Ignorant Historian

I have tried to keep from writing this post as it’s a common topic in the blogosphere and I have addressed the subject myself.

But I simply can’t keep my mouth shut any longer.  I’ve read one too many blog posts that are cringe-worthy. (And because I know you will ask, it’s none of you all who come by my blog regularly!)

Can I humbly give some blog-writing tips?  We’re all growing, so I have a lot to learn still, too.

Here are some major problems I’ve seen:

1.  Blog posts that read like a middle-school diary. Sure, blogging is informal writing (thankfully!), but it still should have structure and editing.  EDITING.  Re-read what you write (probably multiple times).  I usually re-read a paragraph/sentence after I write it and then re-read the whole post until it seems just right. (Overuse of exclamation points would fall under this category, too.)

2.  Posts that contain overused phrases, especially several of them. These tend to be more natural in spoken language, but are more annoying written.

3.  Posts that are too long. I know that I’m unusually short (both in stature and in blog-post length, but lets focus on that last one, k?).  I’m not saying everyone should be as short as me.  But very few bloggers can pull off long posts (Heather is the only one I can think of right now…and look how she still uses paragraphing and pictures to break up her posts).  When I see them in my Google Reader, I skip them.  Maybe they were interesting, but I’ll never know.  VERY few subjects require posts over 500 words (your plan for solving world hunger, maybe).  If it’s still longer than that after extensive editing, think of a way to make it a two-parter, or maybe even a series.

4.  Posts lacking paragraphing. Follow your newspaper’s example: each paragraph should be 1-3 sentences long.  Forget what your English teacher told you about the 5-sentence paragraph or whatever it was (hey, I just want to be a math teacher).  Internet readers skim, so if you don’t make it easy for them, they’ll skip instead.  Using bolding/bullets allows you to write longer paragraphs, if necessary.

5.  Obvious grammatical and spelling errors. I’m not referring to split infinitives and using “who” instead of “whom.”  I’m talking about its/it’s, they’re/there/their, and spelling errors that spell check should be pointing out to you.  If your browser doesn’t spell check what you write, use the spell check in your blogging software.  And re-read to catch the grammar issues.

For the most part, these are simple things that can improve your writing by a whole letter grade.  All these things distract your reader from what you’re actually trying to say.

Photo by Nic’s events

Since I’ve been doing a little reading lately (like my use of understatement there?), I’ve been thinking about what makes a book good.

A good book, to me, has some/all of these characteristics:

1.  Great vocabulary. I’m a strong believer in the idea that there is only ONE word that is just right.  Sure, the English language has synonyms, but they have various shades of meaning.  An author who labors to get it right is much appreciated.

2.  Well-crafted sentences. Writing is hard–the little I’ve done has confirmed this–but when it’s done well, it shouldn’t be noticed.  It should seem like the book was birthed whole.

3.  Makes me think. Neither confirms my current thinking nor tells me everything I’ve ever thought was stupid.  Challenges me and brings to light ideas I’ve never thought to question.

4.  Continues to make me think long after I’ve closed the cover for the last time. Most books I’ve almost completely forgotten within a month…I know it’s good if I haven’t.

5.  A well-developed protagonist, one that’s true-to-life.  That means they should have more than one flaw (*ahem* Stephenie Meyer), and can be inconsistent.  Hey, we all are!  It’d also be great if other characters were well-developed, but this one is essential.

6.  Just something special. There should be something about the book that sets it out from the other hundred I’ve read this year.  Not an easy task!

7.  Not too much description. I’m growing in this area, but I still struggle when there are pages of description.  I don’t realize how much I skim these descriptions until I’m listening to a book on tape and space out for minutes at a time (Gone with the Wind, I’m talking about you).

8.  Symbolism. I’m sure there is so much I’m missing in the books I read, but I want to see it.  Not overly obvious (that’s worse!), but it should be there if I have my eyes open.

What makes a good book for you?

Photo by Zitona

“If I truly believed the rapture was “imminent,” as Liberty’s official doctrinal statement says, I think I’d do things a lot differently.  I might not buy green bananas, for starters.” - Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose, p. 99

“I know I’m not trustworthy. How likely is it that the world is true if I’m not?” – Liar by Justine Larbalestier, p. 84-85

“I saw I was better at appreciating art than producing it.” - 31 Hours by Masha Hamilton, p. 155

“We’re not stupid, we’re just poor!  And we have a right to want to insist on this distinction.” – Snow by Orhan Pamuk, p. 275

“But it was crazy of me to expect that I could situate myself among these people twenty-four hours a day, befriend them, and adopt their mannerisms without also internalizing and grappling with their beliefs.” - Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose, p. 96

“We thought we had such problems.  How were we to know we were happy?” - The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, p. 51

“I had this secular/liberal paranoia that when evangelical students were among themselves, they spent their time huddled in dark rooms, organizing anti-abortion protests and plotting theocratic takeover.” - Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose, p. 38

“Making things seem a way they aren’t is making them better.” – Mr. Curtain (the bad guy) in The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart, p. 292

“I would like to be ignorant.  Then I would not know how ignorant I was.” – The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, p. 263

“When they write poems or sing songs in the West, they speak for all humanity.  They’re human beings–but we’re just Muslims.  When we write something, it’s just called ethnic poetry.” – Snow by Orhan Pamuk, p. 279

“The moment of betrayal is the worst, the moment when you know beyond any doubt that you’ve been betrayed: that some other human being has wished you that much evil.  It was like being in an elevator cut loose at the top.  Falling, falling, falling, and not knowing when you will hit.” – The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, p. 193

“They’re supposed to stop me lying.  Yet they believe everything I tell them.” Liar by Justine Larbalestier, p. 11

“But one thing has become clear: these Liberty students had no ulterior motive.  They simply can’t contain their love for God.  They’re happy to be believers, and they’re telling the world.” – Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose, p. 64

Melissa, AKA the Scholastic Scribe, gave me 5 words.  In turn, I’m to write about these words and what they mean to me.  Comprendo?  Let’s go! (There’s a bit of audience involvement at the end…don’t be shy!)

Here are my words.  I must say, she did a great job of picking them out…they are words I’m passionate about!

Blogging

To be honest, I don’t really remember why I started blogging.  I wanted to keep up with my friends, I suppose, but that was rather fleeting.  When I started 3 years ago, I had no idea that I’d grow to love it so much.  From the opportunity I have to practice and share my writing to the great comments I receive, there’s so much to love about blogging.

Faith

Now this one’s a biggie, isn’t it?  If you’ve read the Ignorant Historian for any length of time, you know my faith is important to me.  It’s more than an intellectual pursuit or an emotional fulfillment.  It’s really all about the object of my faith, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He’s my Creator, Savior, and Sustainer, and because of that, I owe Him everything.

You probably also know that I don’t like to leave my faith at the church steps when I leave Sunday afternoon.  Though I’m by no means perfect, I strive to apply my faith to every aspect of my life, from my interactions with others to how I spend my free time.

Friends

I don’t talk a whole lot about them on the blog, but I have some great friends.  I’m at a time in my life where I don’t have as many friends as I’ve had before, but the ones that I have are deep ones.  I’m thankful they put up with my quirkiness (really, you don’t see half of it on the blog) and that they’re willing to share life with me.  Without my friends, I’d probably be a hermitress, so I definitely owe them for that.

Words

So, one of my words is “words.”  Quite circular, no?  I really do like words…when I write a blog post I sometimes spend several minutes agonizing over the just right word.  For me, it’s not about picking out the biggest word, it’s about picking the most accurate word.  I try to leave no room for interpretation so that I’m not misunderstood.  Come to think about it, this might also contribute to my disinterest in poetry…so often the words can be taken multiple ways.  I just wish that I could be as careful about my oral speech!

History

Obviously, I like history or I wouldn’t have called this blog the Ignorant Historian (though that itself is taken from the Jane Austen quote, something else I love!).  I was a history major in my undergrad, and several of my favorite courses were history classes, whether at OU or at seminary.

When I was deciding on whether or not to be a history major during my junior year (my other two options I was considering were linguistics and letters–history, philosophy, and languages), I took a class in colonial South American history.  That’s when I fell in love…the professor was a storyteller.

Really, that’s what history is, stories about people.  I don’t get how many people *cough* my current and former roommates *cough* don’t like history.  Perhaps they’ve never had a good history professor, so they’ve come to think of history as a collection of uninteresting facts.  That’s not it at all!

So there are my 5 words.  Now it’s your turn…would you like 5 words?  Just ask in the comments, and I’ll serve you up 5 personalized words for you to ponder and write about!

Photos by DeclanTM, Resclassic2, Muffet, and phault

I’ve been going through my archives recently, trying to clean them up, and realized that I have grown as a writer.  Some of the earlier posts make me cringe…but I think that’s a good thing.  I’ve been writing almost daily for a year and a half, I’d hate not to have made any improvement in that time.

All the same, I’m still working on improving my writing.  Some posts I’m all, “right on!” and others I can’t seem to get all my thoughts in a row.

That said, bloggers, what would you say is your best post?

I’m not saying that I’ve given up my dreams of being a wife and mother (after all, I’m only 26), but I know that it’s not something to make an actual goal.  I have no interest in trying to hook a man, and have full confidence in God to provide me a husband if that’s the path He wants me to go on (that said, I am still trying to come out of my shell more with men…).  Regardless of what the future looks like, I’m going to work on becoming the best woman that I can be.

With that in mind, here’s the Plan B of my future plans:

1 year from now: I would like to be working where I am now, continuing to improve my skills at my various responsibilities and gaining more.  I also would like to have most/all of an emergency fund stashed away, something that’s only in the infancy stages right now.  I’d like to have grown closer to my church family and continued writing curriculum and teaching Sunday school.  (most of these things are really a part of Plan A, too)

5 years from now: I think I’d like to own a home.  Or at least live in one, because I would like a garden.  Maybe I will have pursued becoming a teacher, as I love children/tweens/teens and teaching.  I hope to be continuing to grow personally and spiritually.  Growing as a writer is also high on my dream list, as I love to write, but I don’t know that I necessarily want to aim at being published.

10 years from now:  More of the same, I suppose.  I would also like to either serve the Lord overseas for an extended time or regularly encourage those who are (I’m currently leaning towards the later).

What do you hope your future looks like?

I about forgot to do my quarterly update on this year’s goals, but then I read Debra‘s post to the same affect.  So how have I done?

Goal #1: Read 60 books.

A quarter of this goal would be 15, and as of midnight of March 31st I had finished 22.  As of 12:15 AM on April 1st, I had finished 23, as I stayed up late to finish reading Life of Pi.  I did really great at this goal in January and February, but I slowed down in March primarily because of basketball.  (Check out the Books Read in 2009 page for updates.)

2.  Complete my novel.

I did great in January, writing 3 chapters, but then taxes hit big time and I found I couldn’t devote the mental energy to it in the evenings like I had previously.  Now that things are lightening up, I hope to rectify this.  I might not get done this year (just depends on how ambitious I get), but I really want to.  (Check out the Historian’s Writing page for updates on this.)

3.  Exercise 3 times a week.

I’ve been so-so on this goal.   It seems like it’s more like 2 times a week, and then the last couple of weeks 1 time a week.  I’m really going to push myself to go to the pool 2 or 3 times a week, and probably start taking walks in the evenings many other days.

4.  Write a letter once a week.

There’s probably a week or two where I didn’t, but this goal definitely has been kept.

5.  Memorize 4 chapters of the Bible.

I’ve struggled with how/when to implement this.  Really, I just need to get down to it and start.  I’ve decided that I want to memorize Romans (but obviously not all this year).

So, I’ve definitely had progress, but there’s more work to be done.

Ugh.  I totally had pictures to go along with this post, but they’re not uploading.

It snowed again last night.  What is up with this place?  It’s not supposed to snow this much!  I think a move to Miami might be in order.

Seriously though, I’ll enjoy it while I can…from inside.  I’ll have to venture out to go to work this afternoon, but until then I’ll enjoy a mini-snow day.

I was reading an article in Newsweek last night called “The Curse of Cursive.”  The author was arguing that there is no need for kids to learn cursive and that it’s good that penmanship is essentially dead.

Now, I love email and other electronic communication.  It has made my cross-country move reasonable.  There’s nothing like an email from someone you love…except a handwritten letter.

I don’t have a problem with the argument against cursive.  Writing changes through the years, and that’s fine.   However, I don’t think the written letter should die with it.  I love to receive letters, and try to write a letter or note at least once a week. 

There’s just something special about it, probably because you know the person took extra time to think of you.

Happy New Year!  I’m traveling back to North Carolina today, but I’ve done some thinking about my resolutions for this year.  I don’t usually do such a thing, but I want the accountability they’ll (hopefully) provide me.  I’ll review them at the end of each quarter and allow myself a chance to get back on track.

This year’s goals (I prefer that term as “resolutions” has a bad rap):

1.  Read 60 books.  This is 5 a month, and in keeping with my current reading plan.  I read 67 in 2007, so it doesn’t seem like a stretch, but that includes text books.  No text books this year!

2.  Complete my novel.  This isn’t an impossible task by any means, but I know at some point I’ll get tired of writing, or at least hit rough patches.  I want to persevere, but at a reasonable pace for a first-time, non-professional novelist.

3.  Exercise 3 times a week.  I hate to put this on my list, because I just don’t want to do it.  I am overweight, but honestly, I don’t really care.  But I’ll keep on gaining weight if I don’t exercise, and besides, it’s good for your health.  That’s the real reason why I’m doing this.  Hopefully I’ll get back in the habit of going to the pool, because I do really enjoy that type of exercise.

4.  Write a letter once a week.  I’d love to do it more than once a week, but this is a more reachable goal.

5.  Memorize 4 chapters of the Bible.  I wish this goal was higher, but I want to keep it doable at 1 chapter/quarter.  I haven’t decided yet where I’m going to be memorizing from, but I’ll get to that soon.

Are you making any resolutions or goals?

Thanks for the help yesterday. I have finally decided what to do and gone for it. Be looking for a post after Christmas with my new blog address!

One thing that I have wanted to do for some time is write a novel. I don’t want to write to be famous or rich, though I suppose those wouldn’t be bad if they came. I don’t want to write because I think that I’m an amazing writer or would be able to make a career out of it, because I believe my writing and creativity are nothing spectacular. I want to write because I love to write.

In the last year, I have fallen in love with writing for this blog. I truly enjoy it, and not just because of the friends I’ve made here. I enjoy writing in this style. I enjoy writing humorous posts to get you chuckling; I enjoy writing serious posts about topics near to my heart. I also feel that I have grown in my writing, like these daily posts are daily exercises of my writing muscles.

After I received my laptop last week, one of the first things I did was download novel-writing software (yWriter). I haven’t done much with it, but it’s there and I’ve started a novel to play around with it, the idea that was the freshest in my mind.

I’ve said it before, but the main thing that holds me back from being a novel writer is that I don’t think that my writing will live up to my own standards. I’m not being modest; I’m being truthful. Very few modern authors are truly worth reading, in my opinion, and I’m not egotistical enough to think that I could ever count myself among them.

Instead of seeking to be the best, I’m merely seeking to do my best, even if no one else were to read it. I think that’s a worthy cause in itself.

So, with my first 173 words, I now can call myself a novel-writer.