”, and ” integument”. I don’t know what her motive was, but it’s a brilliant idea.

When reading I often come across words that are peculiar to me or that I’m unable to define accurately. There are other words I’ll come across that are familiar but not part of my vocabulary. The Sontag list is a perfect remedy for these situations. By recording words that are unknown or underemployed I’ll be more likely to look them up and learn their meaning, and by writing them down I’ll be more likely to remember them and utilize them in the future.

And who doesn’t like lists?

Writer’s today are at an advantage, historically speaking. It has never been easier to find the meaning of a word (dictionary.com and its companion thesaurus.com serve me well). It’s sad but I can’t imagine consulting a physical dictionary to discover the meaning of a word. If the dictionary isn’t within arms reach I have to get up, and then I have to use my legs to walk to it, and then I need to put it down somewhere, perhaps needing to clear off table space to make room. That’s not to mention the page turning! My god, the page turning!

Maybe I’m being a little bit dramatic (a little?), but the point remains that it is easier than ever to expand your vocabulary.

Collecting stamps hasn’t been cool for years, if it ever was, and you’re going nowhere in life if you collect rocks. Start collecting words. Start a Sontag list.

For those who are wondering, courtesy of dictionary.com:

Persiflage: light, bantering talk or writing

Integument: a natural covering, as a skin, shell, or rind

Reading to Write Better

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

– Stephen King

We communicators are not pioneers. We use an existing tool — the English language — and try to use it to the best of our ability. We deliver a message to a target audience using a string of words that we find appropriate.

Communicating is a simple concept but one that can be done in infinitely different ways. Ask one hundred people to write a paragraph about any one topic and you will have one hundred different paragraphs.

The words we choose are derived from our unique experience listening to speech and reading text. People speak and write in the language and dialect that they have been exposed to.  Everything you read is an experience that influences how you communicate, however subtly.

Sometimes we have a strong sense of what we want to say but can’t figure out how to say it convincingly. It’s a constant hurdle for the writer, one which I’ve tried to overcome multiple times as I write this very blog post.

That is why reading is invaluable. Ideas and feelings that are obscure can become lucid when articulated by somebody else.  Reading not only expands your vocabulary, it teaches you how to utilize the vocabulary you already have.

A writer never realizes their potential, because their potential is boundless. There is no finish-line. A writer is constantly evolving. Ask the same writer to write about the same topic five years apart and you will likely find two different products. New books and articles we read shape how we communicate. Not only that, they shape how we think.

“Think before you speak. Read before you think.”

– Fran Lebowitz, The Fran Lebowitz Reader

 Some writing is dull and some writing is clever. Some writing is succinct and some writing is bloated. To put it simply, there is good writing and there is bad writing. So how does one improve their writing? Writing workshops and grammar lessons will only take you so far. In my mind there are two ways to improve your writing: practice and reading.

We often neglect books or long articles and essays because we find ourselves overwhelmed with other responsibilities. We think we don’t have time for it. If you want to be an effective communicator there is no excuse. Reading and writing go hand-in-hand.

Instead of fooling around on your smartphone or tablet while commuting to work, read something. Instead of counting sheep in bed, read a book. Instead of turning on the TV while eating breakfast, read a magazine, article, or essay (http://www.aldaily.com has daily suggestions covering a wide array of topics).

Everybody knows that reading is beneficial. It educates, it elicits complex emotions, and it helps us see the world from new perspectives. People still neglect it. If you want to succeed as a writer, blogger, or PR practitioner there is no excuse. Make reading a habit and you will find the time spent is a small price to pay for the benefits you will receive.

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
– Charles William Eliot