“A sentence should read as if its author, had he held a plough instead of a pen, could have drawn a furrow deep and straight to the end.” Henry David Thoreau
What's your take on this? What efforts do you make along these lines? Do you wrestle with first drafts, working to perfect everything? Does your writing meander through a draft, and then straighten out in the final version?
I've been discussing this meandering thing with my teen essay class students. I encourage them to ditch the aimless sentences in their essays, and to opt for purposeful ones instead. Sharp, clean, crisp prose, now that's the stuff I like to see them writing in this arena.
This discussion, though, has got me thinking. When, while writing, is meandering appropriate? Often? Sometimes? Never?
With so many genres respresented in my followers, I'm looking forward to seeing what you think. So go ahead, help me start a good conversation! I'm awaiting your thoughts. :)
Are your writing furrows "deep and straight to the end"?
Happy writing,
Karen
Photo credit: Icefront http://www.sxc.hu/photo/556555
