September 24, 2009
writing, editing, and beauty
I have to be careful what I say around here (there are a number of writers and editors about), but this seems like a false binary:
In the brave new world of self-publishing, editors are an endangered species. This isn’t all bad. It’s good that anyone who wants to publish and has access to a computer now faces no barriers. And some bloggers don’t really need editors: Their prose is fluent and conversational, and readers have no expectation that the work is going to be elegant or beautifully shaped. Its main function is to communicate clearly. It isn’t intended to last.
Pfft. As if fluid, conversational writing cannot be elegant or beautifully shaped. Don’t get me wrong. I think I follow what Mr. Kamiya is saying: Merlin Mann is not trying to be James Joyce (nor could he be, frankly). Still, much like Strunk’s adage “vigorous writing is concise,” it seems universal until you chew on it.
Does this sound right to you? Am I way off base?
Oh, and don’t hear what I’m not saying. I don’t pretend to be a commic genius,,,,,,,,,,
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false binary indeed.
Nope you’re right. In a sense, writing for blogs doesn’t really need to be beautiful. It needs to capture the reader’s attention. You won’t find beautiful prose on most blogs. However, there is a rawness that you get from them, that doesn’t really translate well to edition.
Anyway, I don’t think that editors are going to disappear. They refine writing while writers create.
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