Professional Feature Writing Bruce Garrison

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.�Professor�Neil�Postman�(1985)�blamed�it�on�television�andPage�90a�video�oriented�society.�He�laments�about�"the�most�significant�American�cultural�fact�of�the�second�half�of�the�twentieth�century:�the�decline�of�the�Age�of�Typography�and�the�ascendancy�of�the�Age�of�Television.�This�change�over�has�dramatically�and�irreversibly�shifted�the�content�and�meaning�of�public�discourse,�since�two�media�so�vastly�different�cannot�accommodate�the�same�ideas"�(p.�8).�Cultural�historian�Jacques�Barzun�(1992)�agrees,�especially�about�the�decline�of�writing�skills�within�the�news�media.�"The�unhappy�truth�is�that�the�prose�of�the�press,�and�of�broadcast�news�as�well,�has�fallen�below�the�level�of�competence�that�once�obtained�[sic]�and�that�can�reasonably�be�expected.�It�is�not�uniformly�bad,�but�the�faults�are�frequent�and�of�many�kinds�.�.�.�blurred�meanings~�pretentiousness~�and�irrelevant�fiction�style"�(p.�3).The�Elements�of�Good�WritingMuch�work�goes�into�good�writing.�William�Zinsser�(1980),�who�has�written�for�newspapers�and�magazines�and�authored�numerous�books,�considers�good�writing�a�disciplined,�rigorous�effort�that�comes�from�practice.�It�takes�rewriting,�what�he�calls�"the�essence�of�writing"�(p.�4).�It�takes�the�same�regular,�daily�schedule�that�a�craftsman�might�use�in�making�furniture�or�artwork.�Zinsser�also�explains�that�writing�is�a�solitary�effort�of�people�who�do�not�mind�being�alone.�Yet�he�also�believes�writing�can�be�easy�and�fun.Lawyers,�for�example,�often�write�with�clutter�and�complexity�in�their�search�for�precision�necessary�in�legal�documents.�Good�writers�keep�it�simple�while�retaining�meaning.�Zinsser�(1980)�called�clutter�the�"disease�of�American�writing"�(p.�7).�He�is�right.�This�is�especially�true�for�writers�for�mass�audience�publications.�Because�there�is�no�reason�for�feature�articles�to�be�complex�or�difficult,�keep�your�writing�simple.�This�means�you�have�to�translate�complicated�material,�such�as�medical�or�other�scientific�terms,�for�your�readers.�"We�are�a�society�strangling�in�unnecessary�words,�circular�constructions,�pompous�frills�and�meaningless�jargon,"�Zinsser�believes�(p.�7).Barzun�(1992)�was�deeply�concerned�about�false�meaning�in�news�media�writing.�He�points�to�vogue�words�and�malapropism.�Vogue�words�reduce�precision�in�meaning�by�giving�slangy�new�meanings�to�words,�keeping�better�fitting�words�out�of�use.�Malapropism�is�the�misuse�of�often�similar�but�incorrect�words.�These�sorts�of�writing�mistakes,�he�argues,�come�from�laziness�and�from�ignorance�of�the�language.Page�91Great�feature�articles�include�seven�basic�elements,�says�Michael�Bugeja,�magazine�writing�professor�and�Writer's�Digest�contributing�editor.�His�seven�essential�elements�are�topic,�theme,�title,�viewpoint,�voice,�moment,�and�endings.�"If�you�heed�these�seven�basic�elements�of�non�fiction�writing,�you�will�make�your�articles�better�and�you�will�sell�more,"�Bugeja�(1996,�p.�22)�argued.There�are�ways�to�be�successful�and�avoid�such�pitfalls�in�writing.�Minneapolis�freelance�feature�writer�Steve�Perlstein�(1993,�personal�communication)�believes�in�simplicity�for�success:Writing�style�is�surely�important,�but�so�is�keeping�your�prose�simple�and�straightforward.�The�great�writers�never�waste�words,�and�their�stories�are�never�one�word�longer�than�they�need�to�be.�Superfluous�words whether�they�are�to�pad�the�word�count�or�to�make�the�piece�sound�more�important are�invariably�cut�in�the�editing�process�anyway.�If�you�write�too�many�words�about�the�same�thing�over�and�over�again,�or�just�more�words�than�you�need,�your�work�winds�up�looking�overblown�and�tedious,�or�just�plain�too�long.�See�what�I�mean?A�good�newspaper,�magazine,�newsletter,�or�online�publication�writer�keeps�thoughts�easy�to�understand.�This�is�done�several�ways.�First,�it�is�done�through�word�selection.�Use�the�right�words,�but�do�not�use�too�many�of�the�right�words.�Be�concise.�Be�precise�in�meaning.�Use�basic�subject verb object�sentence�structure.�Even�if�you�can�find�a�way�to�write�a�sentence�with�a�verb�then�the�subject,�it�is�likely�to�be�hard�to�understand�and�you�have�wasted�your�reader's�time.�If�you�do�that�often�enough,�you�lose�the�reader�permanently.�A�third�way�to�help�the�reader�understand�what�you�are�writing�is�to�use�correct�grammar.�Usages�do�help�the�communication�process.�People�are�accustomed�to�seeing�certain�forms�of�grammar,�such�as�subject verb�agreement�and�consistent�use�of�tense.�Still�another�way�to�write�in�simple�English�is�to�keep�an�eye�on�sentence�length.�The�longer�the�sentence,�the�harder�it�is�to�follow [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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