Jean Le Tavernier, c.1456
“How do I know what I think until I see what I say?” ― E.M. Forster
I have been posting diaries to Daily Kos for seven years. This one is my 1,000th. I have also been reading diaries on Daily Kos. I have no idea how many, only that it is more than 1,000. I assume most people who contribute to the platform are like me. They are not professional writers. But they care about America and have something to say about the news.
Bearing that in mind, I am writing this piece to offer my thoughts on writing, reading, and commenting on Daily Kos. Not because I am an expert — but because I have opinions. I do not offer a complete or even extensive list — just a few highlights.
The quality of diaries is usually high. And sometimes, even when the technique is raw, the pieces have merit. In general, even the opinion pieces are grounded in fact. That is the most significant difference between the DKers and people who share their thoughts on conservative sites. It is not that I agree with every opinion. Which does not mean I am right. But I do not have to worry much about alternative facts.
Reading
I have ideas about what makes a readable and entertaining essay. I am not an English teacher or a writing coach. So, I will list the things that, in my mind, make for a good diary, with the warning it is only one man’s opinion. Which writers should ignore if they disagree.
I also offer the caveat that someone looking at my output will find numerous instances where I do not follow my own advice. I plead guilty to the hypocrisy and find refuge in the aphorism “Those who can — do. Those who cannot — pontificate.”
I will not comment on punctuation. Despite receiving a good education and reading books on orthography, I am still shaky on comma rules. So be it. However, some writers would benefit by substituting periods for a few of their commas.
If I can easily understand what the author is saying, I do not care if they follow punctuation conventions. On the other hand, if they punctuate perfectly and I cannot understand what they are saying, I will not read them.
I maintain this laissez-faire philosophy for most of the bugbears of the grammar pedant. Split an infinite? One job of the writer is to boldly go where no one has gone before (thank you, Star Trek). And I agree with Churchill when some pre-internet troll lacerated him for ending a sentence with a preposition: “This is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put.”
Which brings me to grammar checkers.
Writing
I am not an innate grammarian. And I am lazy. I use the free version of Grammarly to check for spelling and punctuation errors. Having got those out of the way, I look to see what the site underlines as a problem. The advantage of using the free version is that the writer must decide what to do about the supposed errors — if anything. If you pay for it, Grammarly will give you a ‘solution.’
This 'help' leads to two problems. One, if you follow AI suggestions, you will sound like everyone else. Two, writing is not a mechanical drawing. It is imprecise. Every author should have their own writing personality — and embrace it.
If you use the paid version of an AI writing assistant, remember you are the boss. For instance, Grammarly hates the passive voice. But if you convert to the active voice in every instance, you can make your writing seem programmed.
Diaries start with the headline. The good ones make a reader want to click it. The best state the substance of the piece. Bad ones include clickbait words like BREAKING. And exclamation points!!!
A headline announces the subject the writer will address. More importantly, it is a promise to the reader — “this is what I will talk about.” A well-constructed diary refers back to its headline from the get-go.
A poorly constructed essay leaves the reader wondering when the writer will arrive at their point. If the headline says, “Rampaging unicorns force early end to pub dart match,” a good start would be “Three unicorns burst into the Tavistock Arms forcing the referee to postpone the pub’s annual dart tournament.”
A poor first sentence might read, “The first reported sighting of unicorns, whose existence had long been rumored, was in 1675, by the second under-secretary of the Grand Vizier of the Mughal Empire in Uttar Pradesh.” Fascinating stuff. But not what the packaging promised.
A well-constructed essay always cares about the reader’s comfort. The paragraphs will be long enough to cover one point but no longer. My eyes glaze if I click on a headline and a 300-word text block pops up — followed by another. However, not every paragraph and sentence should be short. If they are, the essay reads like machine gun fire. Nor should they all be long. The writer should offer the occasional sorbet to let the reader recover from the meat and potatoes.
Non-fiction is usually not literature. The writer should make their points clearly. Joyce and Faulkner need not apply. On the other hand, simplistic writing insults the reader and rarely evinces the nuance of the issue.
Writers should also be careful when using words like ‘evinces.’ Words not in regular usage may mean what the writer needs them to. But they often hold up readers as they take a moment to think about it. There is nothing wrong with "shows."
Be careful you do not ‘bedazzle’ your writing. Does every word you use add something? What does “very beautiful” say that “beautiful” does not? Is “complete chaos” or “total chaos” worse than “chaos”? These modifiers are intended (passive voice) as intensifiers, but they do the opposite — rendering the writing flabby.
Which brings me to editing. This act separates great writers from good writers. I understand that sometimes there is a rush to be the first with the news. If you are that sort of diarist, learn to edit as you write. If your piece is less time-sensitive, spend at least as much time editing it as writing it. Ideally, the writer will walk away from their draft and revisit it at least an hour later. But if you can’t, you can’t.
As for breaking news pieces, I have news apps on my phone. I do not use Daily Kos as a primary news source. I read it to discover angles on the news I had not thought of. (Damn, a sentence ending in a preposition — luckily no one died.) Bearing that in mind, I find diarists who post short pieces — essentially headlines — simply to be the first with hot news, annoying. Especially, as DK features AP stories.
Comments
Every writer likes to receive “recommends.” However, a well-liked diary with no comments is incomplete. Starting a discussion is a win. Yet, sometimes a commentator will make a point that the diarist has already made. The writer should not be miffed. They cannot expect every reader to read every one of their gems. If a commentator says something I have already said, I recommend it (great minds) and move on.
It is delightful to get a positive review. However, writers must understand they make mistakes. I try to thank everyone who takes the time to point out my errors — unless they are nasty (rare). I also appreciate it when a member of my “gotcha gang” (thank you, William Safire) gives me my medicine with some sugar. “Great diary, but I must point out that Richard Nixon did not win an Olympic gold medal.”
I embrace Churchill’s aphorism. “Personally, I am always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.” (Although personally, I would strike the redundant “personally.”)
Commentators should also understand the difference between technical language and common usage — and note that DK is not a philosophy class. For instance, in logic, “begs the question” and “raises the question” mean two different things. But in the vernacular, they are interchangeable. And everyone knows what the writer means.
This understanding applies to can vs. may and less vs. fewer. However, there are standards. It is not acceptable to confuse there, their, they’re. And disinterested does not mean uninterested. Where is the line? I do not know. But there is one.
Conclusion
If you are a writer on DK, respect your readers. If you want to be a writer on DK, but do not think you know how to write, take a stab at it. Not many people win sprinting gold medals, but most of us can run. Good luck.
If you like to comment, fantastic. Daily Kos should be a team sport. Feedback can flesh out the writer’s point and readers can provide new ways of looking at the subject. The best comments do that. Although predictably, some comments, like some diaries, are not the best. But that is how the world works.
DK is a rewarding community. There is a lot (not allot or alot) of talent and intelligence in the writers and readers. I have fun being part of it. And I look forward, after Biden kicks some — hopefully jailed (a boy can dream) — orange ass, to celebrate America remaining a democracy, with all my fellow DKers. (That sentence was too long.)
