WRITING STYLE

My midnight-society yahoo group has been active lately and it all started when one of our members said something about the writing style of another member. Ian published his answer in his blog with Tedo's letter. Okay so I am one big copycat and I feel like writing my answer also in my blog. Well, not really, I just want to share an explanation about my style (if I have any) for those who are regulalry reading this blog. Here it is:

Pipol:

It seems everybody has said his or her piece already with that "parting shot" issue, except me. So here's my opinion.

If there is one thing that I learned when I was still writing for the Weekly Sillimanian and as a Mass Communication student, it is writing to express not to impress. When writing, my first consideration is that I should be understood by my desired audience/readers. This is also the lesson I shared with my news writing students before.

More than anything else, as a news writer my first goal is to "tell the story" as accurately and as clearly as possible. This discipline I carried on whenever I write, be it a news article, press release, an opinion for my column or answering your e-mails. I play with words, yes. I love the language and I desired to use the vocabulary that I've learned but only with one goal in mind - that every word that I will use will help correctly convey the message that I want to impart and emphasize the point that I want to raise.

My vocabulary is limited compared to other members of this group. And I am not an authority in the use of English language. I can honestly say that I have only learned good English when I entered Silliman University. Although I have good English teachers in Bukidnon State College (where I finished my elementary, secondary and my first year in college), but at that time I wasn't that much challenged to improve my English than when I was in Silliman and writing for the campus publication.

I can categorically say that I improved a lot in my English and thanks to my teachers and friends who wouldn't hesitate correcting me or giving me a piece of advice about my writing (I still couldn't forget the red notes that I've got from Mr. Timothy Montes when I submitted to him my essay for English 25). One thing that I can attribute for my improvement is my openness to accept criticism. But I don't just accept criticism as they are.

I also have learned to listen to a criticism that are honestly intended for me to improve from those that are there to make me feel bad. For example, I*** cherishes every opportunity when he could correct my grammatical lapses in my e-mails. He wouldn't hesitate pressing the "reply all" button so that he could broadcast the grammatical blunder(s) that I have committed. Of course, his real intention was for him to feel good about himself that he was able to correct the English of a person who used to be a teacher in News Writing, a debater and a writer and editor of the Weekly Sillimanian. It is different with the editing marks that I've got from Ian C, the red notes from Mr. Montes, Amabel Mascardo asking me to sit beside her while she was editing my news article and explaining to me why my usage of a certain word is wrong, or Melanie Misajon telling me while rehearsing for "Joseph the Dreamer" that I should be careful in pronouncing words with long "e" (i.e. legal and sleep).

We all have our blind spot (remember Johari's Window?). That is why we need friends and mentors to guide us in this area. If we cease to recognize sincere criticism, that is the beginning of our own destruction.

Now, as to accepting people as they are, I could honestly say that I am really working on it. I am a very judgmental person. If my first impression of you is not good or I don't like the way you look, or I find you too presko, or you don't appeal to me as an intellectual being, it might be difficult for me to accept you as who you are.

But I am working on it. Experience taught me to give all persons their two cents worth of opinion. I may not like them, but I still have to listen to them. Someone said, "everybody has his or her story to tell." And sometimes, we find the most profound taught in the simple things of life. We may derive lessons just by listening to the stories/opinion of the common folk (the one we called as member of the "bakya crowd").

But I am not saying that I have to congregate with them. I only said, I will give them a piece of my time. We can accept people as who they are, but that doesn't mean we have to be extra close to them.

I agree with Ian that we are bias. That is why we have cliques, our own circle of friends, because we share and believe on some common ideals and we share similar "likes and dislikes".

I remember when I was still a college freshman at Bukidnon State College. I had a crush on this girl. She was beautiful, kind, sweet and she obviously had a crush on me too. Well, I said to myself this is it, "I will finally have a girlfriend!" But during recitation in our English Class, the moment she opened her mouth and utter a word in English, I feel like I would like to sink into my chair feeling embarrass for her. She just happens to have a terrible diction and a terrible grammar. Did she become my girlfriend? Forget it! I can't afford being laughed at by my friends. We became just friends and besides, I found another statuesque, intelligent lady who speaks good English to pursue, but that is another story.

This is probably the reason why, now, I just don't jump in to a relationship. It is not enough that the person and I are compatible in bed, that person must be someone who won't embarrass me in front of my friends. Harsh it may seem or I might appear as to picky, but that is the reality. We just couldn't go out with someone and when we are with my friends I have to put a tape on my partner's mouth so that I wouldn't be embarrass.

Take people as they are? Yes we can do that. Respect their opinion and for who they are? We can certainly do that. But be extra close to them? That depends, do I like you enough to be someone I can be comfortable with?

I rest my case.

Eric