Quote:
Originally Posted by Squinky
1. What do you think of the serial comma? (e.g. "this, this, and this" instead of "this, this and this")
2. Do you think it's possible to be a good writer if you don't have a good grasp of spelling and grammar?
3. Do you prefer languages where there's almost no room for ambiguity because there's a precise word for nearly everything, or languages that can be ambiguous to the point of confusion but have a lot more potential for wordplay?
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1. I'm exceedingly fond of the serial comma. I like any tool that helps organize complex thoughts, and commas are a wonderful device for separating related-but-distinct ideas in the midst of a sentence without insisting on a pause to denote a shift in focus, or a full stop to signify the end of a thought. I like concise sentences as well, but they can be limiting, and some thoughts require more elaboration. Without the serial comma, such ideas tend to get lumped together in the mind of the reader, rendering them too confusing, and making the entire composition unpleasant and unmemorable. Serial commas are almost musical in their elegance.
2. A great storyteller, certainly. Perhaps even a great author, so long as they have an editor or assistant who can translate their strokes of genius into legible form. But being a good writer requires that you have some mastery of the tools, and that includes grammar and spelling. Now, possessing those skills does not make on a great writer (or storyteller or author, whatever you choose to call it), but it denotes intent, and without intent, even the prettiest expressions when collected become shallow and ineffective. It sounds a bit snooty, but you can't consider yourself a serious writer if you're not prepared to learn the forms.
That said, I don't think too much of my skills as a writer. But as a storyteller, I think I'm a fairly engrossing read at times.
3. I like a language that encourages both precision and wordplay. It's why I love the English language so much. It's an amazingly flexible tool, once you know where the bendy bits are.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trumgottist
1. Strict rules or free improvisation?
2. When's the exception to that?
3. Favourite music you're unfamiliar with? (Yes, I realise that's an odd question.)
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1. Strict improvisation and free rules.
2. When I say so.
3. 20th Century music. I know a little about it, but have listened to so little of it that I don't feel I can confidently claim to be familiar with it, the way I am with most other forms of 'modern' music.
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1) What music do you have in your possession that you consider so 'out there' that you rarely if ever listen to it, and virtually never with company?
2) What is the weirdest thing you've ever shared with someone? (And no, I don't mean secrets, though they can be. It could be kabuki theater masks, rhinestone codpieces, or just your favourite klezmer folk ensemble.)
3a) Do you have any spots on your body that are so sensitive to the touch that you literally flinch or jump when even your lover/partner/husband/wife touches you there?
3b) Do you still like them to touch you there anyway?
Yeah, I know, question three could be pretty personal. so to be fair, I'll even answer my own questions:
1. I'd say Frank Zappa here, but actually, I have some of this so-called progressive rock music, a collection of different bands' 'best' albums, masterpieces, apparently, and at least two thirds of it I haven't been able to get through because it's so offbeat or so unpleasant sounding (to me) that I just have to turn it off. But if I have to pick something I know I like but find too weird to share with just anyone, then yes, Frank Zappa.
2. I could cheat here and say the weirdest thing I ever shared with anyone was myself, but actually, I think the weirdest thing I've ever shared was my novel, Terminal Monday. Only one person has read it all the way through, as far as I know. Extraordinary achievement, that.
3a. I have a very sensitive spot just on the inside of my right hipbone, above but relatively close to the groin region. It's so sensitive that, touched at the right (wrong?) time, it can make me jump slightly, even while lying in bed.
3b. Goodness, yes. It's so sensitive that it almost hurts if handled carelessly, but treated carefully, it can also be extremely arousing.
And as always, if you'd rather, you can go answer somebody else's questions instead. I'm not actually trolling for sexual information. It was just on my mind, as I remembered my wife tormenting me recently with said spot, and I was wondering if anyone else has this problem.
