Kyle
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~~~~~ Trust Beyond See ~~~~~ "One light will tear apart the night"
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Post by Kyle on Sept 8, 2007 1:52:34 GMT -5
I could go on for hours about each medium, so I'll try to give an overview just to start: * What is a medium? * Why write differently for each medium? * How should you write for each medium?
What is a medium?
A medium is the method you're using to transfer your message, such as a book, newspaper, or a website.
Why write differently for each medium?
You write differently for each medium of your audience. People are fine with reading full paragraphs in a novel, but not as much on a website or a newspaper.
How should you write for each medium?
Books: The paragraph format will do fine. There is a lot of variance within this medium, especially in the way the author handles dialogue, but it's still in the paragraph format.
Newspapers: Newspapers write in a top-down format. The first line of the article is the most important, then the details filter down from there.
Websites: People read in F-shapes on websites. It's harder for the eyes to read on a screen and people are used to getting information faster online, so they skim. Like books, there is a lot of variance within this medium, such as from website to blog to forum.
I realize there could be a lot more to this, so please help out! =)
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DamaNegra
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Angolera de cora?ao
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Post by DamaNegra on Sept 8, 2007 21:04:35 GMT -5
I thought mediums were people who communicated with the dead. But really, even in novels oliver-lenght paragraphs are... well, let's say they dishearten the reader. Just a little (it was a joke, oliver! don't ban me!)
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tsukiryoko
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There's a Skittle on the floor! Quick, grab it!
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Post by tsukiryoko on Sept 10, 2007 20:19:28 GMT -5
I just write. I write without any discipline, and don't decide the medium until I'm done writing. My mind and muse take me wherever the wind blows- any restrictions such as genre can be found after the writerly magic is done.
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Kyle
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~~~~~ Trust Beyond See ~~~~~ "One light will tear apart the night"
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Post by Kyle on Sept 10, 2007 21:49:55 GMT -5
Dama: Of course, that's what I meant--writing for your people who communicate with the dead ;D
Tsuki: That works for some people, too. Some of us approach it differently. I still see you consider your medium, though, when publishing. Should we rephrase this to say "Consider your medium" to make this guidance more universal?
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Post by dangerjane on Sept 23, 2007 1:44:26 GMT -5
I don't write for newspapers or blogs or...well, anything aside from fiction and essays (essays like, for school).
My essay writing technique is quite different from my fiction writing technique. The style and (obviously?) voice are just not the same. Paragraphs are generally longer; I tone down the prettiness, although I still aim for fluency and elegance. When I'm analyzing what some writer has done, I NEVER never never say that "the author is TRYING to..."
Fiction yes, I let it flow much more. I try not to have paragraphs of the same length right next to each other unless they are one sentence/one line paragraphs for emphasis or dialogue. Visually it's more appealing and easier to read. Mostly not conscious; I guess it's just one of those things some of us have an eye for.
Structure isn't in the front of my mind when I write, but it is there. A hovering kind of thing. I think about sentences as I write, primarily--how to make each one as elegant as possible and then how to fit them together properly.
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Kyle
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~~~~~ Trust Beyond See ~~~~~ "One light will tear apart the night"
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Post by Kyle on Nov 10, 2007 4:03:31 GMT -5
Thread Refocus: Writing for THIS Medium I think I need to refocus this thread on writing for this particular medium, this forum. As I come up with them, I'll write on important topics about this. Feel free to respond or to add your own =) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brevity - to be brief in your writingBrevity is most important on the web, because research shows that people online prefer it. In communicating on this forum, there are three aspects to consider: * Your objective - what your goal is * Your medium - this forum * Your audience - other members For example, perhaps you express your point in hopes of others understanding it and discussing it. If you write too much, your audience is more likely to misinterpret you or to ignore you altogether. Thus, you will not achieve either goal. Imagine if everyone did that! Sources: "On Writing Well" by William K. Zinsser Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle#ApplicationWriting for the Web, on Jakob Nielsen's Usability Website: www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/
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Post by dangerjane on Nov 11, 2007 14:03:04 GMT -5
So...goal for the forum, to post as briefly as possible? Pack a lot into a few words.
All right, that's not really VERY much different from novel writing, on the most basic level.
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Kyle
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~~~~~ Trust Beyond See ~~~~~ "One light will tear apart the night"
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Post by Kyle on Nov 11, 2007 20:34:52 GMT -5
Agreed -- communicate your message without losing the reader in the words. =)
In novels, however, people are more accepting of paragraphs than they are in online settings.
It's a nice application of Occam's razor: If the results and value are the same, the simpler method is better.
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Post by dangerjane on Nov 12, 2007 13:01:19 GMT -5
Well then that's where the difference arises. You have to structure your few words differently for a forum than for a novel.
Or maybe you could structure your novel like a forum...
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Kyle
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~~~~~ Trust Beyond See ~~~~~ "One light will tear apart the night"
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Post by Kyle on Nov 12, 2007 18:05:56 GMT -5
Hum... I think you could. It would be similar to books composed of letters.
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Post by dangerjane on Nov 13, 2007 0:55:28 GMT -5
Yeah and then your forum posts would be absolutely GRIPPING. Might have to file that one away for the future
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