Writing corner. Writing help?

[temporal1]

i think of this thread often as i bumble my way thru posting on this forum.
i wasn’t sure where to look for it. found it!

“How *Emotionally Intelligent* People Use the 'Mark Twain Rule' to Become Exceptionally Persuasive”
“Let me get to the point.”
https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/how- ... asive.html

.. .. This is part of what emotional intelligence is really all about:
becoming aware of both your emotions and other people's emotions and then leveraging them in order to make it more likely to achieve your ultimate goals.

There's a place in leadership and in life for long-windedness.
Sometimes you have to write down everything you know, even just to discover what you truly think.

Heck, when it comes to emotional intelligence, I've written an entire free ebook on the subject,
9 Smart Habits of People With Very High Emotional Intelligence, which runs a little more than 10,000 words.
(Although in fairness and by design, that still makes it a very short book.)

Still, sometimes silence speaks volumes.
Taking time to weed out the many things you might want to say (because you're thinking emotionally) in order to make the ones that you truly need to say more memorable, makes the difference between confusion and clarity.

So, follow the Mark Twain Rule to become exceptionally persuasive.
Chart the emotionally intelligent route, and take the time to write the shorter letter.

Don't be surprised if you find the extra effort pays off, as you remove the impediment of misunderstanding from more of your most important conversations.

1) i will not claim to be or accuse others of being “Emotionally Intelligent.”

2) memes: i’d like to explain, occasionally, i’ve received complaints about over-use of memes (i’m guilty, and enjoy). unrepentant!
the central reason i resort to them is because they are BRIEF. when i use them, i have a sense of relief: “there. i said it without multiple paragraphs.” i think of it as a public service.

Mark Twain had a gift, a genius. i wish he were with us today.

[Ken]

Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style" is a little style guide written way back in 1918 but it is still probably the best guide to writing precise prose you can find: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elements_of_Style

It is a short, little, concise book you can still find anywhere, and the best book on writing I have ever found. Sometimes old-school is still the best.

[temporal1]

Warning:
There are lots of good memes about writing.
Creating memes must be easier than writing.

Finally found it. i’ve been looking for this topic for awhile.

[temporal1]

In the meanwhile, this unexpected comment appeared on a related “notion,” READING COMPREHENSION:

.. This is the fundamental problem ..

.. Instead of appropriately punishing theft, the .. [proposal is] .. to shift the burden even more on to lawful, law-abiding people. ..

This is THE ideological shift, THE academic experiment (not labeled such). THE formula. Not just about catalytic converters.

The youthful U.S. is awash in EXPERIMENTS (not honestly labeled experiments) thrown out onto the public to “work out” IRL.
It’s become routine. It’s gotten old.

The U.S. is crushed with massive QUANTITIES of untested, unproven, unwanted human law.
As long as “law makers” are paid to “make law” that’s what they’ll do. They will not stop on their own volition.

This was the exact point of my post, t1. You get a gold star for strong reading comprehension.

Notice that I did not criticise the mainstream Democratic lawmakers. The problem is the progressive wing, who want to (a) burden lawful citizens, and (b) refuse to punish unlawful criminals.

gold star. that IS unexpected. .. thank you, Josh.
for me, one who feels challenged to grasp whatever i’m reading, IN ADDITION TO substandard writing skills: unexpected.

(i’m adding reading comprehension skills to this topic and wondering why it was overlooked in the OP.)
to include “reading impaired,” too.

[temporal1]

(i’m adding reading comprehension skills to this topic and wondering why it was overlooked in the OP.)
to include “reading impaired,” too.

when i was in school, teachers emphasized the importance of reading comprehension.
more important than speed.

they suggested various “helps” for improvement. highlighters appeared when i was a teen!!
i coveted highlighters in the first years when i had no money to dream of spending on such undulgences. rich kids!

i plug along.
(i probably read Josh’s post above 3-4 times or more before responding.) that’s my way. old habit.
my skills and comprehension are not improving now. i’m more fighting against losing what i had.

it’s not a moral judgment!
different people have different gifts and skills, it’s about making use of what you have.
some with great gifts waste them, others not so gifted may excel due to motivation+effort. God’s design.

God designs with wisdom that leaves human reasoning behind, “in the dust.”

[Szdfan]

Writing is about communication. One thing that would really help other people understand your writing is to use standard grammar and writing conventions. It's difficult to understand what you are trying to communicate when you write in stream-of-consciousness half-sentences.

Until you write clearly, I don't think it's fair to complain about other people's reading comprehension.

(Even if you do write clearly I think it's unfair to complain about other people's reading comprehension. People can interpret the same thing differently.)

[temporal1]

Writing is about communication. One thing that would really help other people understand your writing is to use standard grammar and writing conventions. It's difficult to understand what you are trying to communicate when you write in stream-of-consciousness half-sentences.

Until you write clearly, I don't think it's fair to complain about other people's reading comprehension.

(Even if you do write clearly I think it's unfair to complain about other people's reading comprehension. People can interpret the same thing differently.)

I’m glad to know you have problems understanding what i write. That helps me understand posts like these, which show you’re telling the truth, you don’t understand me/my intent. that’s ok. it is what it is.

i’ve been missing Knight a lot recently. One fond memory i have of him is, he always understood what i wrote.
Not just the letter. Perceptive. Intuitive. Kind of amazing. i attribute it to his exceptional reading skills.
i’ll never be where Knight is.

it is nice to be able to write freely, trusting the effort to understand will be made.

- - - - - - -

This may be my fav of your posts:

I was also attempting a joke, but it seems that not only did I fail to land the joke, I also opened the door to a tirade about public education. It's ok, my jokes don't always land and my wife tells me that I"m not as clever as I think I am.

i enjoy when wives are referenced.

[temporal1]

Writing is about communication. ..

one thing i forgot to communicate .. Knight had good things to say about you. he believed we had things in common, and hoped we’d find ways to get along. no details. you were both present before i arrived on MD. i arrived as you were leaving Baltimore. i think.

last i heard from Knight was in early pandemic days. lots of school closures. i have no clue. sorry to say.
i keep hoping he’ll be in touch.

[temporal1]

2021:

i miss Knight-light.
he not only read what i wrote, he understood it. often better than i. then he helped me understand what i meant, and why.
from a completely new (to me) perspective. he never mentioned my capital letters laziness. .. but i don’t mind that, because, it’s true.

beyond question, this forum has some great readers, and writers. for reading comprehension, Knight gets an “A.”

[ken_sylvania]

it is nice to be able to write freely, trusting the effort to understand will be made.

I suppose that is nice. I would say this, that as a rule of thumb, I assume that if it's not worth the author's time or energy to write using proper grammar and punctuation, it's probably not worth my time or energy to try to decipher what they are trying to say. Use of proper grammar and punctuation is a way of showing respect to people one is writing to.