- You need to develop a broad spectrum of style and then be able to move from one end of the spectrum to the other as occasion demands.
- You’ll develop a basic style but inability to diversify is being like a baller with a drive but no jump shot.
- Questions to ask: What am I writing about? Who will read what I’ve written? Why did I write it?
- I’m writing about topics that I want to know more about.
- No one might ever read. Nonetheless, I’ll put it on the blog to make me more thorough.
- I write in order to form coherent thoughts and opinions.
- Complement the techniques with a serious and workable writing program.
- Learn to read with an eye to style. Copy the passage out, then write a structurally similar version on a different topic.
I should do more of this. Collections on Edge? OneNote Snippet on Mac?
- Practice the techniques of style till they become automatic
- Develop the important habit of revision and rewriting
Jottings
- No serious writer is ever without a notepad(or a phone…)
The Outline
- Don’t freeze your conceptions too soon - retain as much flexibility
Looks like one of those ‘comes-with-experience’ things.
The Rough Draft
- Concentrate on the subject, thesis and overall unity.
- Leave finer details for later. Get something to work on.
The Controlled Draft
- Eliminate, expand, rearrange and rephrase.
- Some information that could be helpful to the reader is lost, e.g. Why was a section eliminated/rearranged?
- Maybe I can configure Jekyll to retain commentary/revision.
The Polished Draft
- Check spelling, punctuation and grammar (but MS Word does this :-P)
The Cold Reading
- Leave it for 24 hours, then give it a final critical reading