Is listening to audio books “cheating?”

I used to think so. I’m somewhat of a book purist (some would say snob), and I tend to prefer my books the traditional way, in print. No fancy eReaders for me! Similarly, I used to feel that audio books were somehow not real books. Maybe it’s a holdover from my student days, but I still consider reading “work,” even though it’s my favorite hobby—a labor of love, if you will. The physical act of holding a book and running your eyes down the page equals reading; listening to an audio book while cooking, driving, or laying on the couch equals entertainment, like watching TV. Right?

A couple of years ago, a good friend of mine helped to change my outlook on audio books. She listens to them quite frequently, especially while commuting, and gave me a few to try out. I can’t say that I was an immediate convert. There have been a few books I simply could not listen to for one reason or another. For example, I don’t enjoy books read by a large cast, as if the book is a play rather than a novel. Sometimes a reader’s voice, accent, or phrasing grates on my nerves so much that I have to switch to the print version.

Books read by the author tend to be the best. And sometimes you will get lucky with an amazing reader, such as Ron Perlman, who read part one of Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s The Strain. Aside from great performances, there are some useful benefits to audio books:
- It gives you something to do other than listening to music or talk radio while commuting or taking long trips. And you feel so productive when you’re listening to a book!
- The addition of audio books can help double the amount you read. You can be reading one book and listening to another at the same time!
- At least for me, listening to a book in the car keeps me more alert and makes me a better driver. There is no time to daydream, or you might miss a crucial point.
- You are more likely to listen to something that you might find too difficult/tiring to read. I, for example, find it very difficult to read non-fiction books. Even if I find the topic interesting, I have trouble concentrating on it for an extended period of time if I’m reading. I don’t mind newspaper or magazine articles, but books exhaust me. However, I can listen to non-fiction books all day long! This could also work for literature classics (which you’ve had laying on your nightstand for two years but just can’t seem to read past page 20), such as Anna Karenina or A Tale of Two Cities.

“Aha!” you might say, “But this is proof that listening to audio books is cheating. It’s like using a shortcut.” And to that I would say, “Absolutely not!” That would be like saying that reading a textbook is superior to listening to a teacher’s lecture. We all know that a great teacher can make a subject come alive. Here’s how I see it: at its most basic level, reading is absorbing content from an outside source. Whether you absorb it visually or auditorily is irrelevant. Additionally, oral language precedes written language, and oral storytelling has been a valuable cultural cornerstone of many civilizations. In other words, there’s nothing wrong with listening to a story now and then.

What I do wonder about with regard to audio books is whether authors should consider modifying their writing style to cater to audio audiences. Sometimes in a book you might come across a long dialogue in which the speakers are not identified. If you are reading this dialogue, you might get confused, but you could always go back and count from the beginning who is saying which line. If you are listening to this same dialogue in an audio book, it might be very difficult to follow if the speakers are not identified in some way. Another example involves visual cues in text, such as using italics to indicate thoughts or using page breaks to indicate time or perspective shifts. These nuances would be lost on a listener and could cause a misinterpretation of the content. But is it the responsibility of the writer, the purveyor of the written word, to be concerned with how his or her finished product is used—in print, electronic, or audio format? Would format consideration put constraints on the writer’s creativity? I have a feeling that writers will have to address this issue in the near future.

Resources for Writerly Fun

As writers, we use a variety of resources to help us do our work: dictionaries, thesauruses, style manuals, reference materials, Wikipedia, and many many more. But in between the writing spurts, writers also needs distractions, something to get the creative juices flowing when we are stuck staring at a blank screen. I'm not sure what people did before the computer... stare out the window? But before the internet, this "break" was often accomplished by playing a few games of Solitaire or Minesweeper. Then along came email, news websites, lol cats, and ultimately Facebook, all of which are excellent time wasters, but sadly have very little to do with writing and, therefore, rarely spark creativity.

However, the internet is always evolving and providing us with new forms of entertainment. Wordle creates "word clouds" from text you provide, giving prominence to words that appear most often. It allows you to change the color schemes, fonts, and layouts of your clouds. This little application really helps you see your text in a new way and definitely makes you feel less guilty about not actually writing.

This is a Wordle of this website, The Write Impression.

Writing Cooking Instructions

Last weekend my husband and I saw Julie and Julia, a movie about a blogger who cooked her way through Julia Child's classic French cookbook and wrote about it. I loved the movie because it includes so many of my favorite things: cooking, eating, writing, and Paris. It got me thinking about cookbooks, recipes, and learning to cook.

I learned to cook by watching and helping my mom in the kitchen. When I moved out on my own, I picked up a few cookbooks or found recipes online and experimented a good deal. What I found out was that not all cookbooks or recipes are equal—some work better than others. It turns out that there is an art to writing cooking instructions.

The first thing a cookbook writer, like any other writer, must consider is audience. Is this book for beginners or experienced chefs? Julia Child's cookbook, despite containing some difficult recipes, is easy for beginners to use because it includes instruction on basic cooking techniques, such as poaching an egg or sauteing mushrooms (don't crowd them!). I learned an important lesson about audience when I gave a friend my recipe for vegetarian chili. After making it, she complained that the chili was too watery. We eventually figured out that she had not drained the cans of beans but poured them into the pot, water and all. I had thought anyone would know to drain the beans, so I did not include that step in my instructions!

A cookbook for beginners might contain tips about grocery shopping, choosing produce, stocking your pantry, as well as a list of cooking terminology. What does it mean to blanch something? How do you zest a lemon? It would probably also have colorful photos with each recipe and short, easy-to-follow steps. A cookbook for more experienced chefs would look dull in comparison, containing mostly text to allow more room for numerous recipes. These chefs don't need a picture to tell them how a meal should look.

One of the most important aspects of cooking is measurement. Too little baking powder, and your cake won't rise. Too much salt, and the meal is inedible. A cookbook writer must consider audience here, too. Should the measurements be based on the metric system or on U.S. customary units? Should people put in a pinch of nutmeg or 1/4 tsp?

Over time, and a few disasters later, I have become an experienced cook. I can usually tell just by looking at a recipe if it will be good, and I don't hesitate to alter a recipe even the first time I make it. But would I make a good recipe-writer?

What makes a well-written recipe? What are some recipe writing no-nos that would make you put down a cookbook? And how, if at all, is writing cooking instructions different from writing instructions in general?

Explanation of a long absence and a blog about friendship

After a brief (ahem) hiatus, we are back. Seriously. I feel newly inspired to write about writing lately, and hopefully we'll both be a little more consistent about posting in the future. In the, um, almost year since our last post, much has changed and much more has stayed the same. My husband and I bought a house, so the only thing I was writing for a while were checks to pay the bills. I am still working as an editor, reading and writing, and talking to Hayley on a weekly basis about some sort of writing-related issue. We've just forgotten to blog about it!

In this post, I would like to discuss how writing can affect personal relationships. How many professionals working as writers have been asked by a friend or family member for help writing/editing a resume, cover letter, school paper, or business proposal? And while this sort of request may seem innocent at first glance, it can be a minefield of miscommunication and mismanaged expectations. Of course, it all depends on how close you are to the person and what sort of relationship you have, but it's always good to be aware of a few pitfalls of working for friends.

Here are a few tips for writers on how to avoid ruining a friendship through heavy-handed editing:

1) Before you begin the project, discuss your friend's expectations. Does she consider herself to be a fantastic writer needing only a grammar check? Does she think "editing" means you actually writing the paper for her? Set the ground rules for the extent of editing the project requires and stick to the plan.

2) Discuss how to manage your feelings over the course of the project. This may sound silly, but it is often necessary. Working for friends is often harder than working for complete strangers because of the difficulties of finding a balance between the personal and professional relationships. Ask your friend whether she will be hurt or offended by brutally honest feedback about her work. Discuss the manner in which you will suggest revisions, whether by email, over the phone, or face-to-face. A more personal format may be less threatening and help avoid misunderstandings. In the end, do not be offended if your friend chooses not to take some of your advice.

3) Most of the editing you do for friends and family is probably free or offered at a greatly reduced rate. If you expect to be compensated for your time, whether in the form of money, barter, or dinner, discuss it upfront. Leaving the discussion until the project is finished might cause friction. If you are doing the work for free, remember to manage your own expectations. You will most likely receive a thank-you note or call from your friend, or maybe even something more (like that free dinner), but do not expect anything if you said you didn't want anything.

4) Don't take on a project out of a sense of obligation. If you truly do not have time to devote to it, the project will become a stone around your neck and make you resent your friend for saddling you with it. If you really feel guilty about not being able to help, spend a few minutes putting together a list of resources for your friend, such as books or websites with resume-writing tips and samples. Then you can say, "I'm sorry I don't have time to help you with your resume, but here are some resources I use that you might find helpful."

Do you have any other tips to share, whether from the perspective of the writer or the friend getting help with her writing?

Writing Ambiguously for Smarties

Careful writers always take into consideration those essential elements that when ignored lead to poor writing. The components of poor writing could include:

• Weak vocabulary


• Poor punctuation


• Long sentences


• Ineffectual grammar, syntax, or structure


• Unrelated clauses


• Overemphasizing to accentuate

When any of these weaknesses strike either alone or in combination with others, poor writing often occurs. However, there are certain times when these weaknesses can be valuable in writing. Perhaps the writer is choosing to write ambiguously. As a technical writer, I too find it shocking that someone would choose to write in a way that leaves the reader with an unclear message, but consider this:

You and your obnoxious neighbor have arrived home from work at exactly the same time and you notice that he is making his way toward your car. “Here we go!” you grumble to yourself. “What did I do (or not do) now?” You inspect your lawn to make certain your tree limbs aren’t blowing in the direction of his house. You remember measuring the grass “to the millimeter” when you last cut it (at his request) to ensure it matched the level of his. What could he possibly complain about now?

As you sit lower in your seat, praying for the power of invisibility, he knocks on your car window. The smile on his face is unusual (and actually looks painful), but you quickly learn his motive. He begins to tell you about his strong desire to becoming the President of your home owner’s association and he would like for you to write a letter of recommendation for him. “Ha! Are you kidding?!” you almost shout out loud. But in the spirit of neighborliness (or perhaps to get away quickly) you tell him you will.

Now what? You know that he will have an opportunity to read what you have written, but you can’t imagine setting your neighborhood up for failure. What do you do?

The answer—you write ambiguously. You disorganize the syntax or structure of the sentence. You punctuate unclearly. You leave your readers (decision makers) with a choice about how they want to view your message.

Here is an example:

Dear Board:

You won’t find many people like Mr. XYZ. (Thank God). I, myself, find that he is always trying. (read: annoying) In fact, I must say that one usually comes away from him with a good feeling. His fellow neighbors and I often discuss how he takes a great deal of enjoyment out of living within our community. (He takes it away from others as well.) And, there is no questioning his dedication to the beautification of his home. (If you do question it, he will go ballistic.)

Here in the community, his input is always critical. (He never says anything nice), and I must say that he stands alone in his ability to get along with others. (No one will stand near him.) It is hard to imagine that anyone could fail to be impressed by or like Mr. XYZ. (He will make an impression, but no one will like him.)
I sincerely hope that you will consider my recommendation of Mr. XYZ when selecting our new association President.

Thank you,
Fellow Homeowner

For more information and recommendation ideas about using ambiguous writing effectively, you can read The Lexicon of Intentionally Ambiguous Recommendations by Robert J. Thornton. Ideas for this post were selected from the reading of this truly enjoyable book.

Spell Checkers are Grate!

Here is a poem that I believe illustrates Yana's point in the following post. I am borrowing it from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style.

Who wood have guest
The Spell Chequer would super seed
The assent of the editor
Who was once a mane figure?
Once, awl sought his council;
Now nun prophet from him.
How suite the job was;
It was all sew fine...
Never once was he board
As he edited each claws,
Going strait to his deer work
Where he'd in cyst on clarity.
Now he's holy unacceptable,
Useless and know kneaded...
This is kow miner issue,
For he cannot urn a wage.
Two this he takes a fence,
Butt nose naught watt too due.
He's wade each option
Of jobs he mite dew,
But nothing peaks his interest
Like making pros clear.
Sum will see him silly
For being sew upset,
But doesnt' good righting
Go beyond the write spelling?

Sometimes a spell check is not enough

I am an editor. I read a lot. And I often find mistakes in the things I read, from books to newspaper articles to cereal boxes. I know that grammatical and punctuation errors are a fact of life. Not everyone was an English major in college, blah, blah.

But some errors are just so easily preventable. Here's a little tip for all writers, editors, and publishers out there: running spell check is not enough. You actually have to read stuff before you put it in print!

Here's a recent error I found in the novel "You Suck: A Love Story" by Christopher Moore. And I quote:

"Jeez," Drew said, then realizing that he had said it allowed, he cleared his throat and said, "I'll be right there." p. 223

On a similar note, here's an excerpt from a recent article in the New York Times:

Is It Ripe, or Rife?
By Philip B. Corbett

Even in the rush to publish, writers and editors at The Times strive for polish and precision in our prose. Sometimes we succeed.

But sometimes, after the dust settles, we are dismayed to see painful grammatical errors, shopworn phrasing or embarrassing faults in usage. A quick fix might be possible online; otherwise, the lapses become lessons for next time.

These comments are adapted from After Deadline, a weekly newsroom critique overseen by Philip B. Corbett, the deputy news editor who is also in charge of The Times’s style manual. The goal is not to chastise, but to point out recurring problems and suggest solutions.

Since most writers encounter similar troubles, we think these observations might interest general readers, too.

Words to Watch: Ripe or Rife?
These similar-sounding words are easily confused. “Rife” means (among other things) “full of, abounding in,” and is used with “with.” “Ripe” does not normally have that sense — it means, essentially, “fully developed, mature.”

The uncertainty is understandable, especially since metaphorically “ripe” may carry an overtone of “fullness.” Often we end up saying “ripe with” when we mean “rife with.”

A couple of recent cases where we went astray:
•••
Responding to an episode ripe with the potential to stoke unrest, the commander, Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, held a meeting Saturday with Iraqi leaders.
•••
The blogosphere is ripe with tales of people who mail in their house keys to their banks rather than hold on to their depreciating homes, but there is not a lot of evidence that it is actually happening very often.

More Words to Watch
A colleague on the sports desk offered a few other pairs of words that we’ve occasionally mixed up. Beware:

1. loathe is a verb meaning to hate; loath is an adjective meaning unwilling or reluctant.

2. peddle means to sell; pedal is what you do to a bicycle.

3. chord in music and mathematics; cord for the spinal or vocal kind.

4. discreet means prudent, circumspect or modest; discrete means separate or individually distinct.

5. forward indicates a direction; foreword is the introductory note in a book.

On being a working writer

When I was in college, I wrote a lot of papers. Some were academic; some were creative. The process usually went something like this:
1. Get assignment.
2. Complain.
3. Do nothing for the duration of time allotted for assignment.
4. Do minimal research at the last minute.
5. Write paper at 2 am while my cat slept on the desk near me.
6. Turn it in.
7. Receive an A. Most of the time...

Now, I have a real job that involves writing and editing. I am expected to produce copy, often under very tight deadlines. I no longer have the luxury of slacking off until the very last possible moment... Or do I?

I find that my writing process hasn't changed an awful lot over the years. When faced with a writing task at work, I will often let it marinate in my head for a day or two before I actually start writing. During that time, I'm not actively thinking about the task, but my mind is subconsciously formulating outlines, titles, sentences, and solutions to problems. If I sat down immediately to the task, I would most likely spend a day staring at a blank page and getting progressively more frustrated. The "marinating" process allows me to come to the task prepared to tackle the project. When I actually do open that Word document, I am ready to make magic. Isn't that what writing is, really?

I wonder how other working writers face these issues. Can anyone just write on command? I think that no matter what you're writing, there's some sort of creative aspect to it, whether it's in the document's organization, tone, graphic design, or audience. The working writer's job is to take all of that into account, be creative, and complete the project on time. A pretty tall order!