Writing about Writing

Not a random Internet pix. That's my horrendous handwriting alright.

Since I have been doing this for sometimes ( two decades plus), I feel comfortable now sharing some of my views, experiences, or knowledge - if at all they are of any value - in writing. I shall disseminate some, hopefully, useful pointers from time to time. No plans. Just by whim. Instinct. I started writing out some pointers last year and have pointedly abandoned it. Let’s restart it. Here you go.

Writing about writing #01

Long Sentences.

If you are writing long sentences, use commas adequately, and if it necessitates, use them generously, as is demonstrated in the very sentence you are reading. A lack of commas in a very long sentence will put the reader in a coma.

You see, punctuation gives a reader breathing space. Which, in turn, allows her a fraction of time to think, process, and figure out what the hell was that had to be read in a long stretch. Putting a comma before “and” is referred to as an Oxford comma. You can avoid it. It's pure snobbery at best. So, to summarise:

Write short sentences.

Like this.

Ciao – RKP 27/4/23

Writing about writing: #02

Using abbreviations

Or short form. Chat speak, that is. 2moro, stf lk tat.

Fine, I am okay with that. Having crossed the bridge from the analogue to the digital age, I am sort of able to adapt and understand, but at the same time, I am fond of the languages enough to not have to read them—by looking at what appears to look like pigeon’s diarrhea on screen—and I have to spend additional time deciphering them like bloody wartime code.

But it's okay to use them. Only be prepared to be misunderstood. It needed to be translated to whichever language the reader has in her head, from the chat language to the proper sentence, back to the mother tongue—not to mention the state of mind the person is in. A lot, I mean, shitload can be lost in that translation after translation, which leads to...

….misunderstanding. No? Think. Switch that flashback button. More on this later... RKP 28/4/23

Writing about writing: #03

Thoughts on why writing and speaking are different.

Those who speak well may not write just as well. Likewise, you would find great writers who are not quite as “flowing” and “flowery” when they talk. Some are just as gifted as both. When you write, you have the freedom of pausing, formulating thoughts, and kneading them into a fresh sentence. The best part is that you can correct, or even better, delete, the whole damn thing. Try that when having a conversation. You can go back, saying, “Oh, wait, erase what I said just now." Life doesn’t work that way because you are also erasing some of the better reputation you have been saving up until then. The media guys, though—the reporters on any platform—are fast. So, you will find them to be good conversationalists too. They can talk as they go. They appear on talk shows and dominate the proceedings. But you will still notice the difference in the way they write and talk. Choices of vocabulary are more apt and functioning in writing, not so when they are talking. This is especially true in a country like ours, where most of us have different mother tongues and learn another dominant language in school.

When talking in conversation, the audience varies. In writing, the group is larger, so you may be able to throw gravel and hit some of the right targets. Many would be clueless and would never be able to discern what you are trying to convey. Worse, they may not get your joke. But who knows? Slowly,  the masses may gather at your beckoning.

More, some other day, perhaps... RKP 14/2/2024