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Question: you're a person that use a day-first date when writing — Do you use a leading zero for days less than 10?

05 November 1955 vs 5 November 1955

Does your decision change when using the 3-letter month abbreviations?

05 Nov 1955 vs 5 Nov 1955

NOTE: all numeric dates (e.g. 5.11.1955) are not considered.

Rock the vote. Please boost for reach.

Pick two.

I am reading "Dune" (about 1/3 of the way through the book), and it is amazing how at least ~80% of the book is dialogue.

I don't know how I feel about the author injecting people's thoughts in the middle of the dialogue though. It happens ~10% of the time, and it feels...Well, it feels like "the least bad writing technique" for the situation.

I cannot honestly think of a better alternative, but it *feels* like this is hard to get right, and anyone trying to imitate Herbert could screw this up badly.

🇧🇷 Apresentando a elegante Sheaffer Balance Black & Pearl Oversize com ponta fina (F), combinada com a riqueza do tom do tinta KWZ Honey! 🖋️ Uma combinação perfeita de estilo clássico e escrita suave. Ideal para quem aprecia o charme vintage e a funcionalidade moderna.

🇺🇸 Presenting the elegant Sheaffer Balance Black & Pearl Oversize with a fine nib (F), paired with the richness of KWZ Honey ink! 🖋️ A perfect blend of classic style and smooth writing. Perfect for those who appreciate vintage charm and modern functionality.

#AmReading Sally Rooney's Intermezzo. I don't like the #writingstyle no matter what she is trying to do with it. Nor did I like the characters. But I was drawn into this too long novel by the relationships. Rooney manoeuvres the reader through the complexities of relationships of all kinds - sibling, parental, intimate, immigrant, neurodiverse, intergenerational, friend, and adversary. This is what makes it a good read IMHO.

Oh, Look, Another Interesting Prompt!

Oh, hey, everyone. I know I just posted, but I, Lazarus, am here again because there is a very interesting prompt here that I want to answer really quickly.

In what ways do you communicate online?

Today’s prompt from the journaling app Day One.

Usually like this.

That ought to explain my Online Communication Style plenty. No matter where I’m writing or even if it’s more formal, the vibe is something like THAT.

Okay, bye!

-Lazarus

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Continued thread

#GUMmyStuff #WritingStyle

The incautious reader might well think that all of those things went into the bag with the pork. But let's say (because I know what I mean to say, here) that those are served with the pork.

"Ingredients include a cup of rice, a handful of beans and a marinated pork roast that's sat for at least 24 hours in a plastic bag with orange juice."

The only things in that bag are the pork and the juice. (That's a very sad marinade indeed.)

2/2

#GUMmyStuff #WritingStyle

Something I'm seeing lately that I know isn't touched on in most GenEd English comp classes is the nicety of putting the longer phrase/clause at the end of a list of such things.

It's especially nice if there's not a serial comma. Here's what I mean.

"Ingredients include a marinated pork roast that's sat for at least 24 hours in a plastic bag with orange juice, a cup of rice and a handful of beans."

Just what's in that bag, eh? 1/n

In the latest issue of Brevity, Sila Hansen pens a lovely flash craft essay (short essay on design) on an important aspect of good writing: "Against Being Good."

"For the same several years, I have failed miserably at writing this essay. I couldn’t figure out why. It felt dishonest, even when everything I wrote was “true.” I’ve put it aside and restarted it dozens of times..."

brevitymag.com/current-issue/a

brevitymag.comAgainst Being Good | Brevity: A Journal of Concise Literary Nonfiction

What an atrocious style requirement!

"Note: The Vietnamese words in the original version of this essay used diacritical marks. To comply with New York Times style, the marks were removed before publication.

Unfortunately, this practice alters the meaning of the words. In the case of Hỏa Lò Prison, for example, “hỏa” means “fire,” and “lò” means “furnace”: the Burning Furnace Prison. Without the marks, “hoa” means “flowers,” and “lo” means “worry,” rendering the term “Hoa Lo” meaningless. I look forward to the day when The Times and other Western publications celebrate the richness and complexity of Vietnamese, and of all other languages, by showcasing them in their original formats."

NYT: Read Your Way Through Hanoi

nytimes.com/2023/08/02/books/h (Gift Link)

Hat tip to Jeffrey Zuckerman on Bluesky (@jmz.bsky.social)

The New York TimesRead Your Way Through HanoiBy Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Replied in thread

@danacorn The ironies of the #HarryPotter series are noticeable, and many. One of the biggest is that the coming together of Wizards, including half-bloods, and magical creatures against #Voldemort and his crew represents diversity versus intolerance.
Voldemort is a classic cult-leader/ #Hitler trope.
*** J. K. Rowling seems oblivious of her own lessons.
On the plus side, the series generated a not just a huge following, but it became a gateway drug for #reading & #books. Especially for boys, which in many ways the print world gave up on.
It also was very effective in getting not just #ReluctantReaders into the world of #fiction / #literature, but also those with reading process differences.
The series really helped my son overcome his challenges in learning to read. I also saw this in my experience as a teacher-librarian.
It is unfortunate, that like other past works of #genre #literature, and #ChildrensLiterature, the creator's personal flaws & societal views stain the creativity & positive qualities of the work.
#GenreLiterature #GenreFiction
***Ursula K. le Guin was not wrong in her assessment of the #book & Rowling's #writingstyle.

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