Sunday, September 26, 2010

Freedom Requires Fundamentals

In any art form, students are encouraged to find a freedom from constraint.  They should do "what feels right".  Writing is no exception.  And while it is true, it is also misleading.  Freedom requires fundamentals.

Who steps onto a dance floor with no training and doesn't look foolish?  Nobody.  We don't magically know what looks right or what looks good, let alone how to actually do them.  No matter how much talent or creativity a person has, it will be of no use if that person doesn't know the basics of the field.

Writing needs fundamentals in all of its levels.  Standard grammar and vocabulary are the biggest ones on a technical level.  The five paragraph essay is the fundamental for logic and ordered progression.

Can you make up words?  Of course you can.  All words were made up by somebody at some point.  However, it is advised not to do that until you have a very thorough understanding of your language, how it works, and what it's able to do.  You can similarly break free from the classic format if you can still maintain the principals and the core that makes it what it is.

You have the freedom to do whatever you want.  You just have to know how to do it.

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