Life is short, [the] craft long, opportunity fleeting, experiment treacherous, judgment difficult.
—
Hippocrates (c. 400BC)
What others say and I like.
Mostly an archive of internet articles I want in one place, with some of my writing and rumination sprinkled here and there.
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Expertise
Monday, 13 January 2014
Ask and you shall receive
Things just got serious. Like three hours ago.
Let's do this.
Step 1. Slice off the crap out of your life. Just focus on what's important. The detrimental and wasteful would distance itself from you automatically.
Let's do this.
Step 1. Slice off the crap out of your life. Just focus on what's important. The detrimental and wasteful would distance itself from you automatically.
Saturday, 11 January 2014
On my fifth trip to France I limited myself to the words and phrases that people actually use. From the dog owners I learned “Lie down.” “Shut up,” and “Who shit on this carpet?” The couple across the road taught me to ask questions correctly, and the grocer taught me to count. Things began to come together, and I went from speaking like an evil baby to speaking like a hillbilly. “Is thems the thoughts of cows?” I’d ask the butcher, pointing to the calves’ brains displayed in the front window. “I want me some lamb chop with handles on ’em.”
— David Sedaris. Me Talk Pretty One Day
Friday, 10 January 2014
Thursday, 9 January 2014
Marcus on Writing
Some tips on writing from here
Write with your audience in your mind. Feel free to go as far as to imagine you're writing personally to one person. That person is your average-audience-person.
'One of the writer's main jobs is managing cognitive overload. If a reader has to keep more than three or four things in his head at once—or feels like he might have to—he's likely to shut down. Big walls of text often zonk readers before they even start reading. Really long paragraphs simply look daunting.'
You can use plot, characters or sensuality to entice the reader to carry one. Use verbs that entice imagery, that kind that you want your reader to feel while he/she's reading.
Another thing to keep in mind that humans think in terms of agents i.e. doers. So mention the agents where ever possible. In fact, tell a story, with a character. Humans like if there's a plot, more if there's a character, even more if the character is relatable.
Write with your audience in your mind. Feel free to go as far as to imagine you're writing personally to one person. That person is your average-audience-person.
'One of the writer's main jobs is managing cognitive overload. If a reader has to keep more than three or four things in his head at once—or feels like he might have to—he's likely to shut down. Big walls of text often zonk readers before they even start reading. Really long paragraphs simply look daunting.'
You can use plot, characters or sensuality to entice the reader to carry one. Use verbs that entice imagery, that kind that you want your reader to feel while he/she's reading.
Another thing to keep in mind that humans think in terms of agents i.e. doers. So mention the agents where ever possible. In fact, tell a story, with a character. Humans like if there's a plot, more if there's a character, even more if the character is relatable.
Monday, 6 January 2014
Say, "Indeed, my Lord has guided me to a straight path - a correct religion - the way of Abraham, inclining toward truth. And he was not among those who associated others with Allah." Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah , Lord of the worlds. No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims." Say, "Is it other than Allah I should desire as a lord while He is the Lord of all things? And every soul earns not [blame] except against itself, and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you concerning that over which you used to differ."
—
(6:161-164)