Oh, did we mention that when you're writing something--most likely a solicitation--never use the phrase, Oh, did I mention that...?
It's irritating and flagrantly obvious that you didn't mention it, so please don't treat your readers like fools.
Don't forgot!
Showing posts with label taboos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taboos. Show all posts
Oh, did we mention that...?
No Sex for Oil?
From CNN.com:
Throughout history, humans have used their bodies to get what they want -- from ancient Egyptian ruler Cleopatra, who cemented her power through liaisons with Roman rulers Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, to the man and woman who were arrested at a Fort Wright, Kentucky, motel in late June for allegedly swapping sex for gasoline. Regardless of our motivation, scientists say we're hardwired to use our bodies as a bargaining chip.
More interesting is the handyman's account of his numerous solicitations, or rather his reasoning for them:
"It's all about the fantasy of being taken by the rough-hewn construction guy"Compared to sex director Dr. Chris Fariello's explanation:
Plain and simple, a partner who provides more resources -- wealth, shelter, home repairs -- is seen as more attractive and stands to reap more sexual rewards.
Opening Taboos
"Taboo is a Polynesian word. It is difficult for us to find a translation for it, since the concept connoted by it is one which we no longer possess..." -- Sigmund Freud, Totem and Taboo
What is taboo? Well, Webster's defines it as, "1.proscribed by society as improper or unacceptable: taboo words."
For example, one could open with a definition.
During our time in the publishing industry, we've noticed that appeals to the dictionary rarely make it to print. We're told to kill them on sight, and we don't believe we're the only ones who follow those orders.
Why are they taboo? We're not quite sure, but we're very sure that we don't like them. For one, we're not paying authors for Mr. Webster's thoughts; we're paying for their thoughts, because our readers probably already know Mr. Webster's thoughts, or have easy access to them.
It also signals authorial laziness. Couldn't they think of something more creative than copying from the dictionary? And the dictionary's boring, too. Whoever read the dictionary at length for pleasure? Would you pay someone to read it for you? Of course not.
Prefacing with quotes is generally unwelcome, too. We never even read 'em--why should we concern ourselves over how it relates to the article? We don't even know whether the article is worth our time yet!
We also recommend authors avoid asking their readers a direct question. There's nothing wrong with subtly arousing their curiosity, and hence interest, but don't open with an interrogation.
Poor openings indicate a half-witted attempt at creativity, of course one can employ these three and other cliches creatively, but most of the time they serve little purpose.
