Friday, June 15, 2012

My Style of Writing_Writ Shorter

English: Sources of Allt Mharconaich Meeting G...
"...Going north from Coire Mharconach watershed I was so glad to find a watercourse to follow as the going was rough going."(Wikipedia) Opinari Writers: A writer's landscape may have bumpy, dry, and isolated places; it's good to remember its hidden streams, verdant spots, blue sky, and light.
English: Dean Batali teaching at writing meeting.
Dean Batali...at writing meeting. (Wikipedia)
Pageant of American Literature, Hawthorne study
Pageant of American Literature, Hawthorne study (CT State Library)
Words have a power all their own
Words have a power all their own (Lynne Hand)
Words
Words (sirwiseowl)
Russian writer Sergey Lukyanenko meets his rea...
Moscow: Sergey Lukyanenko meets his readers. (Wikipedia) Opinari Writers: I write about other writers and events from around the world.
Writer's Stop
(Stephh922)
Pageant of American Literature, view 3
Opinari Writers: American heritage in writing (and steamboat in background), painted by Karl La Roche, Stamford, Connecticut (CT): Wm. Dean Howells (seated), Robert Frost, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Eugene O'Neill, Carl Sandburg,  Sinclair Lewis, and a local audience. Remembering the reader connection. Pageant of American Literature, view 3 (CT State Library)  
It's time to state--in 150, 75, 50, and 25 words--what I do as a writer




























Two versions of my Final Statement (word-count goal up to 25 words)

Second version of Final Statement of "what I do": 

I report and probe for avid readers of commentary on history, literature, politics, writing, religion. 

First version of Final Statement:  
I report, inquire, and probe for avid readers of commentary (history, literature, politics, and/or religion) that includes biblical background or interpretation.
JP_In all statements prior to the final-final, I forgot how much I also write about aspects of writing, an obvious topic! I remedied this in the final-final. We can easily forget the obvious, right?

Cutting and trimming of text are invaluable options that help writers "write shorter." The final statements  developed from the longer versions, equally helpful to my thinking about this self-driven exercise, which i encourage writers to do and update: 

40 words or fewer
I am a column writer for avid, busy readers with interests in news and events commentary, as well as history, literature, politics, and/or religion. I mention biblical sources in most articles. I like to report, inquire, and probe.   

75 words or fewer
I am a nonfiction writer in the public square. I write for an audience with a layperson’s eye to history, literature, politics, and religion. Sometimes, I write commentary.

I calmly question, probe, and report briefly for avid, busy readers. I try to present differently something happening close to home or far away. When I need to use researched material, I supply one or more sources, with biblical sources used often.

Started here @140-word maximum
I am a nonfiction writer wanting good space in the public square. I write for an audience interested in another perspective with an eye to history, literature, politics, and religion; I often include biblical references for open-minded readers. Increasingly, I write commentary.

I like to question, probe, and report briefly on a range of topics for avid readers on the go. There’s a wide range of subjects and themes I might want to cover, some more than once. I keep in the back of my mind how to present differently.

What catches my writer's eye can be happening close to home or far away; it's whatever I want to shine a light on in some to-be-determined, but fast, way. When I need to quote or use researched material, I supply one or more sources.  

-30-

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For your writing style statement, experimentation helps, I think. It can begin, as done here, with 140 words and end with 25 words or less. Let me know how it goes, if you experiment with this too. I use the word "style" because it includes foresight, intention, imagination, concrete materials, and formation.
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