The use of language has the ability to change the world. Everyone has different personalities. This arises to different writing styles. A writer may have different education, background, or beliefs. But a good writer has the ability to express themselves by recognizing the audience and get their points across. Nobody's impressed by big words, it only confuses them. It's not the reader's fault its your fault as the writer if your audience has problems reading your writing. Good writers recognize this, writing should be clear, direct and persuasive. My basic approach when writing to influence an audience: be yourself.
This is an important concept to grasp when you are expressing yourself through writing. If you try to impersonate someone from the 19th century, this is a big problem. Using big words, that are uncommon, forces your audience to look up every word up in the dictionary causing headaches and confusion. Don't do that, please. Don't use guffaw instead of laughter. Don't use ersatz instead of fake. Again, don't try to be anyone else but yourself. Likewise, music is something that resonates from the musician, people have different voices. The Jonas Brothers playing “Hey Jude” by The Beatles just won't sound the same. It's okay to get techniques from other writers but it's important to have your own personality.
The words you choose, and the way you express yourself is a big factor when influencing your audience. It is important to recognize your audience and write to them accordingly. Also equally important, when you are trying to be convincing and persuasive: Do not use words that transforms your arguments into opinions. For example, using phrases “in my opinion, I believe, I think, etc” loses your credibility of having a sound argument. Opinions do nothing to little impact on your reader.
Share your experiences, and this will capture your audience. Getting an emotional response is also an important concept when writing for change. Remember, language can change the world. Keep this in mind, you have a responsibility. Martin Luther King's letter from Birmingham Jail inspired change. Dr. King had achieved power with his voice, his voice was heard in a time where African American's had no voice at all. He had done so with the power of language.
If you have to say something say it. Put your heart into your writing. Richard Weaver said, “Liberty to handle the world, to remake it, if only a little, and to hand it to others in a shape which may influence their actions.” Find your own voice. Use it. Change the world.
Hey silly!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog this week. I like how you wrote this week's blog as if you were talking to a friend rather than sounding like a text book. It kept me entertained and it made me feel connected with you as the writer.
I loved the way you wrote the second paragraph, it made me laugh. The funny thing is that there are students who actually use “old English words” for their reports. I admit, I've done it before and now I feel somewhat embarrassed (lol). Remember that one story you told me about a guy in your Philosophy guy who confidently said, “I concur,” which only made the professor laugh out loud? I think that's an example of someone who tries to sound “intelligent” rather than being themselves. Well “concur” may not be that old but it is definitely a word that we do not use everyday. But who knows, he probably does really talk like that.
I always thought that I had a low reading level due to the fact that there are a lot of times when I cannot understand what the writer is trying to say. I never really thought that it could be the writers fault and not me as a reader. I never like reading texts that makes me look at the dictionary constantly. Like you said, it causes frustration and confusion, but it also ruins your interest into reading the text. Why would I want to constantly try to read something that I cannot even absorb and comprehend? You would be wasting your time and energy.
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Writing can be wonderful thing as it is a way for us to express ourselves and allow others to see part of our ethnic background, culture and life experience. President Obama and other great speakers have one thing in common in which they choose not to use big words that will lose a majority of their audience because few of them are able to understand them. This allows them to touch as many people possible with their speech or writing material which is what they want. It can be frustrating when someone tries to use too many big words and impress the reader. When this occurs it feels as though we are reading a foreign language.
ReplyDeleteThat would be awful if someone began using writing that was from the 19th century, thankfully I don’t think I have ever had to experience that except for the Shakespeare plays that we had to study in high school.
Putting your emotion into your writing is a good way to hold the attention of your audience. This allows them to see the energy and beliefs you have about what you are writing. It’s like that saying “It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it.”
Thank you for mentioning that using some words will transform your arguments into opinions and cause your credibility to take a hit. This is not something I was aware of until you mentioned it.
Hi Zar,
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time reading your blog but I am very glad to find a topic different from “Slanted/Charged Words”. I absolutely agree with your statement that nobody should risk his/her paper by using unrecognizable terms. One, using this technique may further harm the work; the terms may not fully fit in the writer’s purpose. Maybe, it can be better compared as keeping an armed gun in the house. Nobody should keep a gun when they are inexperienced. Although this gun may be kept for protection, it can cause harm to others, including if used spontaneously. I really hope to be getting my point our across.
Part from my agreement, I can also speak in defense to big wording. Coming from a non English speaking house, some feelings or experiences are better translated using “complicated” words. It may be uncommon to native English speakers but trying new things in each writing assignment is part of the work done; it allows us to discover our limitations, including in writing and expression. How far can you go? Using examples from your blog, guffaw and laughter have different uses in that, one is “bursting out of surprise” and the other is “simply reacting in humor”. Guffaw is in fact a reaction to hilarity but personally, it is a subcategory to laughter. In complete silence, after being on a time out, my little brother gives an awkward fart that caused me to guffaw. It is not merely laughing but it is laughing in surprise, whole heartedly.