August 2nd Monday

I took KDDR's advice to get a novel and read it. But in the meantime I still wanted to continue writing a blog even though it will be bad. I will read a novel later in the evening. I read a paragraph from the 1984 and it seems like the author is very descriptive. He indicates what he is experiencing via his senses. He described the smell, he described that it was a bright cold day; he also described the time saying that the clock struck thirteen. Describing the clock striking thirteen could be considered more a chronological fact vs describing the smell which is more an experience or a reaction an experience. Sometimes I feel chronological facts and experiences can overlap. I am wondering if describing the clock striking thirteen can be considered part of the experience. Chronological facts are part of the experience but are not the experience itself. Again he is detailed in the description of his smell, for example he said that the hallway smelt like boiled cabbages and old rag mats. I would have just said that it smelt bad. I could ask myself smelt bad like what? And then answer that so that I can reference something else while describing the experience. Being more descriptive about things can help the other person get into one's experience better. I remember nfm telling me to be more descriptive.

So part of good writing includes writing about the reaction to an experience, asking oneself why one is writing something and answering that, and also being descriptive about the experience rather than making a surface level vague statement which is not very detailed and is incomplete. Using short sentences can help but then in order to be descriptive, I use long sentences; I have to learn to be detailed by using multiple sentences instead of one long sentence. And finally organizing one's writing is crucial, which is where I have a hard time, since I am so used to disorganization in all areas of my life.

Continuing, the author says 'at one end of it a colored poster, too large for indoor display, had been tacked to the wall.' Again he is descriptive. I would have just said there was a big colored poster on the wall. I could start by trying to be more descriptive about things. I remember nfm's words ringing in my mind, 'Be more descriptive, be more descriptive.'

Being more descriptive, is describing what the eye is experiencing anyway and also what the mind is processing. I need to describe more details of different parts of an experience. Again I notice the difference in description in the way I describe to the way the author describes. I would have said big colored poster, but I have to ask myself how big, that's pretty vague just saying big. The author says too large for indoor display, this a more detailed description and less vague than just saying 'big.'