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November 11, 2007

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Word-wise Challenge

Remember homographs, those flexible words with multiple meanings? Book is one. The word has many different meanings depending on the context in which it's used: one may read a book or book a flight, for example.

Sometimes the different uses of a homograph demand different pronunciations, but the spellings remain the same, as is the case with bow:

• (rhymes with "plow") v. to bend in a show of submission or respect
• (rhymes with "snow") n. a decorative tie

Now, the Challenge: each of the groups below contains two different meanings of a homograph. Identify the homographs.

• n. a heavy, durable woven natural-fiber fabric; or v. to examine closely and exhaustively
• n. a monetary unit of Ireland; or v. to propel a boat by means of a long pole
• v. to conduct preliminary testing; or n. in a window, a loosely woven barrier against insects and debris but through which air may pass freely

Readers who identify and submit all three of these homographs correctly by November 4, 2007, will be entered to win two complimentary hours of any service from Admin Maven.

Focus

Start with a Bang

According to Les Edgerton, many good and even brilliant stories never get read past the first paragraph, or perhaps first page, because of a poor beginning.

If the first part of a story does not "grab" the reader and cause him to want to read more, the author has failed no matter how wonderful the rest of the story may be. Begin with a vivid scene.

The opening of a story should successfully set the stage for the reader, "hook" the reader, create with words the desire in the reader to want to read more.

At the start, the problem should be introduced. That means the problem is an event that changes the protagonist's world in some way, and the problem may not always mean trouble.The reader may not realize that what happens at the beginning is even a problem, only that it triggers a desire to know more.

For example, if Johnny is a character in a children's story (yes, writing for children follows the same guidelines and contains the same needs as any good work) and has never walked to school by himself before, only with an adult by himself, he starts his first walk with excitement and trepidation. If the author writes:

Johnny had never walked to school by himself before. His mother or grandmother had always walked with him. This example "tells" the situation, but it does not "show" the story.

So, let's try showing and creating a "hook."

Johnny opened the door a crack. As he peeked out, he thought, Everything looks the same. He swallowed and opened the door farther. He stuck his head completely outside and searched the walk leading from the porch.

"Johnny," his mother said from behind him, "do you need me to walk to school with you again today?"

Johnny glanced over his shoulder. "Momma, I'm big enough to walk by myself." He picked up his back pack and marched out the door. "I'm five years old now."

Dialogue in the first few paragraphs helps catch a reader's attention and helps the reader to "see" what is happening. Melissa Stewart says, "Put dialogue to work." A good way to engage the reader immediately is to have captivating dialogue.

Excessive narration, expository, or text causes the flow of the story to stop anywhere, but when needless narration begins the story, the reader loses interest immediately.

Grab his attention by using a vivid scene; "show" the reader what is happening; hook his interest immediately; and start your story with a bang.

*** Sources used in this newsletter include notes I've made over the years as well as Harvey Stanbrough, "Stop interrupting," November 2006 The Writer; Les Edgerton, "HOOK, GRAB and PULL," August 2007 Writer's Digest; and Melissa Stewart, "Write for children -- 12 steps to success," June 2006 The Writer.

About the author: After teaching composition for twenty-five years and becoming an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ a site for Poetry, Vivian Gilbert Zabel produced Hidden Lies and Other Stores, Walking the Earth:, and The Base Stealers Club, which can be ordered through most book stores and on Amazon.com.

Language Corner

'Net Language, Part II:
Emoticons

Somehow, even those of us who have been reluctant to adopt the oft-abbreviated language common on the Internet have been willing to accept the use of emoticons. These cleverly arranged symbols have become so prevalent that even popular word-processing software used in workplaces around the world includes some of them among the default automatic correction options. Consider how often you see these emoticons in online discussions or even e-mails from the boss:

• smile :)
• frown :(
• wink ;)
• surprise :O

Other shorthand, used primarily for the sake of saving a few keystrokes, generally is composed of letters (or occasionally numerals, as in b4) that stand for words.

On the other hand, emoticons are used to convey mood and are generally composed of at least two symbols, one or more of which are punctuation marks.

And that is the key to the emoticon's appeal: at its core, punctuation has always had the ability to convey emotion. Using an exclamation point instead of a period, for example, can change the tone of the same words from factual to incredulous. Consider the effect a mere change in punctuation has here:

• Susan is going to wear the red ball gown to cocktail hour.
  (And Jean will wear the black, and I will wear the blue.)
• Susan is going to wear the red ball gown to cocktail hour!
  (Va-va-voom!)
• Susan is going to wear the red ball gown to cocktail hour?
  (I wonder why...it's a casual affair.)
• Susan is going to wear the red ball gown to cocktail hour?!
  (But she bought that gown before she had gastric bypass!)

Wjengosh ghsng rksoidj vwla cppi rx j ejjwm vjsllv ewjf scunqs fol.
:(

Clearly, the communicative power of emoticons is great. They appear to be here to stay. :)

Incidentally, last month was recognized as the 25th anniversary of the use of what may be considered the first emoticon. Benjamin Zimmer discusses the history of these typographical phenomena in his September 21 contribution to Language Log.

Writing Tip

Where to Break a Paragraph

Academic writing may consist of long paragraphs, even 250 words or more. This allows for depth of examination, thoroughness of argument, rich technical detail, and citation of multiple sources.
Newspaper columns are narrow, thus visually demand shorter paragraphs, typically 100 words or fewer. Often, the longer the article, the greater the variation of paragraph length.
Creative writing varies widely. A character's state of mind can be reflected by the use of long, wandering stream-of-consciousness paragraphs. In contrast, a fast-moving action scene may consist of a series of short paragraphs and one-line dialogue.
Online material frequently is composed of short simple sentences and short paragraphs. Bulleted lists are acceptable and often more effective in this medium than narrative paragraphs.
Business letters often are scanned lightly rather than read word-for-word, so short paragraphs are appropriate.
Writing for young audiences, particularly young adult fiction, demands a balance of short and longer paragraphs to capture the attention without condescension.
In almost any medium, one-sentence paragraphs can be used to draw particular emphasis.

When faced with a paragraph that feels either too long or too short, consider these questions.

• Is there a natural transition point in this process or narration?
• If the paragraph were read aloud, would the audience "hear" it end before it does on paper?
• Can some repeated ideas be struck?
• Does the audience expect all at precisely this moment?
• Can dialogue be used instead of description here?
• Could a "missing" statement be inserted to create the beginning of a new paragraph?
• What else does the reader need to know?
• Can this paragraph be attached to the previous/next paragraph?
• What would happen if the paragraph were eliminated?

When in doubt, let your personal writing style be the guide. James Joyce wrote incredibly long paragraphs; Ernest Hemingway's quick-firing dialogues sometimes read more like scripts. Yet both are revered.

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.