RN> nowadays when intead of saying "He/she/I said", they say
"They're

 Sounds easier to me. Hmm. And we all still get messed up with the
Royal we/ Generic vs personal 'you'.

RN> like" or "He/she's or I'm like" and my all-time
favorite -- "I hope
 RN> your feeling well."

 Remember that Olymic broadcast where the diver had hit his head on a
lower board. Comes up dazed, sportscaster sticks micrphone in his face
and asked, "Did that hurt?"
.........................

CH> Okay okay> You can use it. But if you read that book boy they really
CH> really lay it on thick about that, that that 

 RN> Too bad they didn't talk to me about its usage first.

 You mean me? I didn't? Well I did. Now you know. It's not a matter of
telling you what to do because you can choose not to do it as you
please. I'm so confused about the short /sweet.

If it is true and I sincerely do believe it that 'brevity is the soul
of wit'-  if anything easier to read- why were we force fed narrative
ficiton of the 19th Century. SOME is great! But there's some we had to
read against our free weill which defied the logic of the brevity is
soul of wit claim.

I asked somebody about this. Their opinion was writers of the 19th C
employed extensive Verbosity Becasue Their Reading Public  being what
and who they were required extensive detailed spelling out of very
fact of the character's charcter five times over and not to mention
extensive description of Scenary as if you've never seen a tree in
yoru life (and then again some of those extensive descriptions
described that which could possibly picture in their heads unless they
lived  in the locale being described henceforth and such with as
botnical floral fauna and such with forth and let's not forget the
agnst of of of oh was lost in overtly overt eloquent Shakespearin prose...

How is that for show don't tell 

In one English Class on 'futurology' (remember this was a tech school
so they had to create elective themes to be more enticing) we were
gvien a reading list and to do a oral book report.

I picked "Future Shock" The yellow covoered one. It came in lime gree,
orange and anothe rcolor too. I had a hard time staying awake. The
same concepts/principle/whatever were gone over with a fine comb and
and described to the Nth nth nth . I never finiished it.

For my oral report I simply described what the symopsis said. I got a
C which is actually the best you can expect in those classes. I SHOULD
hve been HONEST! heh.

But then again mayben not. For then I might have been criticized for
Daring To Critize a Published Author ohmybog and got a D.

I'd have said though : I guess that book just wasn't my cup of tea...
.............................................

CH> illustrate show don't tell, bu actually doing it? Just look at the s
CH> size of that book. It's power packed, It won't put you to sleep. I
CH> If anything it will wake you up.

 RN> Those people think others will believe anything that is put in print.

 I am confused. Roger. It makes sense! And nobody is foricing it on
you. It's prsented in  'take it as you like it' .. you have a choice!
It's nto preaching style Roger. It's prsenting a way to write if you
prefer that style. Frankly , I like it and it seems you do too. Short
but sweet you say? :)

Okay maybe it has some flaws. Nothin's perfect. Pick what you like and
leave the rest?

There is one sentance structure I can't stand- which you may have
seen- that this book deplores as well-is-when- and forgive me I forget
the grmmar terms- is when the writer starts a sentance puts in a
explaination between hyphens- that is so long you forget what the
start of the sentanece was about. What is that called?
.......................................

CH> No. Of cousre not. But books have been my primary way  of getting
CH> information. And a lot of books DO help you learn to think. :)

 RN> Information, yes, but not someone you don't even know telling you that
 RN> using the word "that" is unacceptacle.  It all depends on how it is

Roger. They do not say do not use this word. Here we go again. The all
or none phenomena. :( Roger. They, suggest moderation in useage.

 The Elipse... is used to convey continuing thought for example as in
 it goes without saying. But use the elipse too much and the reader
becmes distracted as in :why so many elipses? I used to over use those
things and was when my excess was pointed out to me and I read what I
had written- I had to agree. Excess is distracting.

Roger. The book simply shows how to use the tools of language to our
best advantage; to the best effect as a writer. That's all.

Nobdy is bossing anybody around. It's just a guide.
............

RN> used in a sentence. For example, read Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. 
 RN> Ask those people if they approve of the way Mr Lincoln used it.  If
 RN> they say no, then run, don't walk away from them.

 Lincoln is from the era where people wrote more eloquently but more
verbose as well. That was how they wrote. The point of his speech was
not how he said what he said but WHAT he said. If people are going to
nit pick him for his style, then they're missing his point.

I'm not nit picking.

cinders

--- PPoint 3.01