Life
There is a Price to Be Paid For “Dumbing Down” Your Writing to Appeal to the “Average” Reader
There seems to be some consensus, at least on across the blogosphere, that in order to appeal to the so called “average reader” and maximize readership it is necessary to “dumb down” one’s writings. In the past I have come down very hard against this idea. In particular I take issue with the idea of grade level writing, or trying to keep one’s style and grammar and vocabulary choices at or below a certain arbitrary grade level, sixth and eighth grade seem to be the most common options. The idea being that people are generally not all that smart, not that patient, and will quickly click away from anything that challenges their intellect or in which they encounter unusual words they are not familiar with. Basically anything that makes them to think too much or forces them to come to terms with their own ignorance. Recently a writing colleague on a different site responded to my insistence that I would never dumb down my writing by asking a very simple question, would it hurt to do so? She went on to explain that as a non native speaker of English it is even more difficult for her than for most to keep up with “higher level” writing and she lamented that it was very frustrating having to constantly “go up and get a dictionary” to look up words that she did not know. I will admit the non native speaker was not the stereotype of the person I had in my head when imagining these so called ordinary joe’s and jane’s, and her points had some validity. They certainly forced me to stop and think about my position, and ultimately caused me to write this piece. For that I am eminently thankful to her and her question.
By Everyday Junglist2 years ago in Writers
“The Enchanted Lighthouse”
Once upon a time, nestled on a remote stretch of coastline, there stood a lighthouse that held a secret. Aptly named "The Enchanted Lighthouse," its beacon not only guided ships safely through treacherous waters but also possessed a mystical power that few knew about.
By Mina Ayman2 years ago in Writers
"The Enchanted Forest: A Tale of Friendship and Adventure"
Once upon a time, in a land far away, there existed an enchanted forest, a place where dreams came alive and extraordinary adventures awaited. The forest was home to mystical creatures, shimmering waterfalls, and ancient secrets. Amidst this magical realm, two unlikely friends, Lily and Ethan, embarked on a journey that would change their lives forever.
By Mina Ayman2 years ago in Writers
Feeding the Ducks
I was writing long before I can recall scrawling words with ink. Not on paper but in oral fashion like my ancestors from long ago. I would tell elaborate stories, usually through song, to the trees in our yard or the animals at the barn. As a child, my life was a constant narrated musical of what I was doing, what I wanted, and how I was feeling. So, naturally, the first piece of writing I can remember putting to paper was an echo of a song; a poem.
By Laura Lann2 years ago in Writers
Broken Beauty
Being a poet at an age as young as 11, some might say is impossible. When one thinks of poetry, it is thought-provoking, gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, and how can an 11 year old possibly have enough worldly experience to write anything so meaningful and deep?
By Lizzy Rose2 years ago in Writers
Andrew Tate VS Jake Paul
Are Jake Paul and Andrew Tate finally going to fight will Jake Paul really be able to take on former kickboxing champion Andrew Tate and it's shocking turn of events two of the world's biggest Internet celebrities have decided to settle things in a boxing ring maybe we're talking about the much anticipated fight between Andrew Tate and Jake Paul before Tate was cancelled over the Internet he had a decent relationship with the ball brothers and even said if they're two camps were ever to collaborate it probably wouldn't be in a ring but after Andrew received tons of criticism Jake and Logan Paul decided to change their minds about him and Tate wasn't very happy with that to say the least Jake even uploaded a video to his YouTube channel where he could be seen being aggressive with Andrew Tate which was the first clue for millions of fans online concerning who his next opponent was going to be however on November 10th he shared a video of himself and Tate that went viral Jake and the controversial Internet personality met each other eye to eye in the clip as if at a weigh in for a battle and everybody's waiting for an official announcement now nothing has been confirmed so far it seems likely that the two Internet Titans are going to face each other in the ring in a short statement released by his representative he promised an event that the world will remember negotiations have begun between the two parties it's a fight the fans have been asking for and it's an event the world will remember ever since the cobra became famous online rumors of a confrontation between Tate and Paul have spread like wildfire Tate and his brother Logan had been treating verbal barbs online and it looks like Logan would be the one to face off against hate recently Logan challenged Tate to a mixed martial arts match which infuriated Tate in a brutal statement sent out by his publicist Tate said nothing is more important to Logan Paul than being liked and being talked about he fears and walks away from any real challenge and continues to play fight in the WWE well Jake Paul has an impressive record of 6 and O in the ring it's hard not to forget that Tate is kickboxing world champion so this isn't going to be a walk in the park the heat is a very experienced fighter so it will take a lot of skill and focus to beat him but Jake Paul seems determined given the drama that has surrounded the two the fight is going to be incredibly explosive and entertaining the sheer popularity both of the influencers have is likely to make this boxing match historic in terms of how many people TuneIn to watch it in 2021 Jake was even offered $3,000,000 to fight Tate but he never took the opportunity at the time to make things even more interesting on an episode of impulsive Jake even goes as far as saying Tate doesn't want to get in the ring with him because it's too big of a risk for him and that's not far from the truth the controversial influencer has amassed a massive global following because of his alpha male mindset videos and strong views on masculinity which means there's a lot at stake if he goes forward with fighting Jake Paul after back-to-back wins it's safe to say Jake feels much more confident about his ability to take on a former world champion whatever the outcome millions of people online are desperately waiting for an official statement confirming the fight the dates and the venue is Jake going to add another fight to his impressive record or state gone show him what a kickboxing champion is really capable of seems like we're not too far away from finding out thank you
By sagar dhital2 years ago in Writers
The Little Writer
The memory is a little fuzzy around the edges, but some bits of it are sharp. I am sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by a jumble of boots, shoes, sandals, trainers and slippers. Hunched forward over the pale plastic wellie-boot cradled in my lap. My pudgy fingers gripping my stolen treasure - a blue biro. I huff my fringe out of my eyes to better see my craft and avoid smudging the blue ink.
By L.C. Schäfer2 years ago in Writers
The Monkey with His Umbrella
Before writing my first story I had dabbled in some poetry, trying to figure out different patterns and poem types. Using the blank book in a writing class was the first time I was told to write an entire story while coloring pictures with crayons . The Monkey with his Umbrella was a story that came to me because of seeing a Madeline episode where a monkey steals her umbrella from her in the zoo.
By Seashell Harpspring 2 years ago in Writers
