Comparing Strunk & White to Williams

Williams' book was very dry for me. He wrote an entire book on how to sound clear. Yes, I understand that it is important for me to communicate my ideas effectively. But all of his prompts aren't always appropriate, and this is something that Strunk and White recognized, which I really liked. They noted that most of the book contained preferences to how writing should be, not "rules". Williams seemed to think his writing was the best, and he didn't always follow grammar rules, something Strunk and White most certainly did, and stated was important.

Both books state that we must BE CLEAR. Do not use large words that have a simpler, more appropriate synonym. Do not use lengthy sentences. Where do we draw the line? We want to sound educated and intelligent, but we do not want to be confusing or unreadable. Neither book really touched upon this, and it is something I would like to hear from both authors.

I think Strunk and White present a clearer argument of how writing should be. Williams tends to be a little redundant. I think the rules and regulations Strunk and White list are in a much more effective format, with rule then explanation. Williams absolutely presented many good arguments when discussing how to write concisely, but I think Strunk and White blew him out of the water.

My previous blog discussed the things I didn’t like and liked about Strunk and White. I talked about not liking the fact that we are supposed to “avoid fancy words”. Well, Williams said that too. Most of the ideas that Strunk and White claimed about clarity are in Williams’ book as well.

Williams seems to have a different take on “orthodox” language use. He does not really support a socially acceptable and appropriate language; he is wishy-washy here. Strunk and White and I all believe that it is important to use correct spellings and words because it distracts the reader from the message. Williams seems to think that though we have grammar rules, they are not all necessary for us to communicate those messages.

I enjoyed Strunk and White much more. It’s funny, Williams tells us to be clear, and yet his ideas seem confusing and abstract as well. I found myself rereading a lot with this book, whereas Strunk and White was straight-forward. Perhaps Williams should take some of his own advice when writing.

Revising with Williams

Financial obligations must be met by students by the posted due dates in order for the student to be eligible for the next registration period (or graduation). Transcripts, diplomas or other statements of record will be withheld and students will be ineligible for further registration until obligations have been fulfilled.

Students must pay their tuition on time. Neglecting to pay tuition fees will result in an inability to register for the following semester, withholding of student records, or an exclusion from graduation.

(2003-2005 Student Catalog)

I chose this sentence because it was far too wordy. "Financial obligations" exactly means tuition fees, etc. This sentence is probably one of the most important in the entire catalog, and yet seem s to be one the lengthiest sentences. It is understood, but it takes far to long to read. As William states, we must be clear in our writing in order to write well, and there are so many better ways of wording this sentence. Students need to understand what the consequences will be for unpaid tuition fees in a very straightforward manner. This revision provides a much more clear-cut way of stating this very clear-cut idea.

Williams points out that often we attempt to sound more educated than we really need to. Obviously, the University wants to present a certain “pomp and circumstance” in their student catalog, but it should really keep in mind the audience. Yes, we are college students, and we are fairly bright. But mostly, we don’t pay attention to long words or sentences. We tend to skim through a lot of things. Something this important should not be skimmed, and this sentence’s previous form begs to be glanced at and then never seen again. My revision promotes a solid answer to what will happen to students with outstanding fines. That is the most important aspect of this sentence, not the ten-dollar word choice.

Strunk and White

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White provided a lot of great tips and information. I never thought a whole book could be written on "style", but Strunk and White have proved me wrong by including every intricate detail, citing literary devices and their uses, "manners" of writing, etc. I felt as though sometimes their personal opinions and preferences were interjected, but I can't say that most of the time I didn't agree with them.
For example: Strunk and White say to "use orthodox spelling". I find this to speak to today's society whole-heartedly; on the internet we use shorthand and abbreviations all the time. This has an affect on whether or not a writer appears to be credible, and it is simply inappropriate for sophisticated, professional writing. Spelling words like (what the authors use) "through" as "thru" promotes lazy, quick, unrevised writing, and if I saw it in an essay or piece I actually paid for, I would be repulsed.
I often wish that writers would adhere to their rule of "omit[ting] needless words". I often read assigned works from my professors and fall asleep while doing so. I wish that authors would be concise and precise, and just cut to the point. It was greatly appreciated that they provided a good example by using something that is so commonly said: "the fact that". To take my own advice, this section had good information that I wish everyone would adhere to.
I did not agree with their tip of "avoid[ing] fancy words". I have been told countless times by my professors to use a thesaurus and find better words for what I am trying to say. I am always tempted by that "twenty dollar word" because it simply sounds better, a point which they later touch upon as well. I agree that whatever sound better to the ear should be used, as Strunk and White point out.
At the very end of the book, Strunk and White say to avoid inputting our opinions in our writing. I used to think so, until I got into my major courses and Eastern and more and more professors told me to put my own opinion in my paper, and even to use "I". I had always learned that was a big no-no, but it seems to be becoming more acceptable. I think this rule may be a bit outdated, as now I read essays and different writings where a very educated and professional author states his/her opinion. I am still getting used to this idea as well, but I am coming around to it.
I very much enjoyed the final few sentences of this book. It preached that we should be who we are and allow that to show in our writing, but to still follow standard speech and writing practices. I always hear about how many English majors there are at Eastern, and really all over the country. What irritates me the most is because people think it is an easy subject. Well, I have news, IT'S NOT. As Strunk and White say, writing proper English is not a "cinch" like many people assume. It is difficult. If it weren't, there would be no reason for the two of them to write an entire book on style. Every word has its place and every sentence its use, and it takes a great and talented writer to incorporate and properly use these rules and guidelines.

Show and Tell

"The only stupid questions are those that go unanswered, and through writing we can answer our 'stupid' questions in private."

When brainstorming for this painstaking activity, I thought about the many questions I had to ask and learn from. None of them were stupid, but once they were answered they appeared extremely obvious. I think it is stupid to not ask the "obvious", because what is obvious to one person is not obvious to another. I added the second part of the sentence when I realized that all of the knowledge gained in this particular class is in writing. Through writing, I can either answer my own questions during the process, or I can help answer someone else's question(s) with the finished product.

I first did this sentence outside in the mud where my dad is rebuilding our deck. I decided that I didn't like it. I didn't feel it "expressed" the person I am. The multicolored rigatoni noodles definitely share many characteristics with me. I am quirky, twisted, multi-personality-containing, and many other things. This sentence says a lot about me, while declaring how important writing is to our knowledge gain in this thing we call humanity.

Writing as a Technology

As a Language, Literature and Writing major, I am constantly writing. To be completely honest, the only technology I rely on to do this is my computer. This is not only because it is the most convenient, but because it is 100 percent required by all professors and any professional organization. Any- and everything must be typed in a 12-point font, mostly likely double-spaced. I loved the selection from Barron's essay in which he claims that professors at first didn't want to tell their students about spell-check, and now get pissed when they don't run the software before turning in a paper. It is so true!
A difficult thing for me to completely wrap my head around is that writing itself is a technology, as Ong states. I understand, as Plato claims, that writing itself is a representation of the real creation, but itself being a technology in its own existence is a difficult concept. I guess the best way for me to justify this idea is what Ong says when comparing oral communities to "advanced" communities: writing itself is a representation, just as thought is a representation. We cannot begin the following syllable or sound of a word without first performing the latter, which is already passed and/or forgotten. (As I re-read what I just wrote, it may not make complete sense to you, but for some reason makes me understand this a little better...)
All of the essays present good evidence for their points. Ong gives a very strong argument as to why writing is a "diabolical" representation of the original creation of an author/speaker/artist. Plato presents luring food-for-thought about the concept of writing and its possible affects on civilization. Manguel's discussion on the old golden rule of "judging a book by it's cover" provides good evidence that doing so is sometimes a good thing as it alters our perception(s) of a particular text. Any way we look at the concept of "writing", we most certainly have to consider the technology behind it. Creation is just as important as result. Isn't this why all our lives we have been forced to create rough drafts? Teachers always want to see our thought processes, even though sometimes we don't have one, we just are able to spill out all we need to say.
I never thought about the "technology" of writing before this class, and was truly confused by it until reading these selections. I now understand (at least I think I do!) what this means, why it is important, and the process by which we are where we are today. Writing is so important that it will always adapt to the technology invented, and I can't wait to see what someone comes up with in twenty years.

What is "style"?

One major thing comes into my mind when I attempt to define "style": last semester, I had a Literature teacher who, I thought, was a hard grader. With each new paper, I would attempt to get a better grade-- I was never consistent. After almost every paper, he would write "Simplify your style". Ok....uh, what? Each time I would try to be more succinct only to find that a majority of the time I was sounding exactly the same. Needless to say, I worked my little booty off for a "B".

When I think of "style" in terms of writing, I think of structure and diction. I mostly think of poetry. Different sentence structures help mold the mindset of the reader; are they choppy or do they flow? Word choice helps the reader distinguish the time setting; is it in Old English or modern usage? Am I reading with an accent? Style is a very important component of writing.

Getting Started

Hello!

My name is Chelsee Harris. I am a Language, Literature, and Writing major for secondary education. I work full-time as a manager and waitress for the local A&W near my home. I have a wonderful boyfriend whom I plan to marry in the next two years, as soon as I graduate. I have been attending EMU for two years and already have junior status. I am working very hard to complete school in the shortest amount of time possible. While I love college, I am very eager to get in the classroom and begin sharing my love of literature with my students.

I am only taking this class during the spring semester, as I needed a slight break from attending classes; I took 17 credits in the winter semester. I figure I can focus all of my attention on one writing class, do my best, and earn my three credits to the best of my ability. Plus, this online class allows more flexibility in dealing with my schedule.

I have one niece and one nephew, Ellee and Kaden. They are the best babies in the world! They are so much fun and are so smart, and I am truly blessed to have them in my life. The picture in the upper left-hand corner I have posted is of my grandma (whom I call Mummum) and me in their condo located on Marco Island in Florida. Every year we head down there for Easter break, and it has become our favorite place in the world. The other picture is of some of the girls in my family...we are a very close-knit bunch, and I plan to keep it that way :)

Thanks for listening! Can't wait to see what the semester brings!