WRITE LIKE YOU TALK - Should you drop the rules & flow? Do you think this writi

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   Deb Welchposted 11 years ago

   
   Reference:  4/9/12 - The Christian Science Monitor Weekly
   Peter Elbow – Professor emeritus of English at the University of Massachusetts @ Amherst.   There is a technique of his he calls “talking onto the page”; ideas flowing without paying attention to being correct.  The beginning stage is ‘Blurting out the Truth.’  Elbow encourages readers or students to use easy free writing a process of “a dialectical alternation and drafting on the one side and careful revising and editing on the other.’ 
             I could really use more of this idea – as – I find I write much more intelligently than I do with my ordinary daily vernacular.

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      Deb Welchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Do you think this writing skill could be useful, here?
      I musy have run out of characters allowed - this was the complete question.

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      Uninvited Writerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Most writing teachers suggest a first draft be free of constraints, you fix it when you rewrite. As a writer, i want people to understand what I am saying.

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   Pearldiverposted 11 years ago

   Yep.. Prof Peter Elbow... I like his straight arm approach!

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   Cagsilposted 11 years ago

   I use whatever words I feel like using at the time of the writing. But, then again, I'm not a professional writer or a novelist.

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      Deb Welchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Cagsil - I am not professional either.  I have a difficult time getting all my thoughts together and sort them into paragraphs that blend together.  Bob Dylan is a true great flow of words - that seems like conversatiom.  He's the best in that category.

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   Disturbiaposted 11 years ago

   I write like I talk, and talk like I write.  My therapy for my ADHD has made me make a habit of organizing my thoughts, but that doesn't mean I don't meander off the path ... almost all the time.  There are times when I get so off track, nobody knows what I'm talking about anymore... even me. I do it in my writing too.  It's why I haven't written any new hubs in a long time.  It was just too hard to stick to the topic and not want to go off in 20 different directions every other sentence. And I'd have to rewrite things over and over again to edit out all the sidetracks. Sometimes I'd get so off track, I'd have to just stop everything, take a long, deep, breath, explain what happened, and pull myself back in again.

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      Deb Welchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Disturbia - I am having problems with typos - I submit the information thinking it is correct and then I see errors.

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         Disturbiaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Hi Deb, wish I had some sage words of advice to give you, but I have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, not  Dyslexia.  I see the words just fine, it's the thoughts that wander all over the place... that and I have a very short attention span and get distracted and bored with things very easily.

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         Kathryn LJposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Read your work backwards for spelling mistakes, your brain won't be skipping over them because it can't make sense of the sentences.  I get someone else to proof read if it's for something important.  It's always easier to spot someone else's typo's than your own and nothing to be ashamed of.  Before the computer was invented, you paid a typist to tidy up a manuscript and correct grammar, punctuation and spelling.  Some even sorted out paragraph structure!  Now, we really do have to good at everything:)

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   FatFreddysCatposted 11 years ago

   If I wrote like I talk, then I'd probably be banned from HubPages for excessive profanity...

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   KDuBarry03posted 11 years ago

   Well, there are ways to write how we talk instead of saying "1+1=..........................................................3?". Instead of all those useless and annoying dots, you can do something like this: "1 plus one equals..." I pause, grunt a little, mumble for a moment. "Three?"
   
   I would include a beat (body language) to replace the useless and annoying dots to show I am actually thinking about it. If we write as we talk and if there's a pause for a moment, if we grunt, or if we scratch our head, include it in the writing. Talking is more than verbal communication.

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   Diane Woodsonposted 11 years ago

   I am not sure because sometimes my thoughts are not as cohesive as I would love for them to be. I think yes, since I get lots of great creative ideas.

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   diamond1moposted 11 years ago

   Only in informal writing or rough draftsshould a writer expose ignorance of the language.  This is one of the huge mistakes many Language Arts teachers expound upon students.  Writing in the vernacular leaves the message reciever with an impression of sloppiness, laziness, and the impression that the writer lacks critical thinking skills.  As many point out, off the cuff speaking and writing lacks organization and planning as well as skills.  It is extremely frustrating that the craft of communication is increasingly being dumbed down by those wishing to make writing easier.
   
   
   
   It smacks of idiocracy. "It has electrolytes.  Plants crave it!"

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   nochanceposted 11 years ago

   Free writing has its uses, especially in the brainstorming process. It's a good way to get all of your information down on the page. But as a writer you must go through and edit, look for redundancies and errors before publishing. If you have the time, put it away for a day or two and come at it with fresh eyes.
   
   Otherwise it looks lazy and obvious the writer didn't take the time to care about their writing.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, it's a great way to get started.  However, I notice too many people think that just because it's free flowing, it must be good - whereas in fact, it's verbal diarrhoea.
      
      Every time I come across a writer who says, "I write easily, I don't need to edit", it's usually a sign that I'm not going to enjoy what they write!

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    Paige Ronchettiposted 11 years ago

    I write like I talk with the exception of skipping profanity. I don't necessarily know if I could call it straight up free writing, though, since I do put some thought into what I say. Maybe I should give it a try and see what happens.

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    Marcy Goodfleischposted 11 years ago

    I thunk that teaching approach is used for situations other than writing informative articles (suchnas HP prefers).  I teach part-time at a university, and students who have little background in writing freeze up and don't want to put words on paper. A good way to thaw them out us to tell them to just write things as they'd say them.  This is a huge help for thatbtype of student. 
    
    The other (very good) use is for creative writing.  When you see the excellent and real-world words in books like The Help, or The Color Purple, you're seeing what that sort of freedom in writing can produce.
    
    As for factual work, term papers, news writing, etc - that style wouldn't work well. You can certainly dwvelop a tone and approach that stamps it as your style, but the writing needs to convey information rather than purely entertain (which is not to say it can't entertain as well).
    
    Blogs can be done in the free-writing style, and some essays.  And Facebook posts. Or fiction. But it's uses on HubPages would (IMO) be limited.

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       Marcy Goodfleischposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Another great tip for writing - avoid mobile devices for long posts.  Sheesh!  So sorry!

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          KDuBarry03posted 11 years agoin reply to this

          LOL! especially touch screen mobile devices! And you are right (getting on a serious note, lol), having students write freestyle, in a sense, definitely boosts their motivation to write in general! Many students, who are new to a certain discourse of writing, must first understand they have to feel comfortable with writing. After that, they must learn the rules and regulations that occur, and are active, in their discourse community so they can write exceptionally for their field (may it be writing, fiction writing, scientific writing, engineering writing, etc.)

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             Deb Welchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

             Absolutely.  Yes.  Perfect for High School.

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       Deb Welchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Marcy - Your comments are very insightful and right on.  I think you covered the Forum Topic well - Thank you.  It is a great idea for shy students that can't formulate their thoughts on paper correctly.  I wish I had known about this many years ago - I could have gained and grown from it.

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    Alternative Primeposted 11 years ago

    Transferring raw thought or idea onto paper is an acceptable technique, but that's where it all begins -
    
    Through my inherent expertise, unique skill sets, and professional level experience in several art related subjects including creative writing and photography, I've established very tight, well respected, and confidential working relationships with a handful of high profile, celebrity students in the Beverly Hills area, relationships of which I am extremely grateful for and will always cherish -
    
    There is a standard, rather simplistic yet vitally important rule I've personally developed which all my friends / students follow in a concerted effort to achieve the level of quality which in return, should result in a clean, near perfect article, not to mention desired respect from a global audience - Techniques to apply which should help you to transcend literary and visual web site boundaries - A basic, fundamental, yet extremely effective rule to follow in my own words?
    
    "If you're not re-writing obsessively, you're not writing"
    
    If you don't adhere to the above "Code of Creativity", you will never give yourself or an international audience the distinct pleasure of experiencing the very best you have to offer - It's just that simple - This of course does take additional time and effort to achieve and is only one, not necessarily the ONLY principle to follow -
    
    You, as individual creator, will ultimately find the prevailing techniques and or overall creative process that work best for you through trial & error - Transferring "Raw" intangible ideas from the inner thought process onto pages, is a perfectly acceptable first step and of course the easiest part of the overall experience - Subsequently molding, shaping, and sculpting these thoughts into something extra special is where the self gratification permeates from -
    
    Obviously, writing verses the verbal word are two completely different forms of communication and expression - If you simply transfer speech per say, onto an awaiting journal and subsequently neglect creative manipulation, the only thing guaranteed is an "English Language Nightmare" riddled with no less than a plethora of grammatical errors - Not the best way to maintain and preserve a pristine long term reputation -
    
    Bottom line, don't write like you talk and leave "As Is" or your reputation will surely suffer - That's guaranteed -

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    Mark Ewbieposted 11 years ago

    You know, I wasn't too sure what the question meant so I held back on my response.
    
    I'm still not sure but hey, so shoot me.
    
    If this is about writing in the first person- using slang, swearing, even pausing... and trying to convey some sort of conversation rather than some dry old Wiki thing that no one in their right mind would read..
    
    .. then I'm with it.
    
    If it isn't then I'm not.
    
    So.
    
    To sum up.
    
    I try to write in a way that connects.  I have no idea who I am connecting to, but perhaps a mirror image of me reading it will have to do.
    
    When I 'create' something it is a flow onto the page for a period of time.
    
    Then the editing starts, and continues, frequently after pressing the publish button.  Noticing better ways I could have phrased something, a space to put a funny or just a tedious dirge of a couple of boring sentences.
    
    So that's it.
    
    What was the question?

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    TheMagicianposted 11 years ago

    I use this method all the time, but I try to hold back when writing articles... if I wrote exactly how I talked/what was going through my head at the exact second, it'd be very unprofessional.
    
    e.g., "Avengers was schweet, dude! That movie was super brootal, you know? Let's skip 6th and go see another, not really feelin' up to doin' that test." -- recent reply to a Facebook friend's status. When I "talk" I sound like a 15 year old skateboarder
    
    But yeah, not very useful when writing informative articles here... now creative writing, I'm all over that   Otherwise, I'll write how I talk but refine it to make it more... normal. Besides, I'm very sarcastic and sarcasm doesn't translate well online.
    
    So Facebook post turned HubPages article reads, "The Avengers was a great film that parents and children will both enjoy. I skipped my English class to see it with a few friends and I wasn't disappointed!"
    
    
    
    Not even sure if I answered this question completely correct, haha.

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    Uninvited Writerposted 11 years ago

    You can write any way you want in the first draft. Get the ideas out and then revise the heck out of it.

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