

How to Write the Shit Out of Something - karjaluoto
http://www.erickarjaluoto.com/blog/how-to-write-the-shit-out-of-something/

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smacktoward
Some good ideas here, but if I had to give advice to fledging writers I'd
start with one rule: _just say what you mean._

English classes in the U.S. spend a lot of time teaching people how to write
five-paragraph essays: one paragraph of introduction, three paragraphs of
argument, one paragraph of conclusion. But outside the classroom the five-
paragraph essay form is worse than useless: it's actively harmful.

For simple arguments, it's harmful because it forces the writer to jam words
down the throat of their argument to plump it up so it fits the format. For
complex arguments, it's harmful because it forces the writer to lop limbs off
their argument to fit it into an arbitrary box. Most arguments are simple
arguments, so the first sin is the greater one.

So much bad writing is bad because the writer couldn't just say what they mean
and then stop. They stuff their argument with fluff like it's a damn pillow.
An argument should be lean, cut, diamond-hard. Packing it with fluff just
makes it soft and saggy. So skip all that -- just say what you mean, then
_stop._

~~~
grey-area
_Some good ideas here, but if I had to give advice to fledging writers I 'd
start with one rule: just way[sic] what you mean._

Rule No.2 - always proofread before hitting send/post :)

[EDIT Re your main point, now that the typo is out of the way]

There are various ways of structuring an argument - as a dialogue, as thesis,
antithesis then synthesis, or treating it as an oration like Cicero's with 6
parts ending in a peroration. All of them are imposing structure on thought
(and thus restricting creativity), and none of them will perfectly fit any
argument, but some structure is vastly preferable to no structure at all,
which is a far more common problem. The problem most people have in their
writing and speech is a lack of structure, and I think the school lessons you
evoke are meant to counter that by imposing some (even at the risk of making
essays boring and formulaic). I don't think the intention is to forevermore
make everyone write in the same structure (which would be a procrustean bed as
you mention), but more to show people that you can use structure, and employ
it persuade and explain. Students are then expected to grow out of that
structure later or explore other possible structures.

Once you understand the mechanics of argument, you can then break them with
great effect, but only if you do it sparingly, and it's best to know the rules
in order to know when you're breaking them.

A far more insidious problem nowadays in terms of imposed structure is the
habit people have of making a list (as the OP does) as if this is a substitute
for properly structuring their thoughts - to me that's a cop-out and not far
above no structure at all. Usually the results are then labelled _top n x_ or
_n things you didn 't know about x_ and contain more than n examples of x,
without any attempt at an introduction or a conclusion.

~~~
mtinkerhess
"Just way what you mean" embodies its own spirit: get your point across,
correctness be damned.

~~~
knob
your write

[[apologies to original poster in /. years ago]]

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mbrock
Write as a way to kill yourself. They say kill your darlings, I say kill
yourself. Be so clear it hurts. If that cuts your essay down to two sentences,
wonderful. Make sentences that feel weird at first. Surprise us. So much
writing is just blah blah blah. Read skilled writers. Eat them, assimilate
their strength. Learn words. Write short sentences. Write long sentences. Read
aloud. Don't hide, come forward. Grab my shoulders and say are you even
fucking listening. Listen to yourself. Write for someone. Admit your
stupidity. No, don't do that, be reckless. Punch me. Don't worry, I'll punch
back. We're on this planet together. Words are missiles.

~~~
jamesbritt
Also try pithy.

~~~
PebblesRox
But don't avoid long sentences altogether. Mix them in for some variety.

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davidvaughan
"Before you type even a word, determine what you want to say."

I disagree. Writing is part of the process of determining what you want to
say. It's an imaginary conversation with your reader and with your conscience.

We all have vast quantities of ideas bouncing around in our heads, like those
animated gifs of Brownian motion. Writing is a way of coralling them.

It's useful to cultivate an inner voice that asks "is that true?". Every time
you write a word, get your voice to ask if that word is true. Which actually
sounds very like insanity, but seems to work.

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vonskippy
"How to Write the Shit Out of Something".

Maybe write it so that people can understand what the fuck you're trying to
say?

Does it help swearing in your writing - apparently so?

I have no clue what "Shit" and "Writing" have to do with each other.

Ironic that a article that in theory (I'm guessing) is about writing clearly
and concisely, has a title that says NOTHING about what the article is about.

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delluminatus
I love this site's design. It's clean without being empty. The colors are
simple and warm. The font is intriguing and readable.

Oh, and the article is good, too. Even if a lot of it may seem obvious, I
think many people (myself included) need to be reminded that writing with
brevity and emphasis is important for readability.

Anyone interested in a more in-depth consideration of improving your writing
style would be well-advised to read "Line by Line: How To Edit Your Own
Writing" by Claire Kehrwald Cook. It describes not only common grammatical
errors and how to avoid them, but also strategies for condensing your prose
(like avoiding the passive voice). It's also a good way to introduce yourself
to the language of grammar (voices and tenses and participles, oh my!) If you
find yourself writing things like, "Emergency lights flashing, cars pulled
aside as the ambulance roared past," this book can help.

~~~
thoughtpalette
The leading/line-height could be greater imo, but definitely a good read.

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Tezro
What a coincidence! Today there was a retweet in my twitter stream of a essay
from American Scientist. The title is "The Science of Scientific Writing".
While not everything may be appropriate to blog postings, nevertheless it
contains some timeless hints. Here is the URL:

[http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/id.877,y.0,no.,conte...](http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/id.877,y.0,no.,content.true,page.1,css.print/issue.aspx)

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c0deporn
Excellent article. The points about cutting the fluff and provide a solution
are critical, in my opinion, to a piece that's worth spending my time to read.
Most opinion based articles tend to restate the obvious but never offer
anything beyond that. Great, so you can write about what everyone already
knows, good for you! Give me something to care about.

I'll be sharing this with my twitter followers.

~~~
ryansan
_Most opinion based articles tend to restate the obvious but never offer
anything beyond that._

As a web manager, this is something I struggle with at my company on a regular
basis. It's great to have a stance and all, but then you're just a talking
head and nothing more. There needs to be a little soul behind what you're
saying.

Offer solutions, not problems.

The other thing I'd add is that fluff is something I've personally struggled
with when I write something. I often go back to Edgar Allan Poe's guidelines
for writing short stories:

 _In the whole composition there should be no word written, of which the
tendency, direct or indirect, is not to the one pre-established design._

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kens
Anyone have book suggestions on how to improve technical blog writing?
(Something more specific than Strunk & White.)

~~~
mattwrench
My suggestion for all non-fiction writing is On Writing Well by William
Zinsser. It's got sections on many different topics (including some technical
writing), but its stylistic advice is the best.

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tazzy531
Does anyone have a good recommendation for a writing/blog platform?

I am looking for something that is simple and non-intrusive that I can just
put up random thoughts.

Medium and Svbtle seem good and clean, but I don't have an invite.

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D9u
_...some with hate you for it..._

I find that proofreading my writing helps to avoid such errors...

~~~
karjaluoto
Even when I proofread, I do sometimes miss certain misteaks.*

Most of my posts are written on an iPhone. As such, autocorrect sometimes
"fixes" these sorts of things. Sadly, these changes often look right even when
I scan over my writing with the aim of catching errors.

*Yes, I know.

~~~
jackowayed
Read it aloud. You'll catch typos (save homophones), awkward phrasing,
sentences that are long and confusing, and more.

