Oct | 09 | 2007

More Thoughts on Writing

Posted by Jimmy as Blog Tutorial, Writing

I am still in a pensive mood as I start writing this post for today. Here are more thoughts on writing that I think we should consider when we have time.

Easy reading is damn hard writing. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

I suppose most people know him for The Scarlett Letter but writers should know him for this quote! It is true that is quite easy to write – just type your thoughts onto your computer. That is no guarantee that your readers will find your written work easy to read, though. When writing blog posts, we should always bear our readers in mind. They should not have a hard time getting what we want to point out. Hawthorne was right, that is damn hard writing at times!

Here’s another quote and it couldn’t have been phrased better:

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. ~Mark Twain

How many times have I paused while writing, just so I could get the perfect word or phrase? The best writers probably experience the same thing – I am sure if Mark Twain were alive he could attest to that. I guess thinking about this quote works both ways for me.

One, I should not despair when I hit a brick wall because I cannot find the right words. Two, I should take my time in finding the right phrasing for my writing and not settle for the “almost right word.”

What do you guys think?

7 Responses

microsoft » More Thoughts on Writing by Blog Tutorials
09|Oct|2007

[...] Check it out! While looking through the blogosphere we stumbled on an interesting post today.Here’s a quick excerpt CDs and DVDs with d_skin Bungie Leaving Microsoft Blogging in a Train and Other Geekiness [...]
Computers » More Thoughts on Writing by Blog Tutorials
09|Oct|2007

[...] Check it out! While looking through the blogosphere we stumbled on an interesting post today.Here’s a quick excerpt for this quote! It is true that is quite easy to write â just type your thoughts onto your computer [...]
Jaren
10|Oct|2007

hahaha.. you know what the funny thing is…

I know the scarlet letter the movie version before I read the book… because I got confused watching the movie…
Jaren
10|Oct|2007

I think.. when stumped and backed in a corner when you can’t fight the right word..

I relax, and do other things which are very irrelevant to what I’m doing, like playing video games to “clear my cache”… and to help me get fresh ideas!
makoy
10|Oct|2007

I’ve encountered that many times when I can’t think of the right word. My quick solution to that is to ask my online friends or google it.
Jimmy
11|Oct|2007

Hey Jaren, yeah, relaxing and fiddling around with other stuff usually does the trick for me too and if it doesn’t, Makoy’s solution is what I turn to.
Jaren
22|Oct|2007

yeah makoy’s solution does work… searching for the right word by “googling it”, and also with the help of friends… you might even find, great and weird alternatives to the words your looking for.. ahh the power of friends…

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