I have found a dilemma in language. Sentences can either be accurate or powerful. Read a scientific journal or a philosophical article. There are a great number of maybes in them. It shows uncertainty. Granted, in our overly litigious culture, these precautions are necessary, but they make for very unimpressive reads.
On the other hand, the powerful writings are exaggerated. If I said that all writing is either powerful or accurate, I am certain that somebody could easily prove me wrong. If I said that I have noticed from my own experiences that statements tend to be either accurate or powerful, but rarely both, then I don't expect anybody to finish reading something so boring.
I'm sure that there are ways to make factual statements interesting. I've found myself seeking a balance between exaggerating and being overly technical, but that balance usually is in the form of switching from one to the other. I don't think it's the best option, but it is a method. The theory behind it is sound: reel them in with powerful sentences, then inform them with accurate ones.
However you do it, make sure you find a balance between being accurate and being powerful. If you only do one, your writing will suffer.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment