The Music of the Author

The act of writing is much like riding a wave. Although it may seem strange, good writing should always feel rhythmic, soothing, and natural. When writing is good enough, it places us into a trance. We feel this trance effect in that great novel we can’t put down, or that essay that rivets us to the page. Every word is chosen carefully, and we want to see what happens next. Like a good piece of music, a great piece of writing pulls the reader into the reality of the work.

When writers refer to the concept of flow, this is what they are referring to. Flow is the sustained rhythm of a piece of writing. When there are no glaring surface errors, when the narrative feels like natural speech, when the pacing is consistent, and when one idea transitions into another seamlessly, a piece of writing will create that sense of rhythm. As a writer, you want to place your reader into that trance state.

Very often, a single grammatical error, misspelled word, or clunky phrase can take your reader out of the trance. This is a major reason why correctness is prized so highly by writers. However, by choosing your words carefully and thoughtfully, you can prevent your reader from breaking the rhythm.

This is not to say that flow depends entirely on grammatical correctness. It goes beyond that. Creating flow also involves including seamless transitions from one idea to another, using naturalistic word choice, and avoiding awkward phrasing. Maintaining a consistent tone and style of speech also plays a role in flow. For instance, if you’re using academic language through most of your paper, and one sentence drifts into casual speech for no logical reason, that decision can break the flow as well.

Most flow problems can be corrected in the editing process. Reread your work carefully and listen to the rhythm of the piece. If you learn better by listening, it may help to read the paper aloud. Look or listen for any words, phrases, or sentences that look or sound unnatural to you. Chances are, removing or rephrasing them will improve the flow of the paper.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!

Tools of Anaylsis, Part Two

In keeping with last week’s blog, “Tools of Analysis,” here are some tips on analyzing works of literature.

A danger to avoid in analyzing a novel or story is to give into the temptation to just retell the story instead of discussing what the work signifies. Be very aware that the plot of a story may not be all it seems to be. The plot may serve a purpose other than just saying what happens to characters along the way. The plot may be a running metaphor. It may be a completely symbolic series of events used to reveal a social injustice or a human quality. The plot may serve as a method to reveal a universal theme or satirize a political system. Plots of novels or stories may be representative of almost anything an author can devise to make a point or evoke a mood or delineate a thought.

If you decide to refer to the plot of a story or novel as part of your analysis, keep your thesis statement in mind the whole time. If your thesis involves symbolism, a statement in a following paragraph such as “When the sound of the surf began to beckon her, the sound (or surf) is symbolic of her connection to nature” leads directly to an analysis of what the sound of the surf means when the character hears it, tying the simple event into the discussion of symbolism in the story.

A good idea when drafting your essay is to double check how you have used plot as part of your analysis. Highlight each reference to plot and analyze your own writing to be certain that you are doing something much more interesting than recapping a story already published. When using plot to analyze a story, the main point should be how the author uses plot and what effects the plot has on the theme of the story or novel.

While a plot could possibly be just a story line with no other meaning whatsoever, that is unlikely. Even when we recount an everyday event in our lives, there is usually an underlying message to be found. Authors of short stories or novels are probably even more inclined to include meaning or themes in their stories than we are since they devote an incredible number of hours/days/weeks/years to writing. Keep in mind that the plot itself can be used as a literary device for many purposes other than simply telling a story.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!

Tools of Analysis

Just as there are different types of waves – swells, pounders, ankle busters, and others – there are different types of essays – narrative, analysis, descriptive, and others. Perhaps the most difficult, but potentially the most interesting, type of essay to write is analysis.

To analyze another’s writing takes thoughtfulness, understanding, and imagination. You may wonder why I use the word imagination. The reason is simple. A good analysis often involves a new way to see the work analyzed – the kind of creative interpretation that comes from asking, “What if…?”What if the author has used the setting to define the characters? What if the author has magnified a small symbol to connect universal ideas? What if the plot is used only as a device to develop social or political commentary?

Once you pinpoint an idea, symbol, literary device, tone, or some other aspect of the work that you have chosen to analyze in your essay, keep to the path of proving whatever you have asserted in your thesis statement.

If you were to highlight your thesis statement in blue and every further idea connected to the thesis in blue, your topic sentences, examples, and details should show up in blue. Each lead in to a quote or paraphrase should be highlighted in blue. All your reflections, support, and commentary should be highlighted in blue. If they aren’t - because they do not have a connection to your thesis - you have wandered off topic, not a great way to develop your ideas. Color coding can provide a visual path to follow lines of reason and logic throughout your essay, all within the context of your thesis statement.

Read thoughtfully, use your considerable mental powers of concentration in order to understand what you read, and let your imagination guide you to a new way to regard a written work.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!