The Great Debate, Content Vs. Mechanics

The Great Debate, Content Vs. Mechanics

The Great Debate, not the one about astronomy in 1920, but the one about writing. It is about the message and the mode. The quality of writing is mostly dependent on the message, the content, not the mechanics. So, what makes good content? Most importantly the writer has to have an idea that leaves the reader thinking and possessing a greater understanding of the world. An example of this could be memoirs from athletes or other well-known people who don’t have a career in writing. They often tell great stories with amazing content that does not rely on the structure of the writing. For example, Tommy Caldwell’s The Push, a story of his climbing career, emphasizing his journey up the Dawn Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite, is exciting but definitely doesn’t intend to teach anyone sentence structure or grammar. “If you don't own your grunt work, can you really say you've done the climb” (Caldwell, The Push). Caldwell uses simple language and still gets his point across. Of course he had an editor, but the editor realized that the reader wants to hear Caldwell’s story, not a lesson in brilliant writing. Again, Caldwell’s writing is not particularly amazing regarding sentence structure, word choice, or grammar but the story and the message behind it is among the best I have ever read. And there are examples when excellent grammar and structure exist in a piece that is totally lacking in valid content.

Some non-fiction writing may have good grammar and structure that can actually deceive readers, distracting them from evaluating the content properly. The content in a piece may be a lie but if, presented with flawless wording, can convince the reader of its credibility. Recently, the term “Fake News” has been used in reference to the journalistic invention. For example, TIME Magazine’s writer Zeke Miller reported that President Donald Trump had removed a bust of Martin Luther King from the oval office. Miller has written many articles for TIME with excellent grammar, word choice and whatever else typically constitutes good writing in an egotistical English class, which is most of them, but in this case, Miller wrote a technically well-written piece that was entirely false. Another example of deception would include the statistic from Everytown for Gun Safety that there have been 18 school shootings in 2018. Everytown for Gun Safety tweeted: “Our hearts are with all those impacted by the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida today. This is the 18th school shooting in the U.S. in 2018” (@Everytown). While this tweet may seem correct and is a clear and concise statement, it is factually incorrect, as proved by The Washington Post. And though a tweet may not seem like much, those few sentences reached thousands of people. This statistic was also reported by CNBC, who later changed the incorrect information but not before presenting false information to even more of the population.

 

The importance of content should be obvious. Spelling, grammar, and structure should aid the content not be used as distractions. Correct information helps humanity to progress. In his memoir, Caldwell recounts the long journey of his climbing career up to the point of completing the first free ascent of the Dawn Wall. Caldwell’s narrative of his life was clear and very empowering but his writing was nothing of note:

"I've always loved the idea that passion breeds success. I now realize, much to my chagrin, that telling someone who doesn't feel the fire to simply follow his passion is a little like telling someone who doesn't have any legs to run to the fridge and get you a sandwich" (Caldwell, The Push).

There is no elegance of vocabulary or complex grammatical structures. This is also true in the memoir Living with a SEAL in which Jesse Itzler documents living with David Goggins for a month in preparation for an ultra-marathon. The 300-page New York Times bestseller summed up in few words: motivation comes from within and to succeed is to get better at being uncomfortable. Both of these books are critically acclaimed, but neither is magnificently well written in a technical sense, “every day do something that makes you uncomfortable. —SEAL” (Itzler, Living with a SEAL). Nothing too complex about that right? It is their messages that make these books great.

It can also be seen in shorter works that content matters more than the even mechanics of the piece. The quotation below is an effort by the writer to explain why FDR’s New Deal was ineffective. “As a whole the New Deal did not address unemployment very well, it never reached below 10% until the eve of the second world war in 1941” (Sagar, “New Deal Effectiveness”). The point is very well formulated, that FDR’s New Deal failed to decrease unemployment, but there are some grammatical errors. Here is what the correct sentence should look like: As a whole, the New Deal did not address unemployment very well: it never reached below 10% until the eve of the Second World War in 1941. Another example could come from a recounted memory; this student wrote about a hike into the mountains, “the approach was beautiful, though I don't remember much of it, the rest of the day took up all the memory storage there is” (Sagar, “Personal Flight”). The student speaks about the beauty of a hike, but he also alludes to that fact that there is more to come in the piece, an approach that makes for a good hook sentence which draws the reader in. However, the sentence is flawed; between the “it” and “the rest,” the comma should be replaced with a semicolon. In other words, a sentence may communicate the information effectively even if it is structurally incorrect may. But structural perfection does not guarantee that the sentence is truthful, as seen in the following sentence about democracy: The best kind of democracy allows for people to better themselves, in turn gaining more power to direct in whatever way the government should move forward. While this is a grammatically correct sentence and may seem correct because democracy is about the people’s ability to hold power, after more consideration, this is not a true democracy. In a true democracy every person has an equal say in voting and governmental issues, and even though some may be better off than others, everyone is still equal. The whole idea of writing is to convey a message, and if that message is untrue it is not helpful to society.

The point of this blog is not to completely discount the mechanics of writing, but to show that content is the essence and style should support it. It all comes back to the ultimate goal of conveying a message, the reason why writing, and communication, was created. Logos, pathos, and ethos, according to Aristotle, these are the three main components of rhetoric. The two that are most important are logos and ethos: the logic behind an argument and credibility of the source. Even thousands of years ago, Aristotle understood that the content is what is important in forming a good argument. Be it to win an argument, recount a story, convey scientific information, or write a letter to a loved one, the content is what matters as long the reader can understand the piece.

A Good Story...

What makes a story good story? I don't meant he greatest story in the world, all I mean is a story that has the essentials down and all the main pillars of a story covered. When it comes to stories, there might be many factors that make it good, but here are a few factors that I thought would be the most essential:

1- Coherence and Cohesion.

2- Descriptiveness and Emotion.

3- Story Development.

Reading a story with terrible grammar or without linking words can be a pain. Which is why it plays a very essential role in writing a great story. After all, a story would make no sense at all without grammar and punctuation. To maintain the coherence and cohesion of a story, you have to order events in a logical order and use proper punctuation, grammar, linking words...etc.

(I saw a bird. Then, I approached it. I heard its sound. I thought it was nice). This piece has “okay” grammar, but it is as boring and dry as it gets. (I spotted a gracefully gliding white bird like an angel in the sky. Its cries were the most soothing music I have ever heard. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful). This one on the other hand, is full of life, and an example of something I’d enjoy reading. Even though both writings are about the same exact thing, they couldn't be more different. The difference between the two is caused by the difference in descriptiveness between the two. That, and how much the writer cared about the writing and put his heart into it.

Every great story has a great storyline, and that great story line has five stages: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action,and resolution. The exposition is the stage where the story’s “world” is introduced to the reader. Rising action is when the events start progressing and building up, leading to the climax; where the elephant in the room is addressed. After that, falling action is when the events start to slow down and the story starts to clarify, leading to the resolution when the everything becomes clear, all mysteries uncovered and all issues resolved. The resolution is the most memorable part of a story; because it leaves a final impression on the reader.

No matter how good the story is, no matter how creative, coherent, cohesive, or descriptive the writer is, the conclusion defines the impression left in the reader’s head. So a dull conclusion leaves the reader with a dull impression of the story. “The resolution is the most memorable part of a story” (Almoamen). So when writing a story, forget the valuable lessons and the intriguing plot twists and the fascinating adventure. Instead, focus on how to best tell the story. How to maintain coherence, how to induce life into it, how to structure the story, and in the end, how to make the conclusion memorable.

Be a nonfiction master by following these three steps

Have you ever wondered what it takes to write a nonfiction piece? You many think  nonfiction is dull and boring, but what you don’t know is that nonfiction writing, if done right, can be very intriguing. Some of the greatest books ever written are nonfiction books, as nonfiction provides us with information that fiction could never do.  But how do you make nonfiction interesting for your reader? There are a few ways to grab your reader’s attention. The three keys to nonfiction that I tell my students is you need to add creativity to your writing, have strong knowledge and interest of the subject, and you must organize appropriately. I call these three keys “The Three Pillars”, and you must know them before you start writing. If you pay attention to “The Three Pillars” keys while writing, you will create a strong nonfiction piece, and will keep your reader engaged and interested in the writing.

Below I have listed “The Three Pillars”

Pillar One: Now this pillar is the root of nonfiction writing, it all starts with having a deep knowledge of your topic. To make nonfiction interesting for your reader, you need to present lots of facts in the writing. I recommend choosing a topic you’re interested in, so you will have motivation when researching.

Pillar Two: No one likes reading boring writing that is repetitive and robotic. Nonfiction can be guilty of this, as it takes more than listing facts. Depending on the nonfiction your writing make sure you create an interesting tone by being conscious of you diction. If you’re writing a memoir or a biography, have some character development or tell the story from different characters perspectives.

Pillar 3: Organization is important in all writing. Organization can mean organizing your thoughts, or how you’re going to present your thoughts. Outlines are great for organization, but it important that you remember that not all outlines are the same depending on the type of nonfiction you choose to write about. A science report outline will be different than a memoir about the civil rights movement.

How to write the best introduction #soamazing

Hey guys. How are you doing today? I'm doing amazingly, but one thing that has got me thinking is how can I write better introductions on my formal essays. Now, the introduction is the most important part of the piece. It must grab the reader’s attention through your introduction. I originally made a list of the things an introduction must do well, but that was way too long. Now I have narrowed it down to just 5 important things that an introduction must do well.

1.It must say what the piece is going to be about.

2. It must provide examples.

3. It must establish a mood for the piece.

4. It must speak to a certain set of people.

5.It must gain the reader’s attention from the start.

The first sentence is the most important sentence. If it's written poorly, it'll immediately throw the reader’s attention off and the reader will move on to a piece that captures their attention. Moreover, it can ruin the essay in its entirety.

All introductions being SEAF is another way to state the list of 5 that I had at the top. SEAF is a helpful acronym to consider when you are writing your introduction. It is easy to remember as it is quite quirky, but it's also easy to memorize. 

If you would like to explore a more expansive article on this, I encourage you to read the University of North Carolina's writing center's article.

REMEMBER: If you want to write right--write like the DarbT

Lil' DarbT

The Eye of the Beholder

Literature has surrounded human culture for hundreds of years, many still could not define literature from memory. By extracting the true meaning of literature, it can be shown how simple it can be defined. Literature is a piece of writing that speaks to or about the intermixing between culture and time. Therefore, the truest form of literary writing is non-fictional pieces because true stories allow for the reader to dive into the situation as if it had happened to them. Just like the feeling when watching a movie, and big bright letters at the beginning of the film flash before the eye which read “Based on a True Story.” Literature is more complex with strong and powerful writing that awakens your inner emotions, which movies simply cannot do.

Stripping back down from literature back to writing because literature consists of writing, but writing does not have to contain literature. Writing is taught to students throughout the traditional American schooling system, but many of the basics are overlooked. Voice being the most overlooked basic of them all. 

Russian Nesting Doll

Voice is like a Russian Nesting Doll consisting of diction, syntax, structure, and style. These basics do not just nest and rest inside the outer shell called voice, but influences how the piece comes across to the reader. Where the writer is a clothing designer curating their new line, but instead of stringing together thread and fabric words are used to form a sentences turning into larger pieces in the end. 

Starting with syntax, the first piece of thread to put together a sentence. Syntax is how the writer arranges the word in the sentence in order for ideas across in a functional way. Moving around and adding just a few words the can change the focus and meaning of the sentence. Then there is structure which can be looked as syntax’s older brother where syntax is the arrangement of word in a sentence and structure being the arrangement of sentences. Structure is not limited to introducing events in chronological order, but can be a way to express the writer’s style the last of the overlooked basics by schools. 

Style is how syntax and structure are used to string together the entire piece allowing for the voice of the piece to be heard. With style there is no set formula it is completely up to the how the writer wants the piece to be read. By manipulating the style the writer can force the reader to slow down and think or do the opposite by having a fast paced and exciting writing. Style influences pace, tone, and mood of a piece, but is still within the biggest Nesting doll of them all, voice. Voice, combines every technique for  a voice to project from the page; a true sign of literary excellence when done well. A writer who is capable to project ideas the way they express themselves in person has achieved what many strive to do.

The basics are just the necessary requirements before it can be considered literature. Culture and language play a large part in determining literature. Culture, language, and basic writing mechanics are the inner workings of literature. All which are highly overlooked when reading and writing literature. True enthusiasts will analyze all three parts and search for strengths and weaknesses. 

But, regardless of what society accepts as literature the true beauty lies in the readers hand. One reader may appreciate the clever use of breaking major grammatical rules, while another may think the writer is unskilled or apathetic. In both cases are correct interpretations of literature. Literature is math’s opposition, not having definite answers and incorrect processes. Literature does not need to hold these traits because it is an art form allowing for open mindedness and different point of views. Like a painting, literature is in the eye of the beholder.  

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