[stylist] Assumptions & Directions

[Applebutter Hill]

Hi Folks,
I just posted the following musings about what several failed ads can teach
us about writing.
Enjoy,
Donna
 
 


Writers
<http://donnawhill.com/2015/04/13/writers-gazebo-assumptions-directions/> '
Gazebo: Assumptions & Directions

 
by Donna W. Hill <http://donnawhill.com/author/dewhill421/>  

Good writers take great pains to make their work perfect. Whether it's an
article, story, novel or the text for a marketing campaign, they check and
double-check to ensure that spelling and grammar conform to current
standards. They labor over their opening sentences, using powerful images
and language to grab the reader's attention ASAP. Nonetheless, it's not
uncommon to overlook the obvious. The basic problem is something done by
humans in general. We make assumptions. 

Simply put, sometimes - quite often, in fact - we all need to get back to
basics. And, there's nothing more basic than being clear about what you want
to say, understanding that what you know may differ from what someone else
knows and remembering what impact you hope your piece - written or spoken -
will have on others.

 


Location, Location, Location


After living in Northeastern Pennsylvania for almost eighteen years, I still
marvel at the assumption - rampant from the Poconos along the Delaware river
and the Lehigh Valley to the coal region surrounding the Scranton,
Wilkes-Barre area and the rural Endless Mountains - that everyone knows
where everything is. Businesses pay good money for TV, radio and print ads
extolling the virtues of their products and services without the slightest
mention of their location. I fear that my regular astonishment at this may
be leading to facial abnormalities.

One summer, we came across an ad for a restaurant. Examining it thoroughly,
we found no street address, no mention of the town in which the place is
located, or even a reference to being near any major route. There was,
however, a phone number. We didn't recognize the exchange, so I called.

"Hello, Wellingtons."

"Hello, can you tell me where you're located?"

It was a prophetic question. The young man answered with a confused "uh,"
moved his phone arm away from his mouth and bellowed, "Hey, Bob! Where are
we located?"

Bob began to bellow the directions back to his employee, but stopped
abruptly with an exasperated sigh. In the time it took for Bob to come to
the conclusion that he had better talk to me himself, I couldn't help
wondering how the young man got to work. 

As it turns out, they are at Rt. 6 and 11 in Clarks Summit, but assigning
that information to print was apparently too much to ask. In their defense,
as lame of an excuse as it is, they are probably paying by the word. Here's
an idea; why not drop the name next time and save even more?


Where Something Used to be Isn't Quite Descriptive Enough


Then, it was an ad in Wyalusing's Rocket-Courier. We were warmly invited to
the Harkness Family Restaurant. The ad explained that Harkness used to be
called The Tomahawk and went on to say that it had moved and is now located
where The Pepper Shaker used to be. Naturally, there was no address. The
sting of my own palm is still visible on my forehead. 

We did, however, notice an ironic twist; the Wyalusing Hotel, which did have
the good grace to list their address, hasn't undergone a name or location
change in over a hundred years.

Our favorite "directions" story, however, happened locally and had nothing
to do with advertising. We stopped to help a befuddled truck driver, who was
trying to make a delivery. Unfamiliar with the area, he had inquired at the
Meshoppen Post Office. He was told to make a left just past Dibble's
Hardware Store. 

Half an hour later, having driven to Lawton and back trying to find
Dibble's, he was understandably frustrated. Dibble's, we explained, was
right next to the Meshoppen Post Office. It's value as a landmark, however,
decreased significantly years ago when it burned down. But, everyone knows
that, right?


Writers, How are You at Giving Directions?


But, what does forgetting the address in an ad have to do with being a good
writer? How does failing to recognize the diminishing value of directions
based upon long-since defunct landmarks impact your ability to tell a story?
Making assumptions that other people understand us is as American as Mom and
apple pie. 

How many times have you met someone new, only to have them launch into a
monologue about "Biffy and Buddy" without the slightest effort to explain
who these people - or pets or who-knows-what - are? Navigating assumptions
is part of life. To some extent, we're thrown into this world, and we have
to just figure it out as we go.

Writing is similar. We just have to go along with it. We're not going to get
all the details in the first paragraph, and we don't want the writer to beat
us over the head with constant reminders and premature information. 

Good writing, unlike daily life, however, has the potential of mitigating
the confusion with a little heads'-up to the reader at crucial junctures. Is
it obvious who is speaking, that the setting has changed or that time has
passed? Is a character's motivation clear? Did you want the reader to be
surprised when the heroine pulls a gun, runs away from home or saves her
archenemy's life? Or, does it serve a greater purpose for the reader to
anticipate the action? The answer will determine how much detail you give up
front. 

As the writer, you are giving directions to the reader. Not only are you
helping them get a handle on how, when and where the story unfolds, but on
the deeper motivations and issues that underlie the story. This requires, of
course, that you know these facts to begin with.

Donna W. Hill <http://donnawhill.com/author/dewhill421/>  | April 13, 2015
at 9:00 am 

-- The Heart of Applebutter Hill - a novel on a mission:

http://DonnaWHill.com <blocked::http://donnawhill.com/>