Comments on: Five Common Writing Mistakes That My Students Make That I Still Make (and You Probably Make Too) http://denniscass.com/2009/03/02/five-common-writing-mistakes-that-my-students-make-that-i-still-make-and-you-probably-make-too/ Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:50:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Dennis Lang http://denniscass.com/2009/03/02/five-common-writing-mistakes-that-my-students-make-that-i-still-make-and-you-probably-make-too/#comment-412 Dennis Lang Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:26:46 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=630#comment-412 Wait, were these all Catholic school kids--therefore not innocent--who left to their own devices threw the morality that had been imposed upon them over the cliff? Wait, were these all Catholic school kids–therefore not innocent–who left to their own devices threw the morality that had been imposed upon them over the cliff?

]]> By: Dennis Lang http://denniscass.com/2009/03/02/five-common-writing-mistakes-that-my-students-make-that-i-still-make-and-you-probably-make-too/#comment-411 Dennis Lang Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:21:12 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=630#comment-411 Boy--Just in the process of digging for some truth myself. Never read the Golding book but vividly recall the Peter Brook film version. Underlying the behavior--and the kids presumably are at the outset innocent and uncorrupted-- there is a fundamental question, and where Golding had to begin, isn't there? That is, where is the origin of morality? Is there morality in the absence of higher authority? His conclusion, the singular truth revealed, is that without apriori values our innate savagery emerges, no? Boy–Just in the process of digging for some truth myself. Never read the Golding book but vividly recall the Peter Brook film version. Underlying the behavior–and the kids presumably are at the outset innocent and uncorrupted– there is a fundamental question, and where Golding had to begin, isn’t there? That is, where is the origin of morality? Is there morality in the absence of higher authority? His conclusion, the singular truth revealed, is that without apriori values our innate savagery emerges, no?

]]> By: denniscass http://denniscass.com/2009/03/02/five-common-writing-mistakes-that-my-students-make-that-i-still-make-and-you-probably-make-too/#comment-410 denniscass Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:00:42 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=630#comment-410 @Lindsay: I'm not a big fan of the "kill your darlings" line because if you're a stylist sometimes it's all about the darlings. But you're right about serving the audience instead of yourself. Well played. @DennisLang: Digging for truth is fine, but I'd rather see people combine multiple truths that are lying about. Think about William Golding's LORD OF THE FLIES. It's part "children can be so cruel" and part "absolute power corrupts absolutely" with a little Robinson Carusoe thrown in. @Lindsay: I’m not a big fan of the “kill your darlings” line because if you’re a stylist sometimes it’s all about the darlings. But you’re right about serving the audience instead of yourself. Well played.

@DennisLang: Digging for truth is fine, but I’d rather see people combine multiple truths that are lying about.

Think about William Golding’s LORD OF THE FLIES. It’s part “children can be so cruel” and part “absolute power corrupts absolutely” with a little Robinson Carusoe thrown in.

]]> By: Dennis Lang http://denniscass.com/2009/03/02/five-common-writing-mistakes-that-my-students-make-that-i-still-make-and-you-probably-make-too/#comment-409 Dennis Lang Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:24:29 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=630#comment-409 Paricularly interesting: "Thinking the point is having an insight or observation as opposed to...putting into play so it bumps...." I'm pretty new at this so not sure exactly what you mean but I'm thinking we become like archeologists digging for that hidden truth, discovering relationships, tensions, ironies, pathos--those revelations that engage us emotionally and intellectually. I've been messing with nonfiction and sense this is possible and has to be aspired to even in reporting, subjects on the surface mundane. Tell me what you've discovered that I wouldn't know unless you tell it to me. This analogy may be way off base but thinking back to my phot0-student days it's the difference between the vision captured, say, by the great documentarists--Bresson or T. Eugene Smith--and a snapshot. To capture and then express the ineffable. Paricularly interesting: “Thinking the point is having an insight or observation as opposed to…putting into play so it bumps….”

I’m pretty new at this so not sure exactly what you mean but I’m thinking we become like archeologists digging for that hidden truth, discovering relationships, tensions, ironies, pathos–those revelations that engage us emotionally and intellectually. I’ve been messing with nonfiction and sense this is possible and has to be aspired to even in reporting, subjects on the surface mundane. Tell me what you’ve discovered that I wouldn’t know unless you tell it to me.

This analogy may be way off base but thinking back to my phot0-student days it’s the difference between the vision captured, say, by the great documentarists–Bresson or T. Eugene Smith–and a snapshot. To capture and then express the ineffable.

]]> By: jeffreyricker http://denniscass.com/2009/03/02/five-common-writing-mistakes-that-my-students-make-that-i-still-make-and-you-probably-make-too/#comment-408 jeffreyricker Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:44:56 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=630#comment-408 Oh dear lord, I do all of these things. Sometimes in the same story. That said, however, I am looking forward to the middle part of my third draft, where whole chapters are destined for the woodpile. It started around 92K. Goal? Closer to 50K. Trust me, I might find it occasionally painful, but for the story, it won't hurt a bit. Oh dear lord, I do all of these things. Sometimes in the same story.

That said, however, I am looking forward to the middle part of my third draft, where whole chapters are destined for the woodpile. It started around 92K. Goal? Closer to 50K.

Trust me, I might find it occasionally painful, but for the story, it won’t hurt a bit.

]]> By: Lindsay Price http://denniscass.com/2009/03/02/five-common-writing-mistakes-that-my-students-make-that-i-still-make-and-you-probably-make-too/#comment-407 Lindsay Price Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:35:53 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=630#comment-407 You know you're writer when you can take that editing knife and kill your darlings. The writer who loves every single word and can't bear to part with one syllable isn't doing a service to their audience. You know you’re writer when you can take that editing knife and kill your darlings. The writer who loves every single word and can’t bear to part with one syllable isn’t doing a service to their audience.

]]> By: Kat http://denniscass.com/2009/03/02/five-common-writing-mistakes-that-my-students-make-that-i-still-make-and-you-probably-make-too/#comment-405 Kat Tue, 03 Mar 2009 03:44:24 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=630#comment-405 Immaculate timing, Dennis. I've got my NaNoWriMo novel all printed out and ready to red-pen starting tomorrow night. Somehow I don't think I'll be stopping at a 25% cut (maybe once all the rewrite sections are done!). Immaculate timing, Dennis. I’ve got my NaNoWriMo novel all printed out and ready to red-pen starting tomorrow night. Somehow I don’t think I’ll be stopping at a 25% cut (maybe once all the rewrite sections are done!).

]]> By: bets http://denniscass.com/2009/03/02/five-common-writing-mistakes-that-my-students-make-that-i-still-make-and-you-probably-make-too/#comment-404 bets Tue, 03 Mar 2009 03:39:22 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=630#comment-404 Having just cut 30K words from a manuscript last year, I can identify. We have one editor at my magazine we fondly call "the slasher." He's taken as much as 30% from a story and never had a writer complain. Usually, they rave about what a great job he did. Having just cut 30K words from a manuscript last year, I can identify. We have one editor at my magazine we fondly call “the slasher.” He’s taken as much as 30% from a story and never had a writer complain. Usually, they rave about what a great job he did.

]]> By: xiann http://denniscass.com/2009/03/02/five-common-writing-mistakes-that-my-students-make-that-i-still-make-and-you-probably-make-too/#comment-403 xiann Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:30:41 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=630#comment-403 Love the riverboat gambler analogy. Absolutely. Love the riverboat gambler analogy. Absolutely.

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