Formal and Informal Communication

This topic invariably comes up in my writing workshops and classes. It doesn't matter the age of the group or whether they are taking the class for personal enrichment/lifelong learning or for college credit. When we communicate---whether verbally or through writing---the outcome is always the same: to convey thoughts. Knowing your purpose and audience determines HOW you will communicate your message.

Informal communication is among friends or people we know personally. We let our guard down, use slang and colloquial phrasing. Because it's informal, we know they'll "get the gist" of our message and that's all we are aiming for. Examples include text messages, phone calls/voicemail, and friendly banter. Informal communication may use non-standard English.
Formal communication on the other hand always follows the rules for standard English. When we are writing for our jobs – creating memos, reports, business letters – we use standard English. Are there times when we might use informal English in a work situation? What are examples of formal writing? What are examples of informal writing?
Whether we communicate formally or informally, the writing process is followed. First we collect our thoughts, then we decide how to share those thoughts, finally, we deliver our message. In formal writing, however, ideas and thoughts are focused before delivery. This ensures our message is clear. This is why correctly using words that are frequently misused is so  important.
Focusing our thoughts.  Planning is the first step in the writing process. It allows us to explore a topic before focusing it. We then consider our purpose and audience before we plan (or outline) and then draft. How many ideas can you generate about the differences between high school and college? Now, brainstorm ideas on this topic: What 3 tips would you give to a new college student?  You will write your first paper to turn in on this topic.

College Writing Skills: The Writing Process

This is dedicated to my students in the College Writing Skills program at ESC, though any writer--or student--will find it helpful. When I began teaching writing at the local college, I created a weekly sheet to help freshman students learn to manage the syllabus. It evolved into a "newsletter" of sorts complete with articles, study tips, and motivational quotes. I'll now post those on my blog (and use the online course page for updates and homework/assignment due date reminders). 

Whether we are aware of it or not, all writing goes through a series of stages from the initial idea to the completed product. It helps to relate the process of writing to what you know. A process is simply breaking something into steps. Many things we do daily follow a process. Think about the steps used to do daily tasks, enjoy your hobbies, or improve skills such as dance, music, sports, and so on.
Prewriting is the first step in the writing process. It  includes brainstorming ideas, settling on a subject, and selecting a topic. Brainstorming is accomplished in several ways. Making lists, creating a cluster or bubble outline (sometimes called a mind map), or journaling all help in focusing the topic.
  Prewriting also includes planning and organizing. Deciding on audience and purpose takes place during this stage. The method used for brainstorming is then turned into an outline or plan for our writing. When you complete your assignment to poll 12 people to ask whether they use prewriting, note whether they are still students or working adults. Many people who have been in their occupations for awhile and writing emails, business letters, and reports do not realize that they "prewrite" because they plan in their heads what they will say and how they will say it.
Drafting is the next step. The purpose of this stage is to get thoughts onto paper. In elementary and secondary school your teachers may have referred to the “sloppy copy.” This is the messy draft. DO NOT ever try to turn in your draft to a college instructor. They expect your papers to have gone through at least one round of revision and editing. Keep in mind, professional writers will do this many, many times before submitting it to their editors to make it as perfect as possible.
Revision is the rethinking step. At this point you will review your draft for clarity, supporting details, and move and/or cut sections to better express your point. This stage should not be confused with editing. (That is not about rethinking your approach.)
Editing and Proofreading is the final step. The purpose of this stage is to check for flow, grammatical and spelling errors, correct format, and so on.
Keep in mind that the entire process is recursive. (This word will by on your vocabulary quiz!) This means that it is not necessarily a chronological process. At any point you can go back to a previous stage to improve the overall product. Unlike say, baking a cake, in which it would be ineffective to add the forgotten baking soda once the cake is in the oven, in the writing process you can go back to prewriting and add to your plan even as you are drafting.
  Though not part of the writing process, prioritizing is vital for your academic career (and beyond). Prioritizing means setting both goals and the action steps to achieve those goals.
Breaking tasks into smaller steps creates manageable pieces. This helps in prioritizing schedules. Create goals and then set action steps to complete each goal. Remember, we eat an elephant one bite at a time; we write essays one word at a time.

Breaking Writer's Block

So, have your created goals for the year? I encourage my workshop students to, complete with action steps toward achieving them. Many who are in my workshops view the class as an action toward a goal. Perhaps you're doing the same, or perhaps you're reading some books on writing craft. If you're like a few of my workshop students, you may be facing a new problem -- freezing up or struggling to actually write. 

I rarely suffer from writer's block (the inability to write), but I have witnessed my students getting blocked. Often, keeping all the details they're learning about in mind causes new writers to freeze up. Writers block is often caused by fear or anxiety. Do I have what it takes? Am I making sense? Will editors post my manuscript on the “When we need a really good laugh” wall? What am I exposing about myself – either about my (un)creativity or my (lack of) communication skills?  What if my idea is no good? 

First, remember that all the craft details are for guidance. Don't worry about them as you put words onto paper; worry about them as you revise.  Think of your draft as your clay which you'll shape and add detail to later. Second, find a topic to write about that matters to you. Third, have faith in your skills and creativity! 

The following exercises should help you find a topic you are motivated to write about:  

1) Make a list of high points, low points, and turning points in your life. (What’s the best thing that ever happened to you? The worst? What events made a difference in your life?)

2) Think about specific incidents related to each event and assess what you learned from that encounter.

3) How might you turn the truth of each experience into the theme for a story or article? What events will you use to illustrate that theme? How will the main character grow or change by the end of the story (to realize that truth?)

Good ideas, passion for a topic, a desire to share, and faith in your skills are key to breaking the block. In the end, focus on having fun writing! 

Weave in Story Details

Work on observing your surroundings using all five senses. What does the wind smell like? What does rain taste like? What does a wooded area sound like? Describe the bark of different trees. How is today’s rain storm different than yesterday’s? How is a hot day different than a hot night? Start now to really notice the world around you—listen, feel, taste, experience it.

Next, translate these sensations to your character. What does he or she smell or hear when he or she enters the dark woods behind the row of houses? Instinct tells the character not to take the path through the woods as a short cut, but he or she has no choice. So, allow the reader to experience this place through the sensations the character encounters. 

New writers often tell the reader what happens in the story rather than showing the story unfold. The rule of thumb is "show, don't tell" (SDT). Showing involves the reader. It makes him or her feel and see the details of the story. Telling, or summarizing, slows the story down. You then risk losing the reader to the action of television or computer games. Sensory detail helps you as the author ensure a connection is created and maintained between the character and the reader. In many stories, depending on point of view, the reader will momentarily become the main character. So, describing what the character smells, hears, touches, sees, thinks, etc. strengthens the reader’s connection to a story. Dialogue is another great way to sneak in story details because it draws the reader into the story—and it ensures that something is happening in the scene. 

So, practice noticing details around you and translate that to your characters. Remember to show the reader by weaving in these details in through the reaction of the viewpoint character and through dialogue. 

Happy writing!

Make Your Clay

Earlier this week I finally had a chance to catch up with a dear friend. We went for a walk on the beach and talked about writing. Since she has taken my writing classes in the past (that’s actually how I met her), she reminded me about something I tell my students at all levels: "make your clay and then worry about details later."

What do I mean by this? A writer’s draft is the medium of our craft which we shape and refine during revision. The real work of writing comes during revision. As writers we need to make our clay, meaning getting the words out of our heads and onto paper where we can then work and rework those words into a finished manuscript. If we were painters, we would have brushes, paints, palette, and paper or canvas to use to create our work. If we were potters, we would begin with a lump of clay and mold, shape, and work in details.

Writers, too, need something to work with--something to shape, trim away excess, add in detail, refine and illuminate. So I encourage all my writers to finish (or nearly finish) a draft before they focus on revising. Why? It’s easier to trim away the excess and add in details, develop a character, refine a plot line, and so on, if you have your basic three-part structure in place. It’s not set in stone. Word processing programs make it (thankfully) easy to move, cut, and add (and return to a previous version if necessary). But, once the words are in black type on white paper or screen, it gives the writer something to see and work with, much like the clay used by potters and sculptors.

Having something concrete to shape takes away the tension of revision for newer writers. Viewing the draft as something that includes debris or flaws to pick out takes the pressure off of creating a "perfect" first draft. The key word is "first," since many writers create multiple "drafts" before a polished piece is sent to an editor. Incidentally, the editor then refers to that much-revision MS as the “first draft,” since it is his or her first go-round in editing it.

Blending Details

These two exercises require you to use details from your journal and spring-board to a new idea. You'll blend the real and the imaginary to create a story.

Exercise 1:
Find a favorite magazine. Select an ad that inspires you. Find another ad or photo of a person.
Write about that person in the setting or situation from the first ad. What happens? Is there a problem? How is it resolved?

Exercise 2:
1)   Select three ads or photos from magazines that show both people and inspiring settings.
2)   Write down a focus point or question. For example, a decision you need to make, a problem you need to solve, a subject you're interested in learning more about, or a recent complaint.
3)   Select one of the magazine photos and write about your focus point from the viewpoint of the person in the photograph. Use appropriate language/vocabulary if this person is a child or teen.

Wanted: The ‘Perfect' Journal

Any notebook will do for your writer's journal. You can use a spiral notebook or composition book from the school supplies section a t your favorite store or visit the bookstore for a selection of blank books. The variety is impressive, from lined or unlined sheets to various sizes (and shapes). The important thing is that you feel comfortable with the book so you'll enjoy writing in it often.

You might even prefer to use your computer to journal. Many of my writing friends insist this is the best method because of the "search and find" features on most word processing programs. I prefer a portable, handwritten journal. If this is your choice, too, choose a writing instrument with as much care as the journal itself. Do you want to hear the scratching of a pencil or marker on the page or feel the glide of a gel-ink or fountain pen? I like the feel of smooth, thicker paper and the fast, flowing ink of a Roller Ball. But, I also prefer different colors to help me designate different days at a glance. The choice is yours.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to keep the first few pages blank. Record favorite writing exercises or prompts on those opening pages. You'll be able to quickly find writing prompts whenever you want to write during unexpected spare time. Each time you complete an exercise, you'll gain something more from it. Draw from these completed exercises, just as you'll glean from experiences in each journal entry in developing writing ideas.

Journaling: Writers Basic Training

Keeping a journal is the best way to harness thoughts, memories, ideas and dreams. Those penned experiences will provide plenty of details to add realism to your stories. Journaling also serves as "training," to help you find your writer's voice, among many other writing skills.

You don't need to write daily, and the entries you make could be one page or ten pages. They don't need to make sense as far as transitions or sequence either. I often use // in the margin of my journal to indicate a change in thought or when I've returned later in the day to record a new thought or idea. I put an asterisk next to ideas or dreams that I think have story or article potential. I usually reread entries monthly to add idea notes in the margins or highlight pieces I think may be useful in the near future. 

Sometimes entries during the course of several weeks or a month show an idea slowly developing and I'll start a new entry which comments on those previous ideas, reminding myself how the idea sparked and where I see it possibly leading. It is usually a lack of time that keeps me from outlining or drafting these ideas right away, so using the journal helps me document them for later development.

I also do writing exercises in my journals, practicing different story elements–dialogue, description, sensory details. I find it helpful to clear my mind by writing ideas down before bed-time. When I'm under deadline, journaling helps me clear my thoughts each morning so I'm able to focus on the project at hand. 

Tuning into Ideas

You've already begun recording ideas as you notice them. Another way to find ideas is to make some lists. It helps to open with questions. What topics interest you? Try to list two or three. What questions are triggered when you watch or read the news? List a few. Collect names for places and characters, too. Use the ideas you gather to fill in the following list. Try to collect ten items in the coming week.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Find and write down inspiring quotes, too. At the end of the week, review your list and write down article ideas or story plots based on merging the bits and pieces you've recorded.

Challenge yourself to expand the list each week, building to 12, 15, 18, or 20 items in the coming weeks.

Finding Ideas: Train Your Brain

New classes began this week for several venues in which I teach—college level writing skills, creative and nonfiction writing, and storytelling with my elementary students. No matter the age or level of the writer, before you can write, you need ideas.

Ideas are all around us, but many new writers need to train themselves to recognize ideas. Yes, being open to ideas from our experiences comes with time. This is also why journaling is beneficial. Before you decide to journal, though, spend some time answering questions.

What's on your mind? What do you wonder about? Record interesting bits of overheard conversation. Describe interesting people you meet or notice. As you write about what has happened in your life and record enjoyable experiences, it's easier to see potential ideas as they surface.

Another way to train your brain to notice ideas is to make a list every evening. What errands, events, incidents, people, activities, and places made up your day? Even if you only list two or three items each evening, by the end of the week you'll have a longer list to work with. Now, use three large index cards to categorize the list. Mark one card "characters," one "plot points," and the last card "details." Transfer items from your list to the appropriate card. For example, events and incidents go on "plot points" while sensory experiences and descriptors go on "details." Interesting people you've dealt with, from cashiers and bank tellers to rowdy kids, go on "characters." Jumbling items from all three cards will create prompts for story writing.

Continue organizing those ideas; the more ideas you collect, the easier it will be to translate them from experience to story idea.

World Building

    It’s been almost two weeks since I returned from the SCBWI Florida Mid-Year Conference in Orlando. For the past three years it’s been held at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and Conference Center. Friday includes day-long intensive workshops followed by the Saturday conference.
    This year we skipped the intensives and went to Universal's Wizarding World of Harry Potter instead. Last year, however, two of my friends attended the picture book intensive on Friday. Unfortunately, the novel intensive was full, and I can’t draw so the illustrator’s intensive wasn’t an option. So, I created my own “intensive.” I wandered the resort taking photos to inspire the setting of my fantasy novel.
    The Coronado Springs Resort has a Mayan theme. The conference center is decorated with interesting borders, decorative artifacts, and huge murals. 

 The different Casitas have different façades. Those bordering the lake, edged with irises and water lilies, reminded me of dormitories or classroom buildings. Suddenly my main character was attending an academy to develop her gifts. Later she would travel to ruins to find forgotten (or protected) artifacts.

    As I wandered the path along the lake, I saw the flora transformed into vegetation in this magical world of the story. Eventually this path led to the large pool area which includes volleyball nets in sand lots, a games area with swings and slides for little kids, a concession stand, and a huge pool next to a Mayan step pyramid complete with twisted vines and a waterfall cascading down the center.

    Perhaps my characters would find a natural waterfall or pool on their adventures. Might it be spelled? Might it become a trap? The resort setting was helping me plot and plan.
    Themed signs around the pool also triggered my imagination. Some looked like they might be makers intended to ward off trespassers, and my imagination created possibilities for my characters to deal with.
    Beyond the pool was a wooded area and farther beyond that were smaller buildings housing townhouse-styled guest rooms. These all helped me create the academy’s campus and towns or villages to become part of the story.

    Benches and hammocks scattered along the edge of lake offered places for me to sit and record the thoughts triggered by the resort setting.  Later, I stopped at lake-side tables to eat and allow my imagination to fill in details.
    Though I didn’t attend an intensive, my intensive exploring aided in developing the setting, provided hints at plot, and helped me develop my characters. These photos and the others I took have helped me visualize the setting whenever I've had to be away from the project for awhile.