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Subject:RE: Practice makes Perfect From:jgarison -at- ide -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 17 Oct 2001 14:15:30 -0400
As someone (Ray Bradbury?) put it, WRITING isn't really the key, but
re-writing is.
Working on a piece over and over, perfecting it, reorganizing it, trying
different approaches and analogies ... getting review comments and feedback,
re-re-working it .. etc. - THAT is where one really learns the craft of
writing.
Anyone can sit down and write something, then write something else. But very
little, if any, learning about Howe to write better is going on then.
Just my 2¢,
John
-----Original Message-----
From: david -dot- locke -at- amd -dot- com [mailto:david -dot- locke -at- amd -dot- com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2001 11:37 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: Practice makes Perfect
Andrew said:
> Writing, like any skill, takes practice... Debating on-line is hard
> because it requires you to effectively and persuasively express
> complex ideas to people who hate you.
>
> The ability to express complex ideas in a clear manner is valuable and
> intimidating. Throughout history, the people who have risen to rule are
> usually people who can express a complex idea in a simple way. They
> weren't born with that skill, they learned it by practicing.
Sure, but, they get what needs to be done among peers in their social
network. They work at not having a lot of people around them that hate them.
Practice makes Perfect only if you practice Perfect. Perfect is not the goal
when you start on something new. If your enthusiasm is not preserved, you
will never approach perfection. Most people who lack the ability to write
were taught that they couldn't write, so they quit trying.
Perfection is the enemy of the Good. No, I don't know who said that.
David
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