The Writer's Technique in Thirteen Theses

THE WRITER'S TECHNIQUE IN THIRTEEN THESES

1. Anyone intending to embark on a major work should be lenient with himself and, having completed a stint, deny himself nothing that will not prejudice the next.
2. Talk about what you have written, by all means, but do not read from it while the work is in progress. Every gratification procured in this way will slacken your tempo. If this regime is followed, the growing desire to communicate will become in the end a motor for completion.
3. In your working conditions avoid everyday mediocrity. Semi-relaxation, to a background of insipid sounds, is degrading. On the other hand, accompaniment by an etude or a cacophony of voices can become as significant for work as the perceptible silence of the night. If the latter sharpens the inner ear, the former acts as a touchstone for a diction ample enough to bury even the most wayward sounds.
4. Avoid haphazard writing materials. A pedantic adherence to certain papers, pens, inks is beneficial. No luxury, but an abundance of these utensils is indispensable.
5. Let no thought pass incognito, and keep your notebook as strictly as the authorities keep their register of aliens.
6. Keep your pen aloof from inspiration, which it will then attract with magnetic power. The more circumspectly you delay writing down an idea, the more maturely developed it will be on surrendering itself. Speech conquers thought, but writing commands it.
7. Never stop writing because you have run out of ideas. Literary honour requires that one break off only at an appointed moment (a mealtime, a meeting) or at the end of the work.
8. Fill the lacunae of inspiration by tidily copying out what is already written. Intuition will awaken in the process.
9. Nulla dies sine linea ['No day without a line'] – but there may well be weeks.
10. Consider no work perfect over which you have not once sat from evening to broad daylight.
11. Do not write the conclusion of a work in your familiar study. You would not find the necessary courage there.
12. Stages of composition: idea – style – writing. The value of the fair copy is that in producing it you confine attention to calligraphy. The idea kills inspiration, style fetters the idea, writing pays off style.
13. The work is the death mask of its conception.

How to Write with Style for the US Market - Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut outlines eight rules for great writing:

Find a Subject You Care About
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.

I am not urging you to write a novel, by the way — although I would not be sorry if you wrote one, provided you genuinely cared about something.

A petition to the mayor about a pothole in front of your hose or a love letter to the girl next door will do.

Do Not Ramble, Though I won’t ramble on about that.

Keep It Simple
As for your use of language: Remember that two great masters of language, William shakespeare and James Joyce, wrote sentences which were almost childlike when their subjects were most profound. ‘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 as glittering as a necklace for Cleopatra, but my favorite sentence in his short story ‘Eveline’ is just this one: ‘She was tired.’ At that point in the story, no other words could break the heart of a reader as those three words do.

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 heaven and earth.’

Have the Guts to Cut
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. Your rule might be this: If a sentence, no matter how excellent, does not illuminate your subject in some new and useful way, scratch it out.

Sound like Yourself
The writing style which is most natural for you is bound to echo the speech you heard when a child. English was the novelist Joseph Conrad’s third language, and much that seems piquant in his use of English was no doubt coloured by his first language, which was Polish.

Lucky indeed is the writer who has grown up in Ireland, for the English spoken there is so amusing and musical. I myself grew up in Indianapolis, where common speech sounds like a band saw cutting galvanized tin, and employs a vocabulary as un-ornamental as a monkey wrench.

I find that I trust my own writing most when I sound most like a person from Indianapolis, which is what I am. Others seem to trust it most, too.

What alternatives do I have? The one most vehemently recommended by teachers has no doubt been pressed on you, as well: to write like a cultivated Englishmen of a century or more ago.

Say What You Mean to Say
I used to be exasperated by such teachers, but no more. I understand now that all those antique essays and stories, against which I was to compare my own work, were not magnificent for their dated-ness or foreign-ness, 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.

Consequently, there strated 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 higgledly-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.

Readers want our pages to look very much like pages they have seen before. Why? This is because they themselves have a tough job to do, and they need all the help they can get from us.

Pity the Readers
Readers have to identify thousands of little marks on paper, and make sense of them immediately. They have to read, an art so difficult that most people don’t really master it even after having studied it all through grade school and high school — twelve long years.

So this discussion must finally acknowledge that our stylistic options as writers are neither numerous nor glamorous, since our readers are bound to be such imperfect artists.

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.

That is the bad news. The good news is that we Americans are governed under a unique constitution, which allows us to write whatever we please without fear of punishment.

So, the most meaningful aspect of our styles, which is what we choose to write about, is utterly unlimited.

For Really Detailed Advice
For a discussion of literary style in a narrower sense, a more technical sense, I commend to your attention The Elements of Style, by Strunk, Jr., and E. B. White.

Arguably, E.B. White is, one of the most admirable literary stylists this country (US) has so far produced.

You should realize, too, that no one would care how well or badly Mr. White expressed himself if he did not have perfectly enchanting things to say.

Further Reading
For more timeless wisdom on writing;

• H. P. Lovecraft’s advice to aspiring writers, 
• F. Scott Fitzgerald’s letter to his daughter, 
• Zadie Smith’s 10 rules of writing, 
• Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 guidelines for a great story, 
• David Ogilvy’s 10 no-bullshit tips, 
• Henry Miller’s 11 commandments, 
• Jack Kerouac’s 30 beliefs and techniques, 
• John Steinbeck’s 6 pointers, 
• Neil Gaiman’s 8 rules, 
• Margaret Atwood’s 10 practical tips, and 
• Susan Sontag’s synthesized learnings.

8 tips on writing from Kurt Vonnegut

1. Use the time of a total stranger (the reader) in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
4. Every sentence must do one of two things a)reveal character or b)advance the action.
5. Start as close to the end as possible.
6. Be a Sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them so the reader may see what they are made of.
7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world your story will get pneumonia.
8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To hell with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.

Writing the Perfect Outline

Screenwriters work the same way – the outline is your blueprint. Never write without a plan; that’s screenwriting suicide. An outline gets you thinking (and all writing IS thinking), but it also keeps you focused and on track.

But how do you design that prefect outline? First off, nothing is universally perfect. Some writers put together comprehensive 20 page point outlines, plotting in every scene, even tossing in lines of potential dialogue. For other writers, breaking down the broad strokes of the eight sequences and making sure there is a clear central obstacle within each sequence is enough. But still others simply clarify the five major plot points.

Part of discovering the perfect outline, however, is trying different approaches and using what works best for you as well as for the script you are writing at the time. The more formulaic the genre (e.g. rom-coms), the more useful a detailed outline can be. An indie drama, on the other hand, may breathe better with more flexibility in the plan.

Regardless the many variables, however, I would argue that the most rudimentary outline must include these FIVE CORE ELEMENTS:

1. the protagonist and his or her goal, 
2. the supporting cast and what they each want, 
3. the beginning and end, 
4. the five major plot points, and
5. the order of events, sequences, and act divisions.

Improve you About page on your blog

Almost as important as your website’s home page is the about page. This is your opportunity to build rapport with your guests — a chance to introduce yourself and to explain the aim of your website. Here are 10 tips that’ll have your own page in excellent shape.

1.Offer your name. It’s a blatantly obvious addition, yet so many about pages don’t get personal.
2.Include a photo. People like to see who they’re dealing with. A smile can work wonders, too. If there’s a team behind the website, include them all (even the cleaner plays an important role).
3.If it’s just you, write in the first-person. If someone asks what I do for a living, I don’t say, “David’s a graphic designer.” Use “I,” not “he/she.” It’ll help make you seem more personable.
4.Think about your visitor’s needs. Sure, you’re talking about yourself, but imagine you’re a potential client reading about you. What does the client get from contacting you?
5.Keep it current. Check the content every few weeks or every month to ensure it’s up-to-date. Perhaps you’ve moved home/office, or perhaps you offer a new product or service.
6.Show your location. By including a photo of your office, your town or city, you let people get that little bit closer, helping build rapport.
7.Short and sweet beats long and sour. Ask someone to have a look at your page. It shouldn’t take any longer than a minute to read, and the reader should learn something new about you.
8.Keep it professional. Smiley faces won’t help you clinch that £10,000 deal.
9.Experiment with video. Letting your visitors see and hear you can have a hugely beneficial effect when it comes to building trust online. (If you’re too self-conscious, why not start with an audio podcast?)
10.Add a call to action. Where should visitors go after they’ve read about you? Your design portfolio? Your contact page? Make it easy — include a link within the text.
One more thing, don’t take yourself too seriously.

Dyslexia: Books to help children enjoy reading

Today is World Book Day, so what better day than this to focus on books that can help children understand dyslexia and also books that might help dyslexic children experience the joy of reading.

What to look for when choosing books for young dyslexic readers;

• for younger children, look for colourful and engaging illustrations. It breaks up the text into more manageable pieces.

• short sentences are best

• as is clear and bold fonts

• look for chapters or stories that aren’t too long

• a subject that will engage the children and encourage them to visualise

Books that help explain dyslexia to children

It’s Called Dyslexia (Live and Learn Series) by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos

This book is an illustrated picture storybook told from the child’s point of view, that encourage kids never to be afraid of a challenge. The child in this story knows the alphabet, but she sometimes has trouble putting all the letters together to read words. No matter how hard she tries, she often mixes up the letters or writes them backwards. She’s unhappy until her teacher explains that she has dyslexia, and that she can be helped to read and write correctly. There is also a parent’s section at the back of the book.

My Name Is Brain Brian by Jeanne Betancourt

The story that sets out of offer hope to dyslexic children through the central character of Brian, Brian is really smart he just learns differently. The book starts by telling the story of a boy who has dyslexia but does not know it. The other children at Brian’s school make fun of him because he makes many mistakes when reading aloud and while writing on the board. His parents believe that he is just lazy. However a caring teacher recognises the symptoms of dyslexia and sets out to get Brian the help he needs. Brian is embarrassed that he needs the extra help in school. After Brian’s teacher begins to explain dyslexia more to him, he begins to understand that he needs the extra help because his brain learns differently.

So You Think You’ve Got Problems? by Rosalind Birkett

This easy-to-read book is for dyslexic children of all ages. It explains, simply and sympathetically, what is happening to them, and how they can be helped to overcome their problems. It also hopes to show children that they are not alone in their difficulties, and that there are others with the same problems. The aim of this colourful book is to put dyslexia into perspective, particularly for a child, but for parents also.

Books that dyslexic children may enjoy reading

Chrysalis Book series

Chrysalis Children’s Books has introduced READ™, a special new typeface used in educational books that makes reading more accessible to children. READ’s specially designed letter shapes and even letter spacing make books more inviting for all children. READ™ is particularly helpful for young readers, reluctant readers and of course readers with dyslexia.

Books include series on Wild Animals, How Things Have Changed, The Senses, A First Look at Art, Sing and Play, Everyday Food, and Little Hands.

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

Written in buoyant easy-to-read prose. This book uses phonics and rhyming in a way children find fun and enjoyable. It can raise the confidence in reluctant readers, as they are small books they can read all the way through all by themselves.

Candyfloss by Jacqueline Wilson

Jacqueline Wilson is one of the most popular kids authors ever. Her genius lies in getting inside children’s heads, convincingly capturing their voices and feelings. Nick Sharratt’s simple illustrations punctuate the chapters and help explain the story.

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

In this book, the narrator is involved throughout the gripping story which makes an interesting read. It is well written and action-packed. It’s not a long book, so it’s great for reluctant readers.

Horrid Henry series by Francesca Simon

Funny books reluctant and struggling readers respond well to. The adventures of that most horrible kid, Horrid Henry have short and easy to manage chapters, and brilliantly illustrated.

Slam by Nick Hornby

This book is a good coming of age novel, especially for boys. An excellent story with some hilarious moments. The central character Sam loves music and skateboarding and has met a girl, things in which the reader can relate to.

There is also the book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians in which the central character is dyslexic and a superhero. The first book The Lightning Theft has recently been made in to a blockbuster movie, making it the perfect time to introduce the stories to your children

Writing Easily Read Text and Readability Scales - Flesch-Kincaid

The Flesch/Flesch–Kincaid readability tests are designed to indicate comprehension difficulty when reading a passage of contemporary academic English.

There are two tests, the Flesch Reading Easiness, and the Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level. Although they use the same core measures (word length and sentence length), they have different weighting factors, so the results of the two tests correlate approximately inversely: a text with a comparatively high score on the Reading Ease test should have a lower score on the Grade Level test. Both systems were devised by Rudolf Flesch.

Flesch Reading Ease
In the Flesch Reading Ease test, higher scores indicate material that is easier to read; lower numbers mark passages that are more difficult to read. The formula for the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) test is;

Scores can be interpreted as shown in the table below.

Score Notes

• 90.0–100.0 easily understandable by an average 11-year-old student
• 60.0–70.0 easily understandable by 13- to 15-year-old students
• 0.0–30.0 best understood by university graduates

Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest magazine has a readability index of about 65, Time magazine scores about 52, an average year 7 student's (eleven years old) written assignment has a readability test of 60-70 (and a reading grade level of 6-7) and the Harvard Law Review has a general readability score in the low 30s.

The highest (easiest) readability score possible is around 120 (e.g. every sentence consisting of only two one-syllable words); there is no theoretical lower bound on the score—this sentence, for example, taken as a reading passage unto itself, has a readability score of about 48.23. This paragraph has a readability score of about 50.91.

Government Agencies

Many government agencies require documents or forms to meet specific readability levels.
The U.S. Department of Defense uses the Reading Ease test as the standard test of readability for its documents and forms. Florida requires that life insurance policies have a Flesch Reading Ease score of 45 or greater.

Use of this scale is so ubiquitous that it is bundled with popular word processing programs and services such as Google Docs, KWord, Pages, Lotus Symphony, Microsoft Office Word, WordPerfect, and WordPro.

Long words affect this score significantly more than they do the grade level score.

Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level
These readability tests are used extensively in the field of education. The "Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level Formula" translates the 0–100 score to a U.S. grade level, making it easier for teachers, parents, librarians, and others to judge the readability level of various books and texts.

It can also mean the number of years of education generally required to understand this text, relevant when the formula results in a number greater than 12. The grade level is calculated with the following formula:

The result is a number that corresponds with a grade level. For example, a score of 8.2 would indicate that the text is expected to be understandable by an average student in 8th grade (usually around ages 13–14 in the United States of America). This page has the score of 12.5.

The lowest grade level score in theory is -3.40, but, since there are few real passages that have every sentence consisting of two one-syllable words, this rarely occurs in practice.

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss comes close, averaging 5.7words per sentence and 1.02 syllables per word, with a grade level of -1.3. (Most of the 50 used words are monosyllabic; "anywhere", which occurs 8 times, is an exception.)

Writing Easily Read Text and Readability Scales - Gunning Fog

The Gunning Fog Index
In linguistics, the Gunning fog index is a test designed to measure the readability of a sample of English writing. The resulting number is a rough estimate of the number of years of formal education that a person requires in order to understand the text on a first reading.

That is, if a passage has a fog index of 12, it has the reading level of a U.S. high school senior. The test was developed by Robert Gunning, an American businessman, in 1952.

The fog index is generally used by people who want their writing to be read easily by a large segment of the population.

• Texts that are designed for a wide audience generally require a fog index of less than 12.
• Texts that require a close-to-universal understanding generally require an index of less than 8.

Calculating the Gunning fog index
The Gunning fog index can be calculated with the following algorithm:

1. Take a full passage that is around 100 words (do not omit any sentences).
2. Find the average sentence length (divide the number of words by the number of sentences).
3. Count words with three or more syllables (complex words), not including proper nouns (for example, Djibouti), familiar jargon or compound words, or common suffixes such as -es, -ed, or -ing as a syllable.
4. Add the average sentence length and the percentage of complex words
5. Multiply the result by 0.4

The complete formula is as follows:

While the index is a good indication of reading difficulty, it still has limitations. Not all multisyllabic words are difficult. For example, the word "asparagus" is generally not considered to be a difficult word, even though it has four syllables.

Until the 1980s this index was calculated differently. The original formula demanded independent clauses to be counted as separate sentences in determining the total score.

Since the purpose of the index was to measure the clarity of ideation within sentences, it recognised that readers perceive independent clauses as complete thoughts. This changes the sentence index for some writers more than others.

Schools - Parents of dyslexic children take control!

‘Schools’ - Parents of dyslexic children take control! | Dyslexic Brian

GOOD NEWS
There are thousands of great schools out there that are jam packed with brilliant teacher who know exactly how to support and encourage dyslexic children to learn to read, write and do well at school.

These teachers support dyslexic children to learn without them feeling too much (if any) negative difference between themselves and the other children in the class… These teachers have a knack for assisting dyslexic children to build up their confidence, self-esteem, self-belief, etc… These teachers are able to stimulate the minds of dyslexic children and show them that ‘learning’ is fun and worthwhile… Wow for teachers like this!

BAD NEWS
Unfortunately there are some ‘Schools of Dyslexia DOOM’ within the system. These schools seem to have a bit of an ‘anti-dyslexia culture’ going on. Some times this may show itself in very subtle ways that you can’t quite put your finger on – but you can feel it nevertheless.

Some times it may show itself in the attitudes of the teachers who just don’t believe that dyslexia exists – in which case you will be fighting a loosing battle to get your child the support they deserve.

Conclusion
Reading and writing are just skills that anyone who puts their mind to it can learn to do – dyslexic people are no exception here!