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Not-so-idle Musings

Writer's UNblock

Not long ago, I read a forum thread on writer's block. Most of the respondents focused on why people experienced writer's block: stress, fatigue, lack of focus, and scarce time to dedicate solely to writing were all mentioned. But regardless why a person feels creatively blocked, wouldn't it be handy to have a reliable means of getting past it?

In one of my former lives, I was an English teacher. I occasionally asked my students to do a Freewrite activity. There was only one rule for this writing assignment: pencils must not stop making words during the allotted writing time, usually ten minutes. Grammar and spelling were of no consequence during a Freewrite. Sometimes I gave a springboard question or quote to get the reluctant started, but following it was not required. The writing that evolved from a Freewrite was entirely without limit in topic. Often students simply allowed their random thoughts to present themselves on paper. Words did not have to make sense together: strings of interesting phrases with no relation to each other were common.

Frequently, several students' writings started nearly the same but quickly distinquished themselves according to each writer's unique style and thoughts:

• "I dont feel like writing today cause I'm so mad at my brother! We had a huge fight this morning because..."
• "I don't know what to write. Write write write. Funny word. Sounds like right. Sounds like rite. Rhymes with night..."
• "I hate 2 right. I wanna skate. I got some baaaaaaad new decals 4 my board on my birthday...."

This exercise never failed to amaze me. When time was up, there was invariably at least one student who asked for "just another couple minutes." Once in a while, the student begging for more was the very same one who had put up the fiercest resistance at the beginning of the Freewrite time.

The Freewrite method works for several reasons:

• Ten minutes is not too overwhelming a time block to contend with, so stress is low.
• Because there is no pressure to product "right" words, stress drops even lower.
• Limited time forces even the most scattered and undisciplined of minds to focus.
• If a person is too consumed by another matter to write about a given topic, writing about that non-topic matter is perfectly acceptable.

If the Freewrite method can work for actively resistant ninth-grade students, imagine the possibilities it presents for the more seasoned writer! Next time you feel stymied by a blank page or monitor, try granting yourself a very small block of writing time, turning off that irritating self-editor in your brain, and jotting the disconnected thoughts that float unbidden across your consciousness. You just may discover you have a whole lot more to write about than you realized!

Usage Tip

Can vs. May

Modals (perhaps you learned them in school as a category of auxiliary or "helping" verbs) are among the most confusing English words to master. And no wonder: besides their refusal to follow the patterns verbs normally take, we also use some of them interchangeably so regularly that we forget they are not identical in meaning. Can and may are two of the English modals that have fallen into that pattern.

The basic difference between can and may is pretty simple. Can is about ability; may is about permission*. Consider these two examples:

• John is a piano prodigy who can flawlessly recreate a full concerto after hearing it only once.
• John may play the piano after he finishes the liver-and-onion casserole his mother made for dinner.

In the first sentence, the focus is on John's tremendous capability: he CAN. In the second, John's ability to play is beside the point; under what condition he is allowed to exercise his talent is the question: he MAY.

When you're not sure which to use, jog your memory by thinking of these two famous instances.

Sammy Davis, Jr.'s song "Yes I Can" = ABILITY
vs.
the children's game "Mother, May I?" = PERMISSION

Try distinguishing the difference with a few example sentences. Complete each one with either can or may.

1. A talented chef ___ prepare a delicious cake without using any dairy, egg, or wheat products.
2. ___ I borrow your car while you are on vacation?
3. Passengers ___ not walk around the cabin while the "Fasten Seatbelts" sign is on.
4. If he takes a running start, Phil ___ perform a long jump of over twelve feet.
5. The boss knows Wilma ___ do the job; it requires the skills Wilma demonstrated in her old position.

Answers: Sentences 1, 4, and 5 require can; may completes 2 and 3.

English speakers are often guilty of using can in both instances. In everyday speech, chances are most people wouldn't even notice the substitution. The Chicago Manual of Style (15th Edition) acknowledges that, in informal situations, can is often used to indicate permission in the same way may is above. However, Chicago also offers a caveat: in any kind of formal writing, may to express permission is far preferable to can. Likewise, in a speaking situation other than casual conversation, it would be prudent to consciously use the correct modal.

Language Corner

'Net Language, Part I:
Vocabulary and Conversation

I am no stranger to the wonders of the Internet. In fact, my work as a virtual assistant depends on it. The changes this "information superhighway" has brought us have permanently colored our almost every facet of our lifestyles. When I was a child, the idea of shopping for practically any imaginable item without leaving home was unheard of; "telecommuting" was not even in our vocabulary; school reports necessitated trips to the library, sometimes planned frantically to take advantage of limited open hours; written conversation with family and friends required several days' delivery time; and long-distance telephone conversation was too expensive to indulge in frequently. All that has changed as 'Net technology has matured.

But despite the Internet's constant presence, and my belief that 80% of what it offers is good, I still find myself fervently resisting some of the changes it has wrought on our vocabulary. Some shifts are easier to accept than others. The word Internet, for example, is a bit odd by the usual capitalization standards. But it is also easy to justify as it is a one-of-a-kind medium and thus a proper noun.

Accepting the word blog was a little harder. Is it really necessary to abbreviate a word already as short as "weblog"? And why abbreviate it so that what remains sounds like the noise a person makes while choking? The word simply sounds unpalatable. Like it or not, though, this term has very quickly become a staple in our electronic vocabulary. And as I've come to appreciate the viewpoints offered in select blogs, I've even become immune to the gagginess of its pronunciation.

In some ways, though, I'm still a purist at heart. Some widely-accepted 'Net language is too much for me to swallow. I refer to the alphabet-soup conversations that are so prevalent in blogs and forum posts. I just can't bring myself to use this shorthand. Despite their familiarity, the abbreviations feel false in my written voice. Consider these common ones:

• LOL for "laughing out loud" (or the more extreme LMAO, or the outright frantic ROTFLMAO)
• DH/DW/DD/DS for "darling husband/wife/daughter/son" (or their kin DF/DBF/DMIL, etc.)
• KWIM for "know what I mean" (No...please explain!)
• HTH for "hope that helps" (And if it doesn't...?)
• TIA for "thanks in advance" (invites my smarty-pants side to come out with comments like "YWIA"--even though it's no longer IA)

Recently Mark Liberman of Language Log reported on the use of wev and its variants. This is a 'Net abbreviation that grates on my nerves doubly: not only is it short for whatever, which can be borderline impolite to begin with, but by using an abbreviated form, the writer doesn't even grant the reader the minimal keystrokes required to spell out his underlying rudeness clearly. While I can appreciate its cleverness, I don't see wev ever entering most of our personal lexicons.

It is entirely possible some 'Net shorthand will either enter our English vocabulary for the long term or evolve into real words as other abbreviations have occasionally done (scuba, snafu, etc.). But I can't help but think the vast majority of these other abbreviations are passing usages that will ultimately fall out of favor and be replaced--no doubt by equally fleeting abbreviations as technology continues to evolve.

Be sure to return to this page for the October 7 issue of Word-wise, in which Language Corner will focus on 'Net Language, Part II: Emoticons.

Word-wise Challenge

The identity of the person described last issue:

I had rather eccentric political and social ideas compared to some other writers of my day. I was considered a bit of a radical even among my closest friends, one of whom was Ralph Waldo Emerson. The subject and setting of my most well-known written work was recognized, protected, then preserved as a National Historic Landmark in the last two decades. Who am I?

Look for the next Word-wise Challenge in the October 7, 2007, issue. Readers who submit correct answers will be entered to win two complimentary hours of any level service from Admin Maven.

Unless otherwise noted, all Word-wise articles are written by AnnaLisa Michalski. Admin Maven does not provide permissions for reprinting articles by guest writers. Please contact guest writers directly for permissions.