ericamonge

Vocabulary

ericamonge — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:57:25 -0800

Every writer needs to build a vocabulary graveyard. Epitaphs serve as a reminder of words that deserve to die. If you take notice, you’ll find that certain words creep into stories and articles on a regular, and often annoying, basis. It’s time to put these words to rest - Permanently! Often, these words are adjectives, such as ‘usually’, ‘finally’, ‘largely’. Sometimes, these words are extra conjunctions that encourage run on sentences: ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘then’. Boost your writing skills by eliminating unnecessary words from your vocabulary.

The next step in building a strong voice as a writer is building a good vocabulary that encourages a wide variety of verbiage. Thinking that the thesaurus can provide for any kind of verbal substitution is a serious mistake. Good writers are distinguished by their ability to form and structure sentences. Use your brain and communicate effectively. In order to enhance your writing with unique words that may help to describe specific circumstances.

One way of becoming a good and affective communicator is by reading. Read classic literature. Find an inexpensive paperback copy of some good literature and tear out a few pages. Tape them to your desk, or pin them to your bulletin board. Read various genres and authors. My favorites include: Jack London, Mark Twain and Robert Frost. Subscribe to online dictionaries and word resources that offer newsletters and vocabulary building exercises.

Build your vocabulary and make good use of the words you know. Don’t hesitate to learn new words. Once these writing habits become second nature to you, they will find their way into your speech and elevate verbal communication as well. Then, reap the benefits of eloquence as people recognize your writing in public forum.

Context

ericamonge — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:00:00 -0800

Context. The key to unraveling and anticipating readership is to take context into consideration. A writer should approach their subject matter, professional, fictional, story or research with an idea of how this information will be used and assimilated in the reader’s mind. Questions to ask yourself:

For writers working on personal storytelling:
Who will be reading this?
Are there parts of this story that seem to personal to share?
How can I convey my emotional experiences and responses through my story to my reader?
What are the mundane details that I have left out?
Are these details important to understanding my story?
If publishing, will I remain more true to factual storytelling or to communicating personal perceptions?

For writing in one's profession:
Who will be reading this?
Does my reader have an education or professional experience that allows them to understand my career?
How can I describe professional interests in less professional terms?
What is my goal in writing for my profession?
Does my writing fit into a marketing strategy? If so, am I remaining true to my goals in self promotion?
What are my plans for publication?

For writers working on inspirational and self-improvement projects:
Who will be reading this?
How do I plan to publish, distribute my material?
Will I be including parts of my own personal story?
Do I plan to interview others to include their stories?
What are my credentials for advising?
Should I incorporate a professional perspective in my book/article(s), etc?

These questions will provide a starting place for writers looking to expand beyond journaling and engage in making their work public. There are so many options for publishing, and there are equally numerous reasons to publish. Consider hiring a coach to help you define and achieve your goals in writing and publication.

Election Day Coverage: Journalistic Integrity

ericamonge — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:58:29 -0800

As I was scanning the web for information on the outcome for U.S. Election 2008, I found an interesting headline, featuring an article by Gallup (a noted and reputable source of information obtained by polling and statistical research). The headline read “World Citizens Prefer Obama to McCain by More Than 3-to-1.”
Myself, being one who is ordinarily skeptical of vocabularic misrepresentation, decided to read further. I found the articles actual representation to be slightly more understandable - “among nations representing nearly three-quarters of the world’s population, 24% of citizens say they would personally rather see Obama elected president of the United States, compared with just 7% who say the same about McCain. At the same time, 69% of the world citizens surveyed did not have an opinion.” Sixty nine percent! Now that’s a more likely number in my mind. Beyond this, the article continues to point out that only about a quarter of those polled believe that the outcome of the U.S. Election makes a difference to their country.
I submit to you this example to show how misleading language can be. As a writer you should clearly outline your objectives before finalizing a piece for publication. I am not judging this technique as ineffective, only as dishonest. However, there are times when a writer must call upon a certain element of pathos in language in order to stir a response. Be discerning. Be sure to make intention an important practice in writing for publication. This includes blogging. As I always tell my writers - it is okay to break the rules, but first you must learn them, so that you break them responsibly. This separates the amateur from the professional.

Writing and Travel

ericamonge — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

This past summer, I served a historian’s purpose in San Jose, Costa Rica for a team of volunteers working on a restoration project. I captured the adventure of the excursion through blog and photography. With quick and easy access to the internet, daily blogs made simple, friends and family of the team kept up with the progress and intentions of the trip in real time.

One specialized purpose of writing is to communicate in such a way that allows people to participate vicariously through others. In this way, family, friends and communities can all share in travel and experience. Writing for the purpose of capturing and preserving a story is an essential part of preservation. A culture or people’s history becomes a beacon of revelation for the future. It is important to capture moments of expression, emotional reactions, creative discoveries and more. As society moves, change happens. Writers publish stories. Publications record responses. Creative arts express descriptions of societal development. All create connectivity for human kind through barriers of time and space.

The writer is historian; preserving identity, spreading ideology and unique perspectives. One thing a writer should consider when writing as historian is the writer’s own, self motivated, perspective. Of course, a person’s perspective will pervade paradigm. This comes across in writing, whatever the genre; whether exploring fiction or nonfiction, attempting to preserve accuracies, or creating metaphoric comparisons. Being aware of self motivation and presence in your writing will enhance your ability to communicate clearly. This especially rings true when a writer seeks to communicate a specific purpose or demonstration.

Discovery through travel and writing a cultural perspective in light of self awareness is a combination of great significance. A writer must pursue well being in their own individual passions and pursue self interest in order to write effectively and creatively.

Before the Ink Dries

ericamonge — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:49:49 -0700

Culture thrives on the expressive interpretation of both ordinary and extraordinary testimony by common people. An important part of cultural preservation happens through storytelling. While storytelling began orally, as materials became available, stories were captured by writers. There are lots of ways to find out how a past culture would preserve stories or information. One of the most common is through archeological excavation.

Through archeology, we learn about philosophies, technologies and language by digging up artifacts. I often wonder what the future would discover when observing the way we tell our stories today. Will technology preserve the millions of blogs and websites that thousands of people turn to for information? What about books? So many years after the invention of the printing press, books are published right and left and I wonder exactly which will be preserved to represent the whole of society.

Writing for the public was not always so sophisticated. It is only relatively recent for so many to have a public voice. Writing has not seemed ever to have been a glamourous career. In fact, many now famous writers lived a poor and unknown existence during their lifetime. But each has contributed a piece of their cultural history, preserved through their eyes as independent wordsmiths, artists seeking to capture a feeling or thought through poetry and literature. The value of such contributions is great, and since we have no evidence of video blogs before the twentieth century, preserved writings is the a choice method of cultural study and representation. Writing is a vital part of the world’s history; evidence of connection and relationship.

Now, we use computers, or at the very least a gel-based ballpoint pen, and I think about literary heroes who devoted themselves to writing despite difficulties of the medium, in many cases writing and rewriting with smudgy unrefined ink. And as they finished, I wonder what kind of brief thoughts raced through their head as they exhaled powerfully, using their own life breath to dry the ink on the page. Did they try to imagine the glory and fame that might one day be? Was it worry that their characters may be misunderstood? Or, was it a euphoric feeling of self fulfillment?

Before the ink dries, consider that what you have to say represents a culture of many who are connected through common understanding and reason. While it is true that in the present, your story is a unique contribution for today’s readers, your writing preserves more than only yourself to future generations.

Structure

ericamonge — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:29:17 -0700

Americans are particularly proud of speaking a globally popularized language. Nearly every other country in the world has adopted the English language as a common speech. A writer must be clued into context, though, in order to appropriately use language and effectively communicate understanding. This includes a conscious awareness of not only what is said, or written, but what sort of meaning is contained in words and phrases. Taking a side trip to the world of basic grammar and syntax, remember that words have a commonly understood, or dictionary, meaning. This is called denotation. But words also carry an aspect of significance that represents another meaning, a connotation, or derived meaning.

Understanding the nature of language is vital to writing well. It is simply not enough to look up words in a thesaurus and substitute them in hopes for variance. A simple way to keep language in perspective is by creating a list of words that are overused. There are many reasons why a writer would use the same word or phrase over and over again. The most common is familiarity. The second most common is limited vocabulary. When making a list of words-not-to-use, keep in mind that using these words isn’t a crime. Using them repeatedly, and especially when other words could be more precise, is detrimental.

Another common misunderstanding regarding syntax is that when trying to reach a ‘hipper’ ‘younger’ or ‘cooler’ audience, it is okay to throw the rules out the window. While I am a big advocate of breaking rules, it is important to use discretion, and by that I mean you’re only allowed to break the rules when you can identify exactly which rules you are breaking. No matter how outside-the-box your audience is, they still read with a common understanding of traditional syntax and grammar. If what you have to say is going to get across in writing, it will do so most effectively when it follows order.

Keeping up with grammar takes work. Invest in a resource that will help troubleshoot confusing phrases and terminology. Depending on the venue of publication, a variety of guides may be found at a local bookstore. Try being conscious of the number of words and the use of words in writing. Paying attention to details of syntax and structure in writing will only better the finished product.

Allegory

ericamonge — Fri, 23 May 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Allegory is one excellent way to preserve truth in a relative format. Storytelling appeals to everyone. The lure of an allegory is in expressive language and colorful imagery. Using words to paint a picture in the mind is the sign of a true creative. Using that imagery to express an idea is pure genius. Spirituality has offered an abundance of material for allegorical expression. Authors such as Calvin Miller, C.S. Lewis and John Bunyan wrote creatively to express a spiritual journey. Allegory is not exclusive to one faith or religious movement. Many authors seek to communicate an effective truth using the appeal of storytelling.

Stories of the hero or warrior have circulated in many parts of the world, many reflecting a significant journey of faith and belief in the supernatural. American culture presents a sort of spiritual journey in comic book mythology. Many superheroes have embarked on a journey of self discovery, pertaining to a human element within them. The stories of such journeys serve as an access point to relation for humanity. It is through storytelling that the reader engages with a character and finds themselves in a place of empathetic response. It is as if the reader participates in a journey they would otherwise never experience and comes to learn the lesson of the character.

In order to write allegory, it is imperative to first determine the value or moral that will result from enlightenment. Once the value is determined, character development allows for relationship. The character is the one for whom the reader cheers and sorrows. As the journey deepens, the reader becomes more and more a part of the experience. Writing the journey itself is the storyteller’s canvas. The path to enlightenment for our hero will be plagued with trials which mirror those of a common human’s plight, yet may be set in a fantastic world of imagination. Hence, while the reader is lost in a story of colorful delight, they are also learning lessons of value.

I am a sucker for a great action flick, especially if it stars a certain ruggedly handsome hero, donning a fedora. Though, for all its charm and intrigue, it surprises me that the adventure rarely changes. The story line shows a characters normative, their fears, points of sensitivity and stress, and then the plot inevitably brings the hero to a place of exposure and vulnerability wherein a lesson is exposed. Is it about who you should trust? Is it about decisions? Family? Or simply a reminder that we should never leave home without a swiss army knife and a bull whip.

The best way to become a writer of allegory is to become a reader of allegory. Engage with other writers through their work. Writers don’t just write, they read; and it is an unquenchable thirst for perpetuating the art of storytelling that urges the reader to write. A writer must never forget that the reader is waiting to discover the great truths that lie below the surface.

Perception

ericamonge — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:00:00 -0700

It occurs to me that considering perception is the most important thing to remember in communication. It has been said that in a conversation between two people, one must never assume to be fully understood, nor to fully understand. In writing, this is a most distinct responsibility. It is a one way conversation in which the author must become responsible for managing misunderstanding. In the world of writing, the most broadly defined consideration for this idea is capture in two words: target audience. In coaching writers, a prerequisite topic of discussion is that of perception. How is your story presented? How will it be perceived? How should the author communicate presuppositions? These questions pound rhythmically in the mind of an editor. They can be learned by anyone.

As a person of faith and a professional editor, I meet many people who want to publish their faith experience. There is a great responsibility that comes with a testimony. That is to share it both freely and with discernment. Consider perception when crafting statements of purpose and communication. In the area of faith, perception presumes a more distinct role in communication. The process of human spirituality and divine authority is unique to individual ideals and cultural realities. While many belief systems default to one authority, it is truly a mystery when millions of people yield to a single interpretation. After all, any divine purpose laid in the hands of humanity is sure to cross a source of contention. And isn’t that a wonderful reason to write from a faith biased perspective; in order to share through the lens of unique human perception, spirituality.

Using the Christian Bible, one can see that narratives are rooted in various perceptions of faith and spirituality. The Genesis narrative points to God, Creator, laying the foundation for monotheism*, which was a revolutionary concept of spirituality when this story was told and retold, eventually written down for preservation. For those who followed the One God, this written word was a lifeline of hope and remembrance. To other nations, still heavily polytheistic*, this was foolishness. Writing down the testimonies of generations preserved not only a cultural truth, but a truth relative to later generations of monotheists. These stories have the benefit of a perceived value of rich historical heritage. The attributed value cannot be ignored by a present day reader. Not when the Bible remains the most popular piece of literature.

When authoring a personal testimony, consider possible perceptions that may cause difficulties in communicating certain truth. Write to address these perceptions; seek to unveil the mystery of understanding. Addressing the obvious conclusions will eliminate a the mass of misperception. Seek to be a bringer of truth in a meaningful way.

*simply, monotheism is belief in one God; polytheism is belief in many gods.