Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Strunk, White, and Longbows

Yes, I skipped a day. Oops.

I am mulling through Strunk and White, hoping to improve my writing. Brevity and conciseness are not my strong points, but I hope to work on them. Also, the book has mentioned that good writing is concrete and specific, not vague and abstract. I want to grow in that area. I'm really rather wimpy and indefinite sometimes when I write. And when I speak, for that matter.

So, for an exercise, I shall attempt to finish this post in precise, definite, meaningful language.

My milk-and-sugared tea, creamy brown in the pert pottery mug, sits in the kitchen growing cold, ready to be microwaved again. I sliced a thick slab of bread (my softest, lightest yet! Thanks for the recipe, Chelsa!) to toast and spread with butter or jam. It lies drying on the counter. It should "only take a minute" to post... Right, right.

Know what else I'm itching for, besides an end to dandruff? I want to write a Robin Hood tale. A stirring adventure of longbow and sword, honoring the history and legend but taking them a step further. What if Robin Hood were a serious Christian? What if the other events in England were not ignored, such as the signing of the Magna Charta? What if the whole justice (or injustice) of "robbing from the rich to give to the poor" were handled with a Biblical view of government and morality?

These vague longings for a tale have been swirling in my head for days. I can't grab them quite yet, or I would write something down. Patience. With any spare time I could be studying the time period. Unless I decide to set it in Melod's world...

Oh right, tea and toast! Cherio!

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