Write stuff!
Hi,
A study, done recently, indicates that well-acclaimed writers - of the modern age - are found to express through short sentences. Their sentences span an average of 15 to 17 words, max. The band of writers included names such as Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki and others.
This finding set me thinking. Bitten by this, I read through popular Indian dailies and magazines, with an eye for their length of sentences. I was shocked to find our writers consuming an average of 25 to 30 words per sentence. Also, I saw an excessive usage of:
1. Articles - More "The"s
2. Foreign phrases - Primarily to show "well-readedness"
3. Complex and very rarely used words
Inadvertently, these dailes and magazines are committing a big sin to their readers. Such readings, if done for a few months, could numb brains. The articles displayed convoluted modes of thinking; equally matched by a similar mode adopted to present such thoughts. And the problem is, such writings have a contagious effect on the readers. We might (or, already have) end up as a nation of hollow paraphrasers than becoming effective communicators. Please be wary of what you read and see (Yes! our electornic media is no exception).
I am impressed by the writings of those who contribute to The Economist, Red Herring, Time and NY Times. Their clarity of thoughts, thirst for paucity and subtle humor, laced all the way through, are the clear differentiators. These traits clearly show writers have to be first their own fans before presenting stuff for others' views.
I am sure this post would not change our writers to embrace the style of clean presenters.
But, I did do one thing before writing this post; promptly stopped my subscriptions to those dailies and periodicals.
Luv,
Vijay
A study, done recently, indicates that well-acclaimed writers - of the modern age - are found to express through short sentences. Their sentences span an average of 15 to 17 words, max. The band of writers included names such as Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki and others.
This finding set me thinking. Bitten by this, I read through popular Indian dailies and magazines, with an eye for their length of sentences. I was shocked to find our writers consuming an average of 25 to 30 words per sentence. Also, I saw an excessive usage of:
1. Articles - More "The"s
2. Foreign phrases - Primarily to show "well-readedness"
3. Complex and very rarely used words
Inadvertently, these dailes and magazines are committing a big sin to their readers. Such readings, if done for a few months, could numb brains. The articles displayed convoluted modes of thinking; equally matched by a similar mode adopted to present such thoughts. And the problem is, such writings have a contagious effect on the readers. We might (or, already have) end up as a nation of hollow paraphrasers than becoming effective communicators. Please be wary of what you read and see (Yes! our electornic media is no exception).
I am impressed by the writings of those who contribute to The Economist, Red Herring, Time and NY Times. Their clarity of thoughts, thirst for paucity and subtle humor, laced all the way through, are the clear differentiators. These traits clearly show writers have to be first their own fans before presenting stuff for others' views.
I am sure this post would not change our writers to embrace the style of clean presenters.
But, I did do one thing before writing this post; promptly stopped my subscriptions to those dailies and periodicals.
Luv,
Vijay
posted by Vijay at 9:33 AM
0 comments
