RE: How to Use English Punctuation Correctly - wikiHow

["Lauren" <lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu>]

This review by Louis Menand is excellent!  I love the statement, "The main
rule in grammatical form is to stick to whatever rules you start out with,
and the most objectionable thing about Truss's writing is its
inconsistency."  And, "Why would a person who is not just vague about the
rules but disinclined to follow them bother to produce a guide to
punctuation?"  Very funny.

No doubt Lynne Truss got slammed by the New Yorker because she seems to have
made comments about them, but it seems that the Truss review is a vehicle
for an interesting discourse about writing that seems to both elevate the
discipline... and shoot it down. "As a medium, writing is a million times
weaker than speech. It's a hieroglyph competing with a symphony."  

But then Menand saves writers from the lashing that he gave Truss in the
introduction when he says, "Writers are not mere copyists of language; they
are polishers, embellishers, perfecters."  He leads to his conclusion with,
"A better basis than speaking for the metaphor of voice in writing is
singing."  For some reason I feel inclined to now write in the active
'song.'

Something about the closing paragraph of Menand's article, "Bad Comma,"
really falls flat for me.  He describes the different processes and fears
that writers go through while trying to find the voice of their writing, and
none of it seems to fit for me.  I've written documentation that wasn't
technical writing and it required a lively voice because the documentation
was selling something or communicating something to a hostile audience, so
the voice really needed to be there.  But I don't recall having anxiety that
the voice of my writing "has disappeared forever, and [I] will never hear it
again."  Nor have I spent hours rereading my "old stuff" to remember how I
wrote it.  

Do any writers on this forum identify with this article about "voice"?  I
think that some of what Menand wrote could apply to technical writers,
although the voice in technical documentation tends to be relatively
neutral, but it isn't always bland, so some of this article should apply.  I
do agree with rules of grammar that Menand cited, though.

That was a fun little article to read, Janice.  Thanks for posting it.

Lauren
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com 
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On 
> Behalf Of Janice Gelb
> Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 10:30 PM
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: How to Use English Punctuation Correctly - wikiHow
> 
> Raj Machhan wrote:
> > Thanks for the link, Craig. It's useful.
> > Talking about punctuation, some editors also recommend a 
> book titled, "Eats,
> > Shoots, and Leaves". I am not aware whether it has been 
> discussed in these
> > columns already, but I would like to know the Techwhirlers 
> rating of the
> > book.
> > 
> 
> For a negative review of this book by Louis Menard that
> points out several flaws, see
> http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/06/28/040628crbo_books1
> 
> -- Janice
> 
> ***********************************
> Janice Gelb janice -dot- gelb -at- sun -dot- com
> 
> The only connection Sun has with
> this message is the return address
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
> Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help 
> file formats or 
> printed documentation. Features include support for Windows 
> Vista & 2007 
> Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
> http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
> 
> True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
> Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
> documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
> 
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu -dot- 
> 
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
> techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> or visit 
> http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/lt34%40csus.edu
> 
> 
> To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> 
> Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
> http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or 
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007 
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.