Indeed, How I Loath Thee!

I cannot abide the over-use of particular words and phrases in a body of writing. The droning repetition of an otherwise good word makes my skin crawl. Literary abuse of this nature bears strong resemblance to the spoken ticks which public speakers strive to weed out from their orations.

The most blatant offenders of my sensibility in regard to word overuse have traditionally been college text books. I have seen more grammatical errors in the pages of my textbooks than I care to count. Adding the misuse or overuse of key words or phrases to these grammatical errors created an almost unbearable study experience. It was during this time of overwhelming frustration that my abhorrance for the word "Indeed" was born.

The author whose textbook bought about the downfall of this seemingly innocent word had several habits that I found irksome. He mixed first, second and third person perspectives, produced run-on sentences galore and often forced large, pretty words into unnatural contexts in ill-concieved attempts at humor (or perhaps simply to appear more intelligent). The greatest source of irritation he provided to me was the prolific use of the words "Indeed" and "However" followed with a comma at the begining of a sentence. There were several instances where this method of beginning a sentence made no sense in conjuction with the surrounding sentances. He may as well have been writing something like "Indeed, the sun is shining today. However, the sun will not always shine". The presence of the word "Indeed," at the front of a sentence became so distracting that I was often forced to read a phrase multiple times before being able to comprehend the meaning. I felt as though I was reading a stuffier, less talented and infinetly less enjoyable version of Tolkein. At least Tolkien's method of spinning words resulted in artistry rather than a great deal of useless drivel.

The impact this author stamped on my psyche has been so profound that I now avoid the use of the word "indeed" at any cost. The word "indeed" is now so intrinsically linked with egotism in my mind, that the only context in which I can imagine finding use for the word would be satire. I plead with my fellow authors to take care when arranging their words. If you find yourself using convoluted words, phrases or punctuation in order to make your grammar "correct" pease take the following mantra into account: "Reduce; don't reuse and recycle!"

The Voices Made Me Write It!

I often refer to the internal monologs that breach my consciousness during random hours of the day (or night) as "The voices in my head". I consider this label a term of endearment rather than a mockery. The presence or absence of these "voices" often determines the flow and extent of my writing. Simply put: my writing style follows the course of least resistance. If the ideas manage to work their way in to words, then they were meant to be. For me, forcing words onto the page against their will constitutes an abomination akin to texting while driving.

I am fully cognisent of the reality that this style of writing is not for everybody; many writers find that this loose method leads to far too many dead ends. Those who embrace organization and efficiency in their writing have my awe, my respect and my applause. I simply cannot write that way because that is not how my mind works. The inner workings of my brain are chaotic at best, and I frequently struggle to snatch at my words before they fade back into the folds of subconsious thought. A friend of mine once described my style as "Zen-like". The words exist of their own accord and I am merely the vessel through which they choose to manifest themselves. I consider it an honor and a privilage to write.

Utilizing this method means that I am always writing, even if the words are not yet distinct. The swirling train of ideas runs through my head during every possible minute that my mind is not occupied with some other task. When the words emerge, I have little choice but to write. They will taunt me, poke me and gnaw at my brain until I give them rest outside of me. Which, incidently, is precisely the reason why I am typing this post at nearly 3:30 AM. Tiredness, thank heaven, is finally begining to subjugate the voices back into the realm of unconcious thought so I believe my next post will be up tomorrow (or, to be technically correct, later today). Until then--good night, sleep tight, and don't let the voices bite!

Introduction: May I Have Your Attention, Please?

Hello and welcome to my blog! In these posts I intend to provide guidance and/or entertainment for my fellow writers. Each of my posts will focus on a different aspect of writing through the lens of my own experiences. Possible topics include, but are not limited to: voice style, word usage, grammar, humorous writing experiences, my personal pet peeves, etc. Of course, I recognize that I am by no means perfect so please take into account that this blog is primarily opinion-based and is not intended to replace the admonitions of editors, English instructors or the like. Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for more!