Learning How To Write
As a student of Spanish, my goal was to think in Spanish. Skip the word-by-word translation so I'd have the necessary speed to speak and listen. I know words in Spanish that I'd be hard pressed to translate. Usually profanity, I confess. Chingow!
For years my students here in China have studied grammar, and know it better than you or I. They read. They write. But speaking involves moving faster than that. In conversation, we don't have time to write it first and make sure it's all grammatically flawless, then read it aloud, perhaps after a bit of rehearsal.
So, I try to give them a chance to practice putting words together on the fly, rules be damned. The rules they've internalized will kick in and keep them comprehensible, which will build their confidence in their ability to keep creating conversation that way.
This is not unlike what we go through as authors. First we study rulebooks, perhaps take some classes, and conclude just about everything we're is doing is wrong. So many rules to memorize. We might dread sitting down to write with all those constraints.
But really, it's not about memorizing rules at all. It's about internalizing the rules, following them (or not if you prefer) without being consciously aware of what they are. They're there, but in the background.
The story's what matters. You're supposed to be having fun, not "working." At least not during the creation phase.
We don't always take the time to say, "I've written ten active sentences in a row so maybe I'll whip in a passive one now" or "I need a beat for every X lines of dialogue." I published four novels and edited dozens more before I learned what a beat was. (It's a pause so the reader can catch his/her breath.)
And, of course, since it is writing and not speaking, we can always go back and revise later. Then rely on editors to catch what we missed, or at least make us wonder why we wrote it this way instead of that way.
Some authors aren't even consciously aware of "the rules." They've never taken a class, never read a book about writing. They're simply avid readers who one day decided to write. But they've internalized the rules as well. It comes from reading.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you want to write, you must read. If you don't like reading, maybe writing isn't for you. It's not about writing because you want to say, "I am a writer." It's about writing because you enjoy writing.
And, it's really nice when you've been writing for a long time to go back and read a book about how to write. You might find one or two things to tweak in your technique, as opposed to a daunting laundry list of flaws. It's much easier to internalize one or two new rules than 50 or 100!
Copyright 2004, Michael LaRocca
Michael LaRocca's website at http://www.chinarice.org was chosen by WRITER'S DIGEST as one of The 101 Best Websites For Writers in 2001 and 2002. His response was to throw it out and start over again because he's insane. He teaches English at a university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, and publishes the free weekly newsletter WHO MOVED MY RICE?
Related Articles:
Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) Distance-Learning Master's Program Turns School Teachers Into School Leaders
New Master of Arts in Education School Improvement Leadership distance-learning program helps teachers advance their careers and confidently assume the role of school principal or administrator.
Pool-Learning how to play better
So you play a little pool but you're not that good and you'd like to better. How do you do it? Let me give you some direction and ideas. Although these are just my opinions, they come from my personal experience. I hope this sends you on the pathway of becoming at least an above average pool competitor because there is no better feeling than winning and being confident.
Preschool Learning Activity: Stimulating Children?s Minds
It is important for those who work with preschoolers to choose a preschool learning activity carefully. Teaching preschoolers is a rewarding experience and young children are like pliable putty in their preschool teacher?s hands. Those who teach children, especially preschoolers, experience one of the finest joys that life has to offer. If you have ever watched a young child?s eyes widen in amazement as they see a new creature emerge before their sight - as with a science-based preschool learning activity, then you understand the true rewards of teaching children.
Ianoint.com -- Christians Are Learning That Even Web 2.0 Can Be Born Again
The baptism of web 2.0 or the internet in general has spawned a community born again. Jesus said "unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" -- John 3:1-8. Ianoint.com is making sure the kingdom of God is seen by all, and the internet is taking center stage in helping create a Christian movement never before scene in the media age . The omnipresence of the lord has now taken hold of man's most incredible invention "THE INTERNET". Since the Roman attack on Jerusalem in 70 CE, Christianity has become fragmented throughout the world, Ianoint.com seeks to bring it all together with an internet community exclusively for Christians.
Learning Tarot As A Game
Although it is not an unfamiliar sight to witness a Tarot reader drawing out cards from a deck of 78 to advice on problems ranging from relationships to career wellbeing, most people find it difficult to imagine doing the actual reading themselves. But the fact is that Tarot is now out there available for everyone to experience and learn. Although having a Tarot practitioner analyzing the symbols of the cards drawn is certainly an enchanting experience and probably "less risky," a few of today's Tarot lovers purchase their own decks and begin reading its cards with the help of Tarot manuals or mentors.
Computer Games Improve Learning Abilities
It is evident that educational computer games are designed to enhance learning or possibly even educate. However, there is evidence that playing any type of video game can increase a number of learning skills!
Learning Holiday Will Explore the Mysteries of Ancient Greece
The Esoteric Quest conference (www.EsotericQuest.com) will take place on the Greek island of Samothrace, September 3-8, 2008. Scholars, philosophers, esotericists and artists will gather on this fabled isle in the North East Aegean Sea for a conference on the spirituality and philosophy of ancient Greece.
Getting Resources for Learning Magic Tricks
There are a lot of things that we can do with magic tricks. It is the single most exciting skill a magician can offer the audience. One basic thing is that magic tricks can be misleading, often use misdirection to let the audience see what they want them to see and then executing their trick in a blink of an eye. From the early days of magic, magic tricks has been some sort of a weapon. People often look at it as a mystical skill but to extent magic tricks are merely tricks up on a magicians sleeves. Of course theyll make you believe that the magic in deed is true but what we fail to see is that magic tricks in deed can make a lot of people be impress and often can be a great thing to some, but some might be too critical about them.
Learning the Role of Antioxidant Enzymes in Better Health
Key among the ingredients in any antioxidant formula is the antioxidant response elements that help regulate how well the antioxidants perform their job In addition to the complex mechanisms that help the products remove free radicals from the body's system the role of antioxidant enzymes is to insure they work as planned
Curl Releases New Web-Based Training Courses : CurlWBT Offers Members of Company's Developer Community Online Materials for Learning the Curl Langu
Curl®, Inc. announced the immediate availability of three interactive training courses based on the Curl Web-Based Training (CurlWBT), a standards-based e-learning framework implemented in the Curl language that supports the deployment of Web-based training materials for the Curl Rich Internet Application (RIA) Platform. These courses are available to members of the Curl Developer Community, helping them further shorten the already minimal learning curve for building enterprise-class RIAs using Curl.