A Way with Words, Part 8: Robert Frost's Surface Tension

I have returned to the poem "Birches" by Robert Frost at various stages of my life since I first discovered it in college more than fifty years ago, and each time its meaning and value deepen for me. As a college student, I was struck by the image of birches bending either by the weight of a boy swinging on them (unlikely, says Frost) or the more possible severe consequences of ice storms. A decade later, as a father, I was taken by the choice of escaping the troubled world by climbing a birch tree to its highest weight-sustaining point or returning to earth, the only place where one can find love. As my wife and I became  empty nesters, I found heartrending the concluding picture Frost paints of spending one's final moments climbing a birch toward heaven. Later, when I saw one of my grandsons atop a tree on my property, I recalled the moment in the poem when Frost considers country boys apart from companionship, which  they would be able to find in the city, entertaining themselves by creating their own games, such as climbing a birch.      

But one moment in the poem has never lost its vividness and significance throughout my adult life. Recollecting a boy climbing a birch, Frost writes:

                ... He always kept his poise

To the top branches, climbing carefully

With the same pains you use to fill a cup

Up to the brim, and even above the brim.

The comparison Frost draws is what a scientist would call surface tension, that apparently gravity-defying position that liquid can hold slightly above their container before spilling over. We have all tried that stunt, marveling at how water refuses to drip down our glass even though it exceeds its barrier. Admittedly, I still do so as a challenge on mornings when pouring orange juice into a four-ounce glass. Returning to the lonely boy painstakingly ascending the birch, I delight in the realization that Frost breaks the common belief of youth's reckless abandon. Sure, we can see climbing a tree as reckless, but the boy does so with utmost caution and precision, inclinations we usually do not attribute to children. Even above the brim. I never tire of that moment in "Birches."   

A Way with Words, Part 7: Sharon Olds's Artistic Choice

At the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Poetry Festival in Stanhope, New Jersey some 30 years ago, poet Sharon Olds responded to a question about her bringing into her poetry people from her life, such as her parents, husband, and children. She used the terms silence for omitting real people and song for referring to them in her work. She concluded, "If I have to choose between silence and song, I will choose song." 

Even if we disagree with Olds's choice, we can still appreciate her metaphor, equating the concealment of personal experience as silence and its use as song. We can also extend her statement to the political poetry Ernesto Cardenal, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, and Pablo Neruda, and to other genres, such as the education treatises of Paolo Freire and the historical criticism of Michel Foucault. Silence evokes closed societies and song open ones. What better way is there to discover how human beings deal with grief, mental illness, and brutal oppression?  

While we may stop short when it comes to showcasing our family members or friends in our writing, the writer's imperative is song. That is our existential dilemma. We need to communicate to learn, to evolve as a culture.

A Way with Words, Part 6: William Faulkner's Singulary Artistry

This 10-part series, "A Way with Words," has focused up to this point on written sentences by notable authors. But for this post, I turn to the spoken word of Nobel laureate William Faulkner from his legendary 1956 Paris Review inerview, which I strongly encourage developing writers to read. The first page alone is worth memorizing as a mantra to guide one's writing life. Here is one such quote in response to a question about the importance of a writer's individuality:

All of us failed to match our dream of perfection. So I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible. In my opinion, if I could write all my work again, I am convinced that I would do it better, which is the healthiest condition for an artist. That's why he keeps on working, trying again; he believes each time that this time he will do it, bring it off. Of course he won't, which is why this condition is healthy.

For this reason, writers grow more metaphysical, painters more impressionistic, and composers more abstract. They continually and dutifully try to attain the unreachable in their artform. During the creative process, the representation of their imagination matters infinitely more to them than the linguistic mindset of their reader, the visual perspective of their viewer, or the aural sensibility of their listener. This creative endeavor, claims Faulkner, is the true work of the artist.

A Way with Words, Part 5: Isabel Allende's Universal Truism

In Isabel Allende's novel, La ciudad de las bestias (City of the Beasts), Kate Cold, the grandmother of the protagonist, 15-year-old Alexander, says: 

"Con la edad se adquiere cierta humildad, Alexander. Mientras más años cumplo, más ignorante me siento. Sólo los jóvenes tienen explicación para todo." ("With age, you acquire a certain humility, Alexander. The longer I live, the more uninformed I feel. Only the young have an explanation for everything.")

Allende's observation crystallizes a major distinction between the aged and youth. As we move through childhood, our parents, teachers, and other elders give us what we believe to be a reliable playbook of life. We are know-it-alls. But as we evolve from children to adults, experience shows us countless contradictions between what our guardians taught us and what we learned through observation. Our desired outcomes are too often derailed, our relationships are too unexpectedly transformed, our hopes are too frequently dashed. Life is just unpredicatable, full of risks and surprises, some good and some bad. The longer we live, the more untrustworthy we realize the expression, "Now I've seen everything." Now matter how much we wish Kate Cold's comment to her grandson were merely an ironic remark by a bitter, disillusioned old woman, we accept it as an enduring truth. 

A Way with Words, Part 4: Gabriela Mistral's Spiritual Metaphor

Lucila Godoy Alcayaga, better known as Chilean poet and educator Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957), the first Latin American writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, wrote this sentence in her prose poem "La oración de la maestra" ("The Teacher's Prayer"):

Dame el levantar los ojos de mi pecho con heridas, al entrar cada mañana a mi escuela. (Lift my vision from my broken heart as I enter my school every morning.)

I want to start with the subjectivity and difficulty of translation. I take literary liberties since ojos literally means eyes (I use vision), pecho means chest (I use heart), and heridas means wounds (I use broken). Not all translations agree with me. I realize that eyes can be used metaphorically, as in "Mine eyes have seen the coming of the Lord," from Julia Ward Howe's "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Presumably, Howe's use of eyes alludes to the human spirit, but I feel, rightly or wrongly, that vision is a more expansive, or existential, term for Mistral's ojos where English is concerned. As for chest wounds, I believe the more common English term broken heart is as figurative as the author's intent. 

Now, what makes Mistral's sentence sing so universally is its ascendent humility and unqualified passion for the children she teaches. We have heard the apt expression "Don't bring your work home" and the equally applicable "Don't bring your home life to work." As students or parents, we do not want teachers to allow outside pressures, disappointments, and sorrows to influence the way they teach or treat their students. Whatever bad happens to teachers outside the classroom should stay there.

Mistral's way with words elevates common wisdom to a summoning of her God for granting her spiritual faith, hope, and charity in teaching her students. In doing so, she transforms a simple statement into an essential, transcendent prayer.

A Way with Words, Part 3: Yuval Noah Harari's Parallel Definitions

After taking Yuval Noah Harari's brilliant course, A Brief History of Humankind, now available on YouTube, I decided to read his 2014 book, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. The book brought numerous unexpected pleasures, including Harari's fluid, trenchant writing style. 

I am reading Harari's most recent book, Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI, brings new surprises, both in content and style. Note these two sentences from page 119 of Nexus: 

To summarize, a dictatorship is a centralized information network, lacking strong self-correcting mechanisms. A democracy, in contrast, is a distributed information network, processing strong self-correcting mechanisms. 

The premise of Nexus is that since the beginning of time, no one person can change much in our world; indeed, communities (or information networks) are necessary to disseminate, interpret, and act on data for society to flourish. As Dennis Duncan's mostly unfavorable review of Nexus in the New York Times puts it, "In a nutshell, Harari's thesis is that the difference between democracies and dictatorships lies in how they handle information. Dictatorships are more concerned with controlling data than with testing its truth value; democracies, by contrast, are transparent information networks in which citizens are able to evaluate and, if necessary, correct bad data."

You can see why the two sentences quoted above from Nexus are essential to understanding Harari's proposition. Those sentences taken together sing because of their parallelism in both parts of the statement. The first part of the sentences describes the type of information network belonging to each form of government, and the second part reflects on each government's relationship with what Harari calls self-correction. Communities that commit to infallibility of a central guiding doctrine, whether  economic, political, or religious, do not take well to self-correcting. Such systems are intolerant of people questioning their doctrine. Contrarily, true scientific communities are by definition self-correcting. They have no infallible doctrine and continually seek to advance knowledge and human prospects, meaning they will be quick to overrule an existing standard if someone can disprove it and propose a more fitting doctrine. 

The second part of the 500-page book covers what will happen to self-correcting communities as AI imposes greater influence on the world. I'm not there yet, but I still delight in Harari's thinking and expressiveness. 

A Way with Words, Part 2: G. K. Chesterton's Paradoxical Wit

In "Tremendous Trifles," the first of 36 essays in G. K. Chesterton's 1909 book of the same name, comes this concluding sentence:

The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.

A quick read of that sentence would make you miss the deep and rich insight of Chesterton's point. A bit of background. In this essay, the author uses a parable of two boys, Peter and Paul, whose wishes are granted by a passing wizard. Paul wishes to be a giant to easily walk across all the wonders of the world in no time, and Peter wishes to be only a half-inch high to endlessly strive for distant horizons of mere meters. You'll have to read the rest of the brief essay (1,316 words) to find how things turn out for the boys.

Think of Chesterton's aphorism in two parts. He begins with the claim that we live in a world of abundance, sometimes overwhelming in its beauty, breathtaking in its excitement, boundless in the experiences it affords us; he ends it with an indictment of a human condition lacking in imagination, enchantment, and inspiration. Also, note his verb choice: starve. Is he talking about a matter of life and death? Indeed, if we think of our mind and spirit as life-affirming mechanisms. Finally, hear the rhythm he creates with his repetition of for want of and near-repetition of wonders and wonder, the s prompting such a prominent contrast in meaning. In doing so, he challenges us to examine our worldview. We do live the life of the mind, as Hannah Arendt put it. And Chesterton underscores this point in the last paragraph of the essay: "everything is in an attitude of the mind."

A Way with Words, Part 1: Albert Murray's Singular Vernacular

With this post, I begin a 10-part series on unusual diction successful writers have used to capture their readers' attention. Let's start by checking out the singular syntax in the first sentence of chapter 4 of South to a Very Old Place by Albert Murray. It's an awkward start for a reader of "fine literature," but knowing where Murray's coming from, I wouldn't change a word. Here it is:

The old place you used to come into coming in from Atlanta by railroad was Chehaw, from which you used to take the Chehaw Special on into the campus.

Before dissecting Murray's sentence, let's consider the topic of Murray's chapter, titled "Tuskegee." Few places figure more prominently in American history than this Alabamian city. After the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the Muscogee people who lived there were displaced to Indian Territory. Tuskegee was a site of cotton plantations owned by white slaveowners. In 1881, Booker T. Washington founded the Tuskegee Normal School for Colored Teachers, a historically black land-grant university now known as Tuskegee University. The renowned Tuskegee Airmen who piloted fighter planes in World War II, originated from that campus. Tuskegee was also the location of the unethical and illegal 40-year Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male, conducted by the United States Public Health Service, resulting in the death of many untreated black citizens at the hands of duplicitous healthcare workers and scientists. The racist gerrymandering of Tuskegee into a 28-sided voting district disadvantaged the dominant black voter base, leading to Gomillion v. Lightfoot, a 1960 Supreme Court case that found the redistricting violated the Fifteenth Amendment. In 1963, Alabama Governor George Wallace took a hard stand against the desegregation of Tuskegee High School. Today nearly 90 percent of Tuskegee's 9,000 residents are black with a third living in poverty. This is the Tuskegee Murray was writing about. 

Now, for Murray's 29-word sentence, many stylistic flourishes appear: 

1. Informal pronoun. Murray wants all his readers to feel as though they were listening to him talking to them on a street corner. The tone he sets with this device is remarkably conversational, frank, even endearing. Murray uses the pronoun you twice in the sentence, disregarding rhetorical purists who would eschew such a tactic.

2. Phrasal Verbs. Now Murray twice drops the same phrase in this sentence. He could have written the more concise came instead of used to come and took instead of used to take. I doubt he employed this language because he was being paid by the word. Rather, he again wanted that down-home-in-Alabama effect. 

3. Double prepositions. The phrases in from and on into seem awkward at first read. Yet those phrases reflect the way people speak, especially from Murray's neck of the woods. He was a native of Alabama. 

4. Mid-branching sentence. Murray divides the base clause, The old place was Chehaw, by 11 words: you used to come into coming in from Atlanta by railroad. I'm not sure how many people usually speak like that, but I do. The effect creates an element of suspense. 

I admit that I had to read Murray's sentence twice to understand it. But sometimes that effort in itself is one of the pleasures of reading. He could have written Chehaw was the old place one would arrive from Atlanta by railroad, followed by the Chehaw Special to the campus. This 19-word alternative, a 10-word reduction (35 percent) just doesn't sing off the page like Murray's original—and original he was. The way he wrote that sentence, man, I could taste those words.

One Way of Getting Started in Writing

To get started efficiently with any business message, writers need a single purpose. The document itself should have only one point, each paragraph that follows should have only one supporting point, and each sentence should have only one focusing point. Easier said than done? No. 

One approach to achieving this objective is to heed the advice of "A (Very) Simple Way to Improve Your Writing" by Mark Rennella in the Harvard Business Review. The article, an easy five-minute read, systematically breaks down the writing process for a practical method that successful writers already use, and developing writers should. WORDS ON THE LINE is loaded with nearly 20 years of similar suggestions.  

On Breaking Parallel Structure

I have written often in this blog about the value of parallel structure in creating fluent, clear, and concise phrasing. Just type the term parallel in the search bar on this page for numerous helpful tips and examples on the topic. 

I have also written about breaking parallel structure to achieve a desired effect in fiction and business writing, and I have shown how great writers like Joan Didion have done so. For another example of breaking parallel structure, simply in the name of plain language, here is a sentence from former US President Barack Obama in a tribute on X to Ethel Kennedy after her death:

Ethel Kennedy was a dear friend with a passion for justice, an irrepressible spirit, and a great sense of humor.

If you'd say that sentence seems understandable, I'd agree. But Obama breaks with the parallel convention, which would not have proven as good a sentence. He describes three Kennedy's attributes:

• passion for justice (noun + prepositional phrase)
• irrepressible spirit (adjective + noun)
• great sense of humor (adjective, noun + prepositional phrase)

 Note the inconsistency in the phrasing. Here are three alternative and consistent phrasings based on the context of the original sentence:

1. Noun + Prepositional Phrases: Ethel Kennedy was a dear friend with a passion for justice, humanity through an irrepressible spirit, and a sense of humor. 
2. Adjectives + Nouns: Ethel Kennedy was a dear friend with passionate justice, an irrepressible spirit, and great humor.  
3. Adjectives, Nouns + Prepositional Phrases: Ethel Kennedy was a dear friend with a deep sense of justice, an irrepressible spirit for humanity, and a great sense of humor. 

I hope you agree with me that example 1 seems robotic and redundant, example 2 nonfluent and confusing, and example 3 overwritten and verbose. Obama's usage, on the other hand, seems ironically parallel, although it technically isn't. The three phrases he chooses are more common speech and, therefore, heartfelt and understandable.

My point: Use parallel structure but know when to break this rule.

 

Writers Must Change Their Language

"Writers are obliged, at some point, to realize that they are involved in a language which they must change." - James Baldwin, "On Language, Race, and the Black Writer" in The Cross of Redemption: Uncollected Writings

Although James Baldwin began his essay with the sentence in the epigraph to assert a cause for racial justice, I would suggest that all writers should heed his advice, from novelists, playwrights, or poets creating an artistic work; to technical writers crafting instructions; to investigators authoring incident reports; to administrators composing policies; to auditors drafting workpapers; to managers positioning proposals; to lawyers finessing court briefings. Language changes, and writers are responsible to effect those changes as reasonably, precisely, and understandably as possible.

Words constantly enter our lexicon thanks to changes in our culture, workplace, and technology. We need new words, or at least word forms, to express novel concepts. As an example, think of smishing, which conveniently refers to a fraudulent text message posing as from a reputable source intended to capture personal information from the receiver. As new words arrive, we must be mindful of how best to use them in terms of their context. We would not want to say we were smished if someone pickpocketed us or scammed us in a three-card monte game. We have other words for those schemes; I would settle for robbed. On the other hand, I can imagine any of us comfortably—and accurately—saying, "She's ghosting her boyfriend for his incessant mansplaining." 

Writers also need to refine existing words to reflect the times they live in. As we moved toward gender-inclusive language, English language writers replaced terms like policeman with police officer and mankind with humankind. Sensitive to pejorative meanings of words, they prefer an inexpensive product to a cheap one, as the former denotes only price while the latter connotes poor quality. Managers might write about a project due date, which seems more neutral than the stress-inducing deadline.

Baldwin's insight about the writer's obligation reminds us that language is fluid, and as writers, we are the architects of its evolution. 

On Writing in Tough Conditions

Some of my clients write in difficult situations. They are investigators reporting from their car at the site of an accident during a snowstorm. They are analysts assessing a particular market by email on the trading floor during an especially hectic day. They are project managers creating spreadsheets of multi-million-dollar construction jobs from a cramped, dark trailer. (Some have even had to write messages to their base from an active battlefield.) Writing in tough conditions, such as during bad weather, in noisy environments, or with uncomfortable ergonomics, presents unique challenges that test a writer's creativity, focus, and resilience. These obstacles can make it difficult to maintain concentration, leading to frustration, slower progress, and reduced quality. However, mastering the ability to write in such conditions can foster stronger discipline and adaptability. Here's how.

Bad Weather

Bad weather, particularly heavy rain or cold, can impact both the mind and body, undermining comfort and concentration. The key is to create a mental and physical barriers to block external discomfort. Some ways:

• Prepare yourself. Make sure your devices are fully charged. Organize the writing space of your car, if that's where you work. Stay hydrated and bring comfort food.
• Create as a comfortable an environment as possible. Do whatever you can to optimize your writing space. Find as quiet and comfortable place as feasible. Use a blanket if outdoors or a space heater if indoors, to create an agreeable environment. 
• Find internal motivation. Focus on the content rather than the discomfort. Have the talking points squared away in your head and attack them one at a time.
• Use dictation tools. This method is particularly helpful for those who are not fast typists.
• Use video and photography. Taking videos or pictures onsite can help you recall content when you are writing or rewriting offsite in a more comfortable place. 
• Break up the writing process. Remind yourself that the particular report you're working on takes only x minutes to capture all the content. Plan and draft the report where you are and revise, edit, and proofread it when you are in a better physical space.
• Set small goals. Break your writing into short, timed sessions with reasonable word-count goals to maintain productivity despite external conditions.

Noisy Environments

Noisy environments, such as high-talk areas, traffic, or construction noise can be intrusive. While some writers are not bothered by background noise, others may struggle to concentrate. Three tips:

• Relocate. When possible, find a quieter place, such as a library or unused office space, to escape loud distractions. If you’re in a public space, choosing a quieter corner can make a difference.
• Turn off notifications. You may need to be available to all incoming messages, but you can delete the noisemaking part of notifications. The difference may be minor, but all these differences add up.
• Use noise-cancelling headphones. Investing in such devices can help you block loud or distracting sounds, allowing you to focus more easily.
• Ambient noise or music. If absolute silence isn't an option, try playing soft background music or ambient sounds (like  slow-paced instrumental music or nature sounds) to help you focus on the writing task instead of the unbearable surrounding noise.

Uncomfortable Ergonomics

Uncomfortable ergonomics, like poor seating or inadequate lighting, can cause physical strain, leading to discomfort or pain and reduced productivity. Some actions you can take:

• Check your posture. Get into the habit of telling yourself, "Body check," making sure you are not slouching or twisting in ways counterproductive to efficiency.  
• Invest in ergonomic equipment. Invest in an ergonomic chair, a laptop stand, or an external keyboard and mouse to ensure proper body support.
• Adjust your seat. Find the right height from your seat to the floor. This adjustment makes a big difference in fighting body fatigue and back or leg pain.
• Break regularly. Avoid sitting in an awkward position for long periods. Stand up, stretch, or walk around every half hour to relieve pressure on your body and refresh your mind.
• Improve lighting. Ensure your workspace is well lit, with natural light if possible, or use a desk lamp that mimics daylight to reduce strain on your eyes. Alleviating this physical challenge generates longer periods of concentration.

Though writing in tough conditions is demanding, it is usually not an unconquerable task. It builds endurance. Adapting to these circumstances develops stronger focus. Embracing these challenges can turn discomfort into an opportunity for growth. Implementing these practical solutions will improve your writing productivity, enhance your comfort, and increase your self-confidence in challenging conditions.

The Value of Reading Redux

A post I wrote five years ago for this blog called "The Value of Reading" highlights nine reasons that reading adds immeasurable benefits to our lives. I doubt that piece will ever lose its importance, and it might be the best of 1,300-plus posts I've written here over the past nearly 20 years. At 451words, it is an easy and quick read, so I encourage you to read it.

Before going there, you can find right here a tenth reason for reading as an indispensable activity: Reading deepens our empathy. It brings the world closer to us. It helps us to better understand other people, origins, cultures, desires, attitudes, and actions. Through choice, quality reading, we immerse ourselves in the aspirations, challenges, shortcomings, strengths, and courage of those whose struggles we share and, in many cases, whose lives are far harder than ours. We find common ground. We rediscover those ideas and dreams that make us all human. 

So sure, pick up a newspaper and a magazine, but a book too. Stretch yourself and read a broad range of topics. It will make you a better human being.  

Avoiding a False Equivalence

Let's say you live in Buenos Aires and have landed a job in New York City. You ask an American friend where you should live, in the city or in a small suburban town 30 miles away. She answers, "You'll have to pick the lesser of two evils. You could live in a congested, polluted, loud, unsafe place, or you could deal with long commutes and limited cultural activities." The choice seems like you can put your health and life at risk, or you can endure long train rides on weekdays and suffer from boredom on weekends. Your friend has not quite endorsed living in the suburbs, but she might as well have.

That's the choice Pope Francis laid out when asked about the coming United States presidential election. "You have to choose the lesser evil," he said. "What is the lesser evil, that woman or that man? Both are anti-life—both the one who throws out migrants and the one who kills babies. Both of them are against life." While the pope might claim impartiality about the outcome of the election, he in fact creates a false equivalence. He asks his audience to consider which is preferable: deportation, which he assigns to Donald Trump, or infanticide, which he links to Kamala Harris. Of course, we would rather deport someone than murder a child. In effect, he implies—no, asserts—that Donald Trump is the better choice. 

As writers, we need to be aware of this logical fallacy. We must the check the equivalence of offered options. Every genuine option has at least one disadvantage as well as an advantage. We must avoid false dilemmas by fully exploring the depth of nonbinary situations. The pope, even from a perspective of, as he put it, "political morality," failed to do so. 

The Value of Traveling for Workplace Writers

For business, scientific, and technical writers, factual accuracy, precise language, and grammatical correctness matter. But how can employees achieve these objectives if their frames of reference are limited? Will online or local onsite education close the knowledge gap? I doubt it.

 

One way to expand a writer’s acumen, ability, and ultimately, authority, is traveling. I understand that staycations are growing in popularity because of the prohibitive costs of travel. If you think like that, believe me, you are right. Nevertheless, I consider travel as an investment in my professional development, even when I am vacationing. I’m not talking about cruises or resorts where everything is handed to you. I mean walking through the streets of Barcelona, Berlin, or Brussels at dawn, or strolling along the Croisette in Cannes at dusk, or hiking through the Rocky Mountain National Park. Though usually seen as a leisure activity, travel offers at least invaluable benefits for writers in any work-related field.

1.   New Perspectives on Global Markets. Travelers get immediate exposure to different business cultures, market conditions, and international trends. Understanding how the world works helps writers craft content that connects to a broader audience, insights hard to realize from a distance.

2.   Improved Problem-Solving. When traveling, businesspeople encounter new ways of solving problems, whether it’s how Beijing handles transportation or how a small business in Valletta uses technology. These experiences can inspire innovative approaches in writing, especially when addressing complex technical subjects.

3.   Enhanced Communication Skills. Navigating foreign environments requires loads of adaptability, patience, and communication—skills vital to business and technical writing. The ability to break down complex ideas into understandable concepts is sharpened when communicating across language and cultural barriers.

4.   Cultural Competency. Global industries demand cultural awareness. Traveling provides firsthand experience with diverse business practices. Therefore, a writer with such experiences is likely to write with greater sensitivity to divergent perspectives, regulations, and expectations, a key skill for writing to international audiences.

5.   Heightened Creativity. One of the most profound aspects of travel is meeting new people. These encounters affect our understanding of human nature. Everyone has a unique story to tell from which we can all learn. Conversation with a server in a Copenhagen restaurant, a cab driver in Sydney, a concierge in Hyderabad, or fellow travelers in Havana cultivates new ideas for writers.

6.   Enhanced Confidence. Travel fosters self-reliance and independence. These attributes are indispensable for writers, as they infuse their story lines with an expanded horizon. Writers can eliminate a lot of guesswork because they’ve been there and done that.

Writing in the workplace requires talent, for sure, but even more, it demands insight, creativity, and determination. Travel can strengthen these qualities. You do not have to travel far to prove my point.

Honoring the Writer's Job on Labor Day

Labor Day is here. I celebrate the work of manual laborers all over the world. Without them, we would not have the food, clothing, and shelter we need to stay alive. Their diligence and dedication have built our world. Traditionally, Labor Day honors the contributions of workers across various industries, including construction, education, farming, healthcare, and manufacturing. As the son of a father who was a police officer and butcher and a mother who was a cafeteria worker and school aide, both union members, I am proud of their legacy. I also can think of unsung workers who have supported these professions, quietly working in the background to convince the world of the value of these laborers: writers. Their work may be rooted in creative and intellectual disciplines, but in these times, they too are essential workers.

Writing as Labor

People who do not understand the value of writing often see it as a solitary and underappreciated profession. However, the labor involved in writing demands that writers pour their hearts and minds into their work, whether they're crafting a novel, drafting research papers, or penning articles that inform and inspire. The process requires dedication, persistence, and a willingness to engage in deep thinking—qualities that are essential to the art of writing.

On this Labor Day, consider writing as a form of labor that requires immense skill and effort. Writers shape ideas and build narratives that contribute to the cultural and intellectual fabric of their business and society. Books, articles, and reports represent countless hours of research, revision, and thought.

Writing Through Challenges

Like all forms of labor, writing comes with its own set of challenges. Writers often face deadlines, creative blocks, and intense pressure in constantly producing new and engaging content. Many writers juggle their work alongside attending to the demands of other business responsibilities, including traveling offsite, attending meetings, planning and executing projects, communicating within and outside the organization, and researching business issues.

Despite these obstacles, writers continue to persevere. They adapt to changing circumstances, find new sources of inspiration, and push through difficulties to bring their ideas to life. This resilience is laudable, especially on a day dedicated to honoring the contributions of workers.

Writing for Reading

The work of writers extends far beyond the screen or page. Their words have the power to inform public opinion, influence policy, and shape the course of history. From investigative journalism that uncovers the truth to creative works that offer new perspectives, writers play a crucial role in our society. Their labor is foundational to education, culture, and communication, making the world a more informed and connected place. Whatever you are reading, you're benefiting from the labor of a writer.

Honoring the Writer's Job

It's easy to overlook the challenges writers face and the significance of their job. Your labor as a writer is worthy of recognition. Whether you're writing for yourself, for an audience, or as part of your profession, the effort you put into your craft is meaningful. Take a moment on Labor Day to reflect on your achievements and set new goals. Writing is hard work, and just like any other form of labor, it's important to recharge and celebrate your accomplishments.

Understanding the Power and Pitfalls of AI in Work-related Writing

If you're looking for ways to enhance the creativity, productivity, and quality of your writing at work, my latest article, in ACS Chemical Health & Safety could prove helpful. Titled "Using AI to Improve Writing Creativity, Productivity, and Quality," this piece dives deep into the transformative role that artificial intelligence (AI) plays in the writing process. While the commentary primarily uses examples from science to make its points, the principles apply to all business and technical writers. 

AI Is Here to Stay

Writers across all disciplines—whether crafting a research paper, developing safety guidelines, or drafting a creative proposal—are under constant pressure to deliver high-quality content quickly. AI offers a groundbreaking solution to these challenges by serving as a digital assistant that enhances your writing, not replaces it. The article explores how AI tools can support writers in three key areas: creativity, productivity, and quality.

Boost Your Creativity

One of the most exciting aspects of using AI in writing is its ability to stimulate creativity. By generating prompts, suggesting alternatives, and providing inspiration from a vast database of language patterns, AI can help you break through writer's block and explore new avenues of expression. The article offers practical examples of how AI can spark your imagination and push the boundaries of your writing.

Enhance Your Productivity

Time is a precious commodity for writers with tight deadlines and precise requirements. AI tools can significantly streamline the writing process by automating repetitive tasks, organizing research, and even drafting initial content. The article outlines how you can leverage AI to maximize your productivity, allowing you to focus on what matters most: your ideas and insights.

Elevate Your Quality

Quality is non-negotiable, especially in fields where clarity and accuracy can have critical implications. AI can assist in refining your writing, ensuring that your final product is polished, coherent, and error-free. We discuss how AI tools can help you revise, edit, and proofread with greater efficiency, making your writing more powerful.

A Practical Guide

The article is not just theoretical—it’s packed with practical advice on integrating AI into your writing routine. Whether you're a seasoned or novice writer, the strategies in "Using AI to Improve Writing Creativity, Productivity, and Quality" will empower you to harness the full potential of AI, leading to better outcomes in less time.

The Value of Proposal Writing

In "Top 6 Reasons New Businesses Fail," Investopedia writes, "According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), approximately 20% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, 45% during the first five years, and 65% during the first 10 years. Only 25% of new businesses make it to 15 years or more." Based on those statistics, I suppose that managing a successful consulting practice for 28 years qualifies me to say that success in business often hinges on securing new opportunities, partnerships, and projects. At the heart of these endeavors lies a critical skill: proposal writing. A proposal is a strategic tool that can make or break your chances of winning new business.

Hallmarks of a Proposal

1. Articulating Vision. A well-written proposal clearly articulates your vision and objectives. It’s your opportunity to demonstrate that you understand the client's needs, possess a customized solution to meet them, and prove you have the talent to achieve those goals. A strong proposal explains your plan of action and your rationale for this approach.
2. Building Credibility. Writing a proposal expresses how you think about a given situation, whether you care about what you do, and how you understand your readers' concerns. A proposal can be the first impression a potential client or partner has of you and your organization. A well-structured, professional proposal showcases your expertise, sense of purpose, attention to detail, and commitment to quality. It builds trust and positions you as a credible, reliable partner capable of delivering on promises.
3. Differentiating Your Offering. In competitive markets, many organizations offer similar products or services. Proposal writing allows you to highlight what sets you apart—whether it’s market awareness, innovative solutions, superior service, or unique expertise. This differentiation is crucial in convincing clients to choose you over the competition.
4. Demonstrating Value. Clients and partners want to know how their investment in your services will pay off. A strong proposal clearly outlines the benefits and ROI they can expect. By focusing on the value you deliver, rather than just the cost, you can make a compelling case for why they should invest in your solution.
5. Fostering Relationships. Proposal writing involves collaboration and communication with the client or partner. This interaction can help build a relationship even before the project begins. A well-crafted proposal shows that you understand your readers' needs and can collaborate with them for mutual success.
6. Driving Organizational Growth. Winning proposals are a direct path to growth. They open doors to new revenue streams, partnerships, and long-term opportunities.

Tips for Effective Proposal Writing

• Know your audience. Tailor your proposal to the specific needs and concerns of the client. Understand their pain points and goals, and address them directly.
• Write clearly and concisely. Avoid unnecessary complexity and make every word matter. A clear, straightforward proposal is more likely to resonate with your audience.
• Highlight benefits. Focus the proposal on solving the client’s problem and the tangible benefits they will receive.
• Use a professional tone. You are what you write. Your proposal should be error-free and tone-sensitive. This practice will enable your client to see you as focused, diligent, thorough, efficient, and concerned, rather than inept, lazy, careless, sloppy, or crude.
• Include an executive summary. Summarize the key points of your proposal, including the problem or opportunity, offering, plan, contingencies, qualifications, and cost. 

Proposal writing communicates your vision, builds credibility, and cultivates relationships. By investing time and effort into crafting compelling proposals, you not only increase your chances of success but also set the foundation for long-term growth and partnership. A well-written proposal can unlock new opportunities and drive your organization forward.

AI Wrote This for Me

I have just finished an article for a science journal about using artificial intelligence (AI) in writing. If you'd read some of my previous posts about AI, you'd know I am a big proponent for using this technology wisely at work. I decided to ask ChatGPT to author this post of WORDS ON THE LINE. I gave it this prompt: "Write an article under 250 words on writing at work." This is the 224-word response it immediately gave me:

The Importance of Writing at Work: A Key to Professional Success

In today’s fast-paced work environment, effective writing skills are more important than ever. Whether it's drafting emails, preparing reports, or creating presentations, the ability to communicate clearly and concisely can significantly impact your professional success.

Writing at work is not just about grammar and spelling; it's about conveying your ideas in a way that is easy for others to understand. Clear writing leads to better decision-making, more efficient collaboration, and fewer misunderstandings. It also reflects your professionalism and attention to detail.

One of the key aspects of writing at work is knowing your audience. Tailoring your message to suit the needs and expectations of your readers can make your communication more impactful. For instance, an email to a colleague might be informal, while a report for upper management should be structured and formal.

Moreover, good writing saves time. Clear and well-organized documents reduce the need for follow-up questions, allowing projects to move forward smoothly. It also enhances your credibility, as well-written documents demonstrate your competence and thoughtfulness.

In conclusion, writing at work is a vital skill that can influence your career trajectory. By focusing on clarity, understanding your audience, and taking the time to refine your writing, you can improve your communication, build stronger professional relationships, and achieve greater success in your career.

I then gave it an additional prompt: "Rewrite the article to include research." ChatGPT yielded this 288-word response in seconds:

The Importance of Writing at Work: A Key to Professional Success

In today’s fast-paced work environment, effective writing skills are crucial, and research supports their impact on professional success. Studies show that clear and concise communication can significantly enhance workplace efficiency and collaboration. According to a report by Grammarly Business, teams that prioritize strong writing skills are 4.2 times more likely to achieve their goals and complete projects on time.

Writing at work involves more than just correct grammar and spelling; it's about conveying ideas in a way that is easily understood by others. Research from the Harvard Business Review highlights that clear writing leads to better decision-making and reduces the risk of misunderstandings, which can save both time and resources. This is particularly important in email communication, which is often cited as a major source of workplace stress due to poorly written or ambiguous messages.

Understanding your audience is another critical aspect of workplace writing. A study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that 73% of employers prioritize communication skills when hiring, emphasizing the need to tailor your message to suit the reader’s needs and expectations. For instance, a casual email to a colleague may require a different tone and structure than a formal report for upper management.

Good writing also enhances credibility. The Project Management Institute (PMI) reports that 56% of failed projects can be traced back to poor communication. Well-written documents demonstrate competence and professionalism, fostering trust and confidence among colleagues and clients.

In conclusion, writing at work is a vital skill, underscored by research as essential for career success. By focusing on clarity, audience awareness, and attention to detail, professionals can improve communication, strengthen relationships, and contribute to organizational success.

Did that useless "In conclusion" in the last paragraph bother me! And I was not pleased with the increased word count. So I made one final request: "Drop unnecessary transitions and keep it under 250 words." ChatGPT delivered this 222-word third draft:

The Importance of Writing at Work: A Key to Professional Success

Effective writing skills are crucial in today’s work environment, with research highlighting their impact on professional success. A report by Grammarly Business shows that teams with strong writing skills are 4.2 times more likely to achieve goals and complete projects on time.

Writing at work is about more than correct grammar; it’s about conveying ideas clearly. The Harvard Business Review notes that clear writing improves decision-making and reduces misunderstandings, saving time and resources. This is vital in email communication, where poorly written messages are a major source of workplace stress.

Understanding your audience is also critical. A study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that 73% of employers prioritize communication skills when hiring, emphasizing the need to tailor messages to the reader’s needs. An email to a colleague may require a different tone than a formal report for management.

Good writing enhances credibility. The Project Management Institute (PMI) reports that 56% of failed projects can be traced back to poor communication. Well-written documents demonstrate competence and professionalism, building trust among colleagues and clients.

Writing at work is a vital skill, supported by research as essential for career success. By focusing on clarity, audience awareness, and detail, professionals can improve communication, strengthen relationships, and contribute to organizational success.

You'll have to decide whether the article is helpful, but I'm just sayin'.

Finding Your Writer's Voice

All you have to do is read the first three paragraphs of The Grapes of Wrath to understand John Steinbeck's signature style. The first paragraph describes the natural world: the sun, clouds, rain, wind, dust, weeds, corn. The second paragraph introduces the animal kingdom, the gophers and ant lions, and their interaction with the natural world. And the third brings in humanity, the work teams and a walking man lifting dust into the stagnant air. You will see this technique repeated in East of Eden, though through a first person narrator and more epically, and in the second sentence of Tortilla Flat, when the author describes the inextricability of Danny, his friends, and his house, not to be taken as a structure but as much as a living thing as its residents. The settings of Steinbeck's stories are so vivid that the characters seem rooted in them, sprouting from the landscape like inevitable consequences of nature.

How does Steinbeck work this magic? Certainly, with a lot of patience during his writing process, with a singular, supreme command of language, and with a faith in his readers' ability to follow his narrative and appreciate his approach. Of course, he carefully studied his predecessors' approach to fiction. Note how Mark Twain opens Chapter 2 in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Henry James starts Portrait of a Lady. Yet Steinbeck the writer not only owned his birthplace of Salinas Valley in California, but the valley itself is forever associated with his characters. For this reason, we want to read Steinbeck, regardless of the story he is telling.

So how do we do the same? By writing about our roots, which no one in the world knows better than we do. By connecting our characters to their environment and their circumstances. By reading great writers the way Steinbeck did. It takes time, but oh, what a journey!

On Enjoying Work

Recall chapter 2 of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, the scene when Tom cleverly hoodwinks the neighborhood children into doing his despised chore of whitewashing a 90-foot-long, 9-foot-high fence on a perfect Saturday morning. Tom might not have had the polish of an academic, but he surely knew something special about the human condition. As Twain concludes at the end of the chapter:

If he had been a great and wise philosopher, like the writer of this book, he would have comprehended that Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.

I suppose this truth applies to all of us. The feeling that work is pleasurable makes it unlike the conventional attitude toward work. If we like what we do, we do not mind it at all. Do you find yourself drawn to tasks that others try to avoid? (For me, such a pleasurable job is mowing the lawn because I use that time to think freely.) When we find joy in our tasks, when we embrace them with the enthusiasm of a child at play, we discover that work is but a perception. The key lies in our ability to find delight in the process. We transcend the mundane and engage in the essence of play, turning every brushstroke into a celebration of life's endless possibilities.

Not Sure What to Write About?

Writer's block is the most intimidating experience a writer may encounter. You sit at your computer for your assigned time to craft an article with a strict deadline, or a white paper your CEO wants on her desk tomorrow morning, or even a long overdue message to your mother. You stare blankly into the void. You start to tap your feet. Your head begins to rock in unison with the blinking cursor. Not a word appears. Then come the judgments: You've lost your spark. The muse is hiding out on you. You just don't have what it takes. You convince yourself you can't be blamed because moments ago you put your rowdy, exhausting children to bed. Or those long work hours are taking their toll on you. Maybe you shouldn't have had that drink. That big meal is giving you heartburn. Damn that buzz from the refrigerator. You can't get out of your head that person who has nothing to do with what you're trying to write. Twenty minutes have passed. Nothing.

Luckily, writers have numerous tricks to break writer's block. Whether you're a novelist crafting a thousand-page saga, a technical writer composing specifications and instructions, or an administrative staffer responding to hundreds of emails daily, you can employ one or more of the dozen tips I listed in a 12-part series on this blog five years ago. The series, "Breaking Writer's Block," leads off with my number 1 suggestion, which I have turned to countless times with invariable success: read. Besides being an indispensable means of self-educating, reading can also inspire, triggering a writing urge.

And here's a thirteenth recommendation, courtesy of Natalie Proulx writing for the New York Times in an article "310 Prompts for Argumentative Writing." Proulx's point is that responding to the 310 questions posed in the article on topics ranging from sports and the arts to parenting and school can get students from middle school to college started on writing assignments. While you may think that the questions listed in the article are irrelevant to the writing you do, I ask you to think again. Many of those questions are relevant to all of us, and you can modify those that do not suit you. The key is this: Anything that can get your fingers moving as a writer is worth examining. 

On the Value of Writing Well

Will artificial intelligence (AI) eliminate the need to write well independently? I think not, and I'm glad that Frank Bruni, agrees with me in his op-ed piece "Our Semicolons, Ourselves" in the December 21, 2023 issue of The New York Times. Bruni makes the powerful point that crafting an excellent sentence, paragraph, and essay leads to deep sense of accomplishment for the writer and a powerful intellectual experience for the reader. 

I do believe that AI serves as a fine kickstart for generating ideas, a good tool for producing sentences quickly, and perhaps an indispensable resource for improving quality. But being in command as a writer—doing the work of researching topics, assessing content, taking notes, composing rough drafts, reviewing structure and style—helps students of any major and businesspeople of any profession. Bruni goes a long way toward proving this point in his essay.

Addressing People in Writing (Revised)

Question: How should I address in writing someone I do not know?

Answer: The concept of gender identity has eliminated the practice of writing Mr. Singh or Ms. Zheng. Below are your options.

1. If you know the person's given name and surname: Write Dear Suresh Singh or Dear Dawn Zheng. You can replace the formal Dear with the less formal Hello, Hi, Good day, or nothing, depending on your relationship with the reader.

2. If you know only the person's surname and job title: Write Director Singh or Vice-president Zheng, or whatever their title may be.

3. If you know only the person's given name and job title: Write Suresh or Dawn and drop the title.

4. If you do not know the person's name but know their job title: Write Director or Vice-president, or whatever their title may be.

5. If you do not know the person's name or job title: Find out. But if you can't, write Hello, Hi, Good day, Greetings, or whatever you think is acceptable to the reader.  

As Nobel laureate Bob Dylan sang, "The times they are a-changing"; be a person of your time by changing with it.

An Olympian Thought

I have watched as a big fan the past 15 quadrennial Summer Olympics, beginning with the 1964 Tokyo Games, and the current Paris Games will be no exception.

I was a high school track and field athlete for one year because of my interest in Jim Thorpe and Bob Mathias, two decathletes whose biographies were among the first books I'd ever read.  I also remember reading The Bobby Richardson Story and The Great Houdini: Magician Extraordinary when I was in elementary school, a time when reading required books was laborious and distasteful for me.

This point serves as an important reminder that young people can find many paths to becoming lifelong readers. Sports sparked my desire to read. For this reason, I do not criticize reading graphic novels or even comic books. Just encourage virtually any kind of reading.

Going for a Ride

A big part of a vacation for me is the planning. That's why I book flights, trains, buses, car rentals, hotels, and entertainment events up to a year in advance. Once I buy that plane ticket, the vacation begins. I borrow a tour guide of the destination from the library. I search relevant websites as I plot a daily itinerary of the trip. I watch as many videos on the stops as practical to ensure I hit the high points of each location. I create an Excel spreadsheet to detail the expected expenses, enter the hotel addresses, and record the distances and duration of each drive. 

This year, one of the destinations is Colorado, where I will tour the Centennial State in a loop begining and ending in Denver, driving as far northeast as Estes Park, as far northwest as Grand Junction, as far southwest as Mesa Verde National Park, and as far southeast as Alamosa. I planned this exact trip for July 2020, but the pandemic squashed that opportunity. I'll be leaving four years older, perhaps less prepared for the high altitudes, so I am wondering how taxing the hikes will be on my lungs.

The main objective of the trip is to visit national parks: Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado National Monument, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, and Great Sand Dunes National Park. The National Park Service provides America's greatest service to the world, as 318 million people visit its 429 sites across all 50 states. I have always enjoyed and learned from my trips to about a hundred of them. 

Worthy Words, Part 15: John Dewey

John Dewey (1859 - 1952) was an American philosopher who is still commands the attention of graduate schools of education three quarters of a century after his death. One of Dewey's best known books, Democracy and Education, establishes the purpose of education early on:

Beings who are born not only unaware of, but quite indifferent to, the aims and habits of the social group have to be rendered cognizant of them and actively interested. Education, and education alone, spans the gap. (Democracy and Education, page 3)

In the context of Dewey's position, I refer to education to not only what occurs within a school building. I include what elders teach children. A modern society tends to overlook this essential detail pf spanning the gap between ignorance and learning cultural traditions. Consider some of societal expectations: respecting public property; tolerating people unlike ourselves; contributing to the greater good of the community through work, learning, and volunteerism; investing in quality and safe food and goods; and providing housing, medical, psychiatric, social, sanitation, and security services, among other provisions. 

Sure, technology continues to change us, but we still need each other to perpetuate our species. This basic reminder from Dewey should be part of a teacher's oath.   

Worthy Words, Part 14: Albert Einstein

When Albert Einstein received a human rights award from the Chicago Decalogue Society on February 20, 1954, he opened his acceptance speech with this comment:

You are assembled today to devote your attention to the problem of human rights. You have decided to offer me an award on this occasion. When I learned about it, I was somewhat depressed by your decision. For in how unfortunate a state must a community find itself if it cannot produce a more suitable candidate upon whom to confer such a distinction. — Albert Einstein, Ideas and Opinions, p. 34. 

If you think Einstein was attempting humility, think again. He was speaking at a time of McCarthyism, at a time not long after the Nuremberg Trials showed that following government orders or arguing tu quoque was insufficient grounds for defense against human rights violations. Yet, Einstein implies, too few people step forward to denounce government crimes and resist their creators and enforcers, and most who do arrive on the scene far too late.

Worthy Words, Part 13: Robert Frost

I have been rereading some of the poems of Robert Frost (1874-1963), perhaps for the first time in this millennium, so I am experiencing his work a quarter-century older, hopefully wiser, and certainly more curious about the human condition. Few poets can write as Frost does about our proclivity toward pensiveness ("Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"), our spirit of adventure ("The Road Not Taken"), our lament of passing time ("Nothing Gold Can Stay"), our tendency toward judging humanity ("Fire and Ice"), or our heartbreak in enduring loss ("Home Burial"). 

I came across a 2-stanza, 1-sentence, 8-line, 34-word gem, "Dust of Snow," from Frost's Collected Poems. In such a short space, he shows why critics universally regard him as a master of the American vernacular. From The way a crow / Shook down on me to save some part / Of a day, the verse seems like plainspeak, merely a matter-of-fact statement made in idle passing, until it repeats and repeats in the memory like a sacred credo. 

If you read these six referenced poems at the Poetry Foundation website (53 of Frost's are there), start with "Dust of Snow."

Worthy Words, Part 12: Robert M. Pirsig

Robert M. Pirsig's 1974 must-read masterpiece, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values, contains many worthy quotes, especially when he departs from his literal 5,700-mile round-trip motorcycle journey from Minneapolis to San Francisco with his 12-year-old son to explore quality and being. I suppose I can write several hundred blog posts quoting from this book, which has sold over 5 million copies. 

In an hour-long May 20, 1974 talk on the book at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Pirsig anxiously awaits an introduction and quotes a local Zen master by saying, "Whatever situation you're in, you should find yourself in it immediately." From that sentence, he commands my attention like few speakers can. 

Pirsig was interested in bridging Western and Eastern philosophical systems in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. His sentence underscores what no Aristotelian or Buddhist thinker would argue. We must be present to observe and to experience. We cannot be in the past or in the future. All we have is now. Fifty years later, this timeless quote remains infallible.