verbose in the rain

[gurdonark]

The last week or two, I see that my posts have gotten progressively longer, my comments to other posts similarly can seem word-afflicted, and my comment posts seem to be accompanied by side e mails on things so unimportant they were not even interesting enough to put in the comment. I guess I should worry about this, because verbosity is probably a deadly sin like luxurie and greed. I dislike seeming "omnipresent" by posting multiple comments in a single thread, or by taking too much freedom of patient listeners by expounding my worthless "theories" on sundry this and sundry that. So many theories, so little journal.

In fact, I've always written in streams of words, except when I write legal briefs, when I tend to follow the formats of the enterprise a bit more succinctly. I guess I'm just grateful that all you folks are such tolerant readers on LJ, and resolved to think about being succinct. I'm just not a succinct type person, I feebly plead.

The rain falls intermittently in large,
appealing drops. I'm listening to a wonderful bit of "dark ambient" music, spare and minor-keyed without being "creepy", and (until this "concise" LJ break) getting scads of work done. I'm just pondering how concise writing is good, and how non-concise my ideas generally tend to be, and waiting to see if it storms here.

Comments

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

Speaking personally, of course, I've found your comments cogent and interesting, not to mention a refreshing change from the usual one or two word grunts LJ's tend to throw out. Do not confuse concise, and succinct with the grunting that goes on here. You keep writing YOUR way. I wish there were more like you.

very kind

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

As I've just recently barraged you with my theories of outsider art, academic art, how to display your art, the death/life of mail art,
and at least one half dozen more things
I know little about but post on anyway, I'm particularly grateful for that comment.

By the way, is the fern fully open now?
I haven't seen it in a while, and was wondering if the progression is over?

Re: very kind

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

It's just about complete. Still has some unfurled spore fronds in the middle-- I'll post another in a couple days. the last one was the insects on the fronds.

But of course you do.

[violetblood.livejournal.com]

If we do not write in streams of words, then a sort of personal style is lacked, and that is what makes reading (especially something as voyeuristic as journals) fun. I say ramble and be tangential and go off on as many damn tangents as you may wish!

--Moi.

Re: But of course you do.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

love that Hepburn userpic.

Thanks for the note. While still appreciating brevity, you've inspired me to ramble.

[nancyjane.livejournal.com]

who is your audience? you, or other lj readers? just curious

i struggle with being verbose myself. but i enjoy your posts, i don't find them to be too wordy. some people talk in headlines, like, you could walk down the street and read the daily paper's headline in the vending machine without buying it... it is interesting, sparks thought and conversation but you don't usually get to know more about the person who wrote it !!!

other people's writing's require more attention, more time, but generally there is more substance, more subjectivity, and the experience is more gratifying. the difference is with yours is that it is all that and no cover charge !!

there's nothing wrong with headlines but i guess i place a higher value on shared subjectivity :). it celebrates what we have in common and, where we differ and are unique. in the end, though, you must do what pleases you..

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

It's funny, that "who is the audience"? thing.
I like posting in public, but I find that
I like most the memorialization for myself.
If nothing else, I use this as a place to put poetry, and vignettes, which I may mine someday.

Thanks for the kind words, and hope the post seemed only duly and not unduly afflicted with self pity (grin).

agreed 100%

[amatrixangel.livejournal.com]

I'm only going to throw in one or two words and say I couldn't agree more with all that you said. Whoops, I think I just surpassed my usual one-word answer: heh

heh.

[laruth.livejournal.com]

Ditto all of that!

(It - the length of the above "grunt"/short phrase- strikes me as slightly ironic).

[asphalteden.livejournal.com]

It seems to me, kind sir, that both verbosity and terse writing are both simply tools that have their places. Whether you choose to use one or the other is an arbitrary decision entirely. If you prefer one over the other, why not use it and damn the torpedoes?

I've enjoyed both your short posts and long ones. I myself prefer an economy of words, but then, who would I be to tell someone like Proust to write shorter novels? Not that he'd listen.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

The problem, I reckon, is that I really like authors who use streams of words for comic effect, like PG Wodehouse....or maybe that I
just lack discipline when I write for fun.

I'm going to just be myself, though, verbosity and all, and have done with it.

That Towers recording is very interesting--
but I'm really getting into "Mockingbird"!

[burninggirl.livejournal.com]

I always enjoy reading your responses to my journal entries, because you always have something interesting and worthwhile to say. Of all the comments I get, yours are the ones I'm most likely to go back and read again. It's my personal opinion that, if you have somnething to say, you should express it in as many or as few words as you feel are necessary. As for going off on tangents, well, isn't that what life is about?