Writing...

What is writing?  And what is required to accomplish such a feet?  I believe you need inspiration to put words on a paper, or type them.  I mean, if you aren't inspired, if you don't believe in what you are writing, you're wasting your time along with those who read what you have written.  I don't know how people can just kick out a paper.. no thought required.  I know that I will sometimes go on rants that don't completely tie into what is supposed to be talked about, but I am writing what I feel and believe.  

I realize that I am not the perfect example at this whole blogging thing.  At the beginning I provided the reasons I find this difficult and it has been proven true.  But I am going to try to be better.  I made a statement that I was waiting the other day.  Waiting to get tired.  Waiting to stop being hungry.  Waiting for inspiration to do work.  But what finally hit me is that if I keep waiting... my life is going to pass me by.  So now I'm just a little torn.  Between whether I should be inspired in life or just do it.  Maybe its both.

Words...

Well, I am a little late getting this blog in, but hey, I'm here! So what I would like to talk about are words. In my life, especially lately, there have been a great deal of words expelled from the mouth and fingertips that I believe were not given enough consideration.

Neil Postman, author of Amusing Ourselves to Death, concluded at one point that the written word endures and the spoken word disappears. Overall, I can buy that. History is important and the only way we can learn about it is if it is preserved by writing it down. But we live in today. And today we remember those spoken words as well.

The Bible has many passages concerning the tongue and how it can be used for both good and evil.

In my Media Scriptwriting class it is stressed that word selection matters!! They must be colorful, evoke the senses, and empower the reader/listener.

So. To help myself I found a list of "feeling words" that I can refer to when I am writing copy so that I may get my audience emotionally involved. They are from the Leaders Guide of a book written by Terry Wardle in 2002. (You're going to have to visualize because it is in chart form)

Happy
--Strong-- certain, delighted, eager, excited, proud, thrilled, fine, marvelous, exhilarated, energetic, overjoyed
--Mild-- secure, lucky, good, loved, pleased, relieved, happy, optimistic, impressed, flattered, special
--Weak-- refreshed, encouraged, satisfied, content, comfortable, relaxed, calm, hopeful, grateful

Angry
--Strong-- furious, disgusted, exasperated, bitter, cheated, distraught, mad, indignant, irate, livid, used, fed up
--Mild-- aggravated, annoyed, disturbed, frustrated, irritated, peeved, turned off, distressed, irked, provoked
--Weak-- bothered, upset, put out, uptight, hurt, disappointed, displeased, ticked, disturbed

Sad
--Strong-- beaten, crushed, humiliated, lonely, lost, miserable, empty, rejected, hopeless, ashamed
--Mild-- disillusioned, left out, down, despairing, grieved, unhappy, sorry, hollow, guilty, embarrassed
--Weak-- glum, sober, apathetic, blue, downcast, low, disheartened, moody

Afraid
--Strong-- helpless, panicky, alarmed, horrified, intimidated, petrified, terrified, distraught
--Mild-- anxious, apprehensive, frightened, inadequated, insecure, rattled, tense, worried, uptight, harrassed
--Weak-- confused, jumpy, uneasy, jittery, nervous, on edge, out of place, shaky, suspicious, flustered

Lies, lies, lies..

So as I began to ponder what it meant to write, and then what it would mean to be a writer of media, one thought reverberated in my mind: LIE. To write is to spin a web of deceit, in hopes of capturing innocent bystanders minds. Honestly, it is so fake. Is there inspiration in writing? Is your own experience replicated in writing? You know what I was told all through high school in preparation for every important test? Just write whatever sounds the best, they won't know the difference! Well that sounds like a solid example of great morals to me. Not. But anyway, back to the most current expectation of my Media Communication major; scriptwriting. My Christian college is going to encourage me to learn the trait of beguilement. Awesome.
Okay, fine; I will present my reasoning for such sharp criticism of the art of writing. Maybe I do not find delight in activities that highlight my diminutive abilities. Or maybe I just desire some clarity. You see, I do not like to participate in things unless I understand what is expected of me. Considering Media Scriptwriting; what is best? Do I write for myself? Am I writing from me to you? Am I writing to you all? Is what I write to be defined by my own strengths and weaknesses or distorted? Now to get all churchy.. Should I be writing for the world or do I write a message into the world? I mean, duh, obviously the latter but you know why I asked. Am I creating a product for the profit or am I creating it out of a gift? As a writer, am I supposed to become vulnerable? Should my work be somewhat translucent? All of these questions were adapted from a message I heard on Sunday, but I can't help but set it against this whole writing thing. To put words on a page is a powerful thing. To shape other's thoughts and impose opinions has the potential to be a great tragedy.

Philip K. Dick said, "The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words." See?! I told you!!

So after all of this I decided to try to look for some pointers, and this is what I discovered:

Do not put statements in the negative form.
And don't start sentences with a conjunction.
If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a
great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all.
De-accession euphemisms.
If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.
~William Safire, "Great Rules of Writing"

Blogging..

Here are my thoughts on the topic:
1. Humiliation. I do not enjoy subjecting my personal thoughts to others judgments. When I have to develop my thoughts, which are usually in some cryptic form that I have trouble understanding, into a logical explanation on the world wide web; that's not enjoyable.
2. Commitment. I have issues with commitment. Now, if this blog were my own idea or just something to do every once and a while, I would be good. There are no expectations in that relationship. I do not feel like I am being suffocated by that constant dependency! But with expectations high for dedicating myself to this, I already feel my fingers wanting to flee from the keyboard.
3. History. My track record for keeping a diary is not good. Tried and failed on several occasions. My life and thoughts are unremarkable.
4. Media Scriptwriting. Well, on the first day of class I managed to be the only person to not complete the come to find out easy as cake assignment. I thought of two sentences. Two! So yes, I am so stoked about blogging.