Incorporating Strategy And Style Into Your Writing
Sometimes more isn't better; it's just more
This is the third installment on writing as part of your semi-retired life.
See the first two in this twice-monthly series here—
The street’s wet you can tell by the sound of the cars.
That’s one of my favorite lyrics from Elliott Smith’s beautiful song, Clementine.
They're waking you up to close the bar
The street's wet, you can tell by the sound of the cars
The bartender's singing "Clementine"
While he's turning around the open sign
"Dreadful sorry, Clementine"Though you're still her man
It seems a long time gone
Maybe the whole thing's wrong
What if she thinks so and just didn't say so?
You drank yourself into slow-mo
Made an angel in the snow
Anything to pass the time
And keep that song out of your mind
Often, the most elegant writing is the most simple. Like pretty much every Tom Petty song. Seems so simple, yet it’s next to impossible to achieve at such a high level.
People such as Elliott Smith and Tom Petty have a way with words. They come by it naturally. For better or worse, you probably don’t. I know I definitely don’t. So, I stopped trying to be elegant or otherwise cute in my writing a long time ago.
It’s not that we suck with words. We just have a different, more common or typical way with them. The key is recognizing this limitation not as a negative, but something you can modestly and effectively take to the next level.
It’s sort of embarrassing to watch writers post lines of their prose as if they’re a reincarnation of Elliott Smith, Tom Petty or whoever else they consider a great writer. Just as embarrassing as it might be to watch a game of Dad’s pickup football in the park—before dinner—on Thanksgiving Day. Give it up already and just play catch with your kid.
Anyhow, some practical thoughts and tips.
The #1 way most of us should approach writing—