What
essay writers can learn from Kurt Vonnegut
Essay writers are often scrutinized as much as the novelists and the poets. Most of the time, and it is inevitable, that essay writers go under a microscope not only with their body of works but with their personal life as well. Essay writers are one of the types of writers that make personal revelations to the readers.
These revelations from the writer, said American novelist Kurt Vonnegut, are called elements of style. In 1999, Vonnegut discussed how essay writers can write with style. Below is the full text of his article as printed on the Palm Sunday.
How to Write With Style
By Kurt Vonnegut
Newspaper reporters and technical writers are trained to reveal almost nothing about themselves in their writings. This makes them freaks in the world of writers, since almost all of the other ink-stained wretches in that world reveal a lot about themselves to readers. We call these revelations, accidental and intentional, elements of style.
These revelations tell us as readers what sort of person it is with whom we are spending time. Does the writer sound ignorant or informed, stupid or bright, crooked or honest, humorless or playful-- ? And on and on.
Continued on Page 2
Essay writers are often scrutinized as much as the novelists and the poets. Most of the time, and it is inevitable, that essay writers go under a microscope not only with their body of works but with their personal life as well. Essay writers are one of the types of writers that make personal revelations to the readers.
These revelations from the writer, said American novelist Kurt Vonnegut, are called elements of style. In 1999, Vonnegut discussed how essay writers can write with style. Below is the full text of his article as printed on the Palm Sunday.
How to Write With Style
By Kurt Vonnegut
Newspaper reporters and technical writers are trained to reveal almost nothing about themselves in their writings. This makes them freaks in the world of writers, since almost all of the other ink-stained wretches in that world reveal a lot about themselves to readers. We call these revelations, accidental and intentional, elements of style.
These revelations tell us as readers what sort of person it is with whom we are spending time. Does the writer sound ignorant or informed, stupid or bright, crooked or honest, humorless or playful-- ? And on and on.
Continued on Page 2
The
Vonnegut Guide to Writing
Kurt Vonnegut
1922-2007
1922-2007
