Take the Helm of Writing Style

• I bought this book thinking it might be useful for Essay Writing.

• Even if it turns out not to be helpful, I believe learning how to craft descriptive sentences can be beneficial in itself.

• It seems like it could also be useful for IB Japanese (usually I’m learning decode, but this book teaches encode).

• Overall thoughts:

  • While there are various techniques, I don’t necessarily have to aim for poetic writing with them.
    • As mentioned in [[20210804 Overseas University Exam Log #3#610a921f71eb9f0000e22a44]],
    • When aiming to write in my own style (even though I’m not sure what that is), I want to use techniques to enhance the quality of my writing.

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• Introduction:

  • A book that teaches how to show rather than tell.
    • Methods of narrating something.
    • Targeting descriptions of actions and behaviors rather than static scenes or states.
      • i.e. Change
      • It doesn’t have to be something active, but when describing a process like walking down a street or a thought process, or any kind of change.
  • Art can be achieved through skill.
    • While artistic sense may involve talent and luck, skills can be learned.
  • Writing as craftsmanship.
    • The act of writing itself can become enjoyable.
    • Indeed, considering writing as craftsmanship and enjoying writing essays seems important (blu3mo).

• Personal reflections:

  • Even when reading silently, one can feel the rhythm while reading.
    • When writing, one should pay attention to that rhythm and design the “resonance” (cadence, intensity, fluency, etc.).
    • It seems beneficial to consider how the intonation would be when voiced.
  • “How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin” | Just So Stories | Rudyard Kipling | Lit2Go ETC
    • Sensing the cadence.
      • Lists flow smoothly.
      • Difficult proper nouns might trip up a bit.
    • The resonance in the repetition part is noticeable.
      • Wondering what other devices are used in the rest of the text.
    • Occasionally, it feels like there’s rhyme.
  • The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (Well, thish-yer ~)
    • Feeling the rhythm through the contrast between long sentences connected with “and” and concise ones ending with ”, too.”
    • Phrases enclosed by commas in the text create rhythm.
      • Like “you understand;” or “and well he might be,”
  • Excerpt from Their Eyes Were Watching God | Zora Neale Hurston (So the beginning ~)
    • Towards the middle and end, there’s a sense of closure.
      • The sentences are not lengthy.
      • The intonation of the final word feels like it’s going down.
      • Each period is strongly felt.
    • It would be powerful if this kind of closure could be achieved in an essay (blu3mo).
      • Listening to the resonance seems to be about that.
    • In the Japanese translation, there are consecutive “was.”
      • Probably to create the same sense of closure.
  • The Hearts of Horses
    • Creating a rhythm with “rocking back and forth,” ~~, ~~, ~~?
    • Subsequently, a rhythm of ~~~ and ~~~ and ~~~~ is developed.
      • Expressing the feeling of crying and then feeling relieved, with time passing quickly?

• Periods:

  • Periods are tools to convey the way sentences are heard and resonate (refer to the previous section).
    • They highlight emotions and understanding.

• Sentence length and complex syntax:

  • Sentences should make sense.
    • This issue is common in Japanese sentences.
    • I believe it’s not a problem for me in Japanese, but I’m unsure about English.
      • After reading the example sentences, I might feel discomfort, so I want to believe it’s okay.
  • Relative changes in sentence length create rhythm.
    • In poetry, rhythm is often created within a single sentence.- When writing a piece, the rhythm is often created not only by the content but also by the length of the sentences.
  • There is no ideal sentence length; it’s best to have variety.

• Repetitive expressions

  • If used carelessly, it can make the writing sound childish.
  • If incorporated naturally, it can add strength.
  • Instead of repeating expressions in close proximity, repeating them in distant parts can also be effective.
    • It’s not beneficial to repeat without reason, but repeating can be effective when there is a common concept being conveyed.
  • Is there an image of expressions resonating with each other?

• Adverbs/Adjectives

  • They can enhance expressions in various ways.
  • However, using them excessively can make the writing noisy.
    • One solution to make it clearer is to incorporate them into verbs.
    • For example, “they ran quickly” can become “they raced.”
    • “a growling voice” can become “a growl.”
  • Words that tend to soften the writing are often used.
    • Although they are frequently inserted, it’s not beneficial.
    • Words like “kind of,” “sort of,” “just,” are examples.
  • Some words start sounding uncool when overused.
    • Examples include “Great,” “Suddenly,” “Somehow,” etc.

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• Since school assignments are just right,

  • I want to practice creating a rhythmic flow in my storytelling.

• Thoughts after reading others’ work

  • I noticed that I don’t write descriptive scenes.
    • It seems beneficial to be more conscious about it.
    • I only mention the subject without describing the background.
    • While the imagery exists in my mind, I am not effectively sharing it.