![]() I used to use MS Office, but have since switched over the Libre Office, which while it probably doesn't have everything MasterWriter does, I at least know my files are in an open format.įor rhyming references, there are websites you can use, or get RhymeGenie, or go sort-of-old school and use a rhyming dictionary on your iPad. So that said, I use a word processing application for lyrics and create my own database for tracking info. ![]() I've never used MasterWriter, so I don't know if there is something in it you find essential (and since they are moving to "the cloud" means I never will use it). At some point they'll probably discontinue support for 2.0, thanks for coming, SOL. Resist that urge.Tobor wrote:But this latest news seems to confirm my misgivings with dumping my lyrical eggs into one basket. In a world where knowledge-flexing, acronym-dropping, and overcomplication is the norm: Don’t do it. ![]() Ask yourself: “How would I explain this to a 12-year-old?” See what questions naturally arise as you read.and then answer them. Try to review it with the eyes of an outsider. The secret is to approach what you’ve written with a sense of genuine curiosity. Those are the pieces of content that still get shared today (years after they were first published.)Įventually, I learned how to self-edit with that same editorial approach. Don’t assume the reader already knows.”Īs a result of those suggestions, my writing was able to go deeper, became more valuable to the reader, and was easier to follow. They left notes like: “Explain what this is and how it works. They highlighted sections and asked, “Okay, but why?” They didn’t just check for spelling/grammar and make suggestions on how to improve the flow of my writing. I recognized this process as the same one used by the best editors I know. Step 4: Return to the literature to understand better. Step 3: Identify any gaps in your understanding. Step 2: Explain the topic to someone like a child who is unfamiliar with the topic (and at their level of understanding.) Use simple language. Along the way, I discovered this technique (shared by Nobel prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman) that lays out the step-by-step mechanics of how to communicate simply and clearly for maximum comprehension. Interesting, right? These deep thinkers-who work with extremely complex ideas and theorems the average person can’t understand-are proponents of simple, concise writing and communication.Ĭoming from the tech/marketing world where jargon abounds and purposely speaking over other peoples’ heads is a common occurrence, I thought: Hallelujah. “If you hear yourself saying, ‘I think I understand this,’ it means you don’t.” -Richard Feynman, physicist ![]() “It’s my ambition to say in 10 sentences what others say in a whole book.” -Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher “One should use common words to say uncommon things.” -Albert Schopenhauer, German philosopher “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” -Albert Einstein, physicist So maybe you’ll be as surprised as I was when I discovered a common theme. My theory, then, was that these folks were onto something when it comes to explaining their ideas ( and I wanted to know about it!) That's done through a medium of communication, and most often it’s in the form of the written word. I’ve been leaning into subjects that get me out of my comfort zone.Īnd while these topics are great mental exercise on their own, I also search out what the author has to say about the act of writing and communication.īecause, after all: What good is a brilliant idea if you can’t share it with others? The titles within my stack of library books have been all over the place genre-wise lately: Philosophy, physics, jazz, mathematics.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |