Sunday, December 25, 2016

Things Writers Do, Part 8: Play

Writers need to play with words, phrases, and clauses to create their best sentences. I remember needing to write a sentence that went something like this:
Actually, the state of a contaminated substance extending into infinity is the problem that is important regardless of what critics think.
The sentence was clunky and wordy, so I edited it to read:
Although critics challenge the assumption, the infinite presence of a contaminated substance can cause problems for generations. 
But before editing the final draft, I had some fun with the idea that the multiple meanings of the word matter could have replaced several words in the original sentence:

As a matter of fact, the matter of contaminated matter as a matter of infinity is the matter that matters no matter what critics think.

What's the point? Writers sometimes make play of their work to lessen its gravity and increase its pleasure.