Close Reading, 9/15

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO WRITING BETTER THAN YOU NORMALLY DO.
http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the-ultimate-guide-to-writing-better-than-you-normally-do

Collin Nissan writes The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do. He keeps the whole piece light yet informative, using a casual, conversational tone throughout. Nissan uses diction, detail, and language to keep his readers entertained while giving advice on how they can improve their writing.

First, Nissan uses diction to access his wide variety of readers. Everyone could probably use some improvement on his/her writing, because no one can claim to be the perfect writer. Therefore, the readers will have varying skill levels in both reading and writing, and it can be safe to assume that a colloquial and simple vocabulary will reach the greatest number of people. Nissan does this when he talks about how writers need to find something that motives them. He says that writers must look out for others who might try to “muse-block [them]”. The phrase “muse-block” is nothing formal nor anything common; it’s just something that Nissan made up, probably in attempt to keep the word-count low with a phrase that can still be understood by many. Other examples of easily understood diction are his choice of adjectives. He describes things as “great”, work as “hard”, and shoulders as “weird”. His simple vocab, however, does nothing to detract from the content of his writing, but adds to the readability of his article, leaving his readers entertained rather than tired or bored.

The second technique Nissan uses is detail. On top of giving writing advice to his readers, he also supplies them with very specific examples of what they should and shouldn’t do. His advice on writer’s block is great. He doesn’t just describe the problem of “the blank white page”, but he goes a step further, calling it “El Diablo Blanco” and “El Pollo Loco”. He continues with examples of people of who never let the lack of ideas stop them from creating something great, specifically mentioning Edison, Mozart, and Picasso. Nissan adds that if there is still trouble with writers block, it is best for the readers to ask themselves a couple questions to get their thoughts flowing, such as “Why did I quit my job at TJ Maxx to write full time?”. For every piece of writing advice Nissan gives, he provides plenty of specific examples, many of which are injected with humor to help maintain a conversational tone and keep the reader satisfied.

The third technique Nissan uses is language. His examples and descriptions are full of metaphors, similes, and personifications to help add life to his list of advice. For example, he personifies muse and writes, “Beware of muses who provide unrealistic timelines for your projects or who wear wizard clothes” and that “the right muse/human relationship can last a lifetime.” Personifying something like a muse makes it more accessible to the average reader, and even makes finding a muse not seem like such a daunting task. Nissan also writes about the horrors of procrastination, saying it “is an alluring siren taunting you” to simply waste time. He even calls it a “seafaring wench”. Just as Nissan joked about finding a muse, joking about procrastination makes the reader more comfortable with the idea of not letting procrastination take over; joking about procrastination makes it seem like something more easily conquerable. On top of this, joking throughout the article also adds to the casual tone of the piece.

Nissan uses language, detail, and diction throughout his article to make his piece readable for the every-day reader. The reader doesn’t have to work to gather meaning from his writing, doesn’t have to pull out a dictionary to look up difficult words. Nissan uses those three techniques to have a conversation with his readers, to keep them captivated while he informs them on how to improve their writing.