I Agree

In “How to Write with Style” Kurt Vonnegut suggests that writers, whether by accident or intentionally, always reveal their personality through their style of writing.  The only exception to this is newspaper reporters and technical writers, who simply have to write the facts. Vonnegut encourages writers to examine their own style of writing for the sole purpose of improving their style and gives eight suggestions that will help to accomplish this. Vonnegut writes a very informative essay that, if followed, will improve the writer’s style but will also show respect for the reader.  

Vonnegut’s purpose in writing this essay is to encourage writers to improve their writing. He suggests that the writer must write about a subject that they passionately care about.  Over the last number of weeks, our readings have included powerful essays that are written with great passion or that the writer is very knowledgeable about.  One example is “On Dumpster Diving” written by Lars Eigbner, in which the writer takes the reader on a heartbreaking tour through his life of dumpster diving. Vonnegut states that success is accomplished by the writer if, after reading the article, the reader is convinced to care just as much as the writer does, or the writer has convinced the reader to change his mind about a subject. After reading Eigbner’s story on dumpster diving, my opinion on dumpsters will never be the same.

Vonnegut states that that all writing should be kept simple. I agree. Vonnegut gives some wonderful examples of simple but powerful sentences including examples from Shakespeare’s Hamlet to the Bible. Simple sentences can invoke powerful scenes.  A complicated reading for me was the “Code Breaker by Jim Holt.  While I found this to be an interesting article, I got bogged down trying to read through his complicated description of the machines invented by Alan Turing. Vonnegut credits author James Joyce with putting “together a sentence as intricate and as glittering as a necklace for Cleopatra,” and yet he reveals that his favourite sentence in Joyce’s writing is one with only three words (p. 66). Vonnegut also wants the writer to be true to his roots and appreciate the fact if he is brought up in a second language it is something to be treasured because it will add to the flavour of the writing.

Vonnegut best advice is that the writer should always “say what you mean” (p. 67).  He wants the writer to use the most effective words for the subject and continue to build on the writing with words that relate and connect as you go along. The writer is most successful when they write an accurate understandable writing. It is frustrating for the reader to have to go back and read over again in order to understand what the writer is saying. Vonnegut also reminds the writer to think about the reader, who in many cases has not mastered the art of reading. They are “imperfect artists” (p. 67).  Even if the writer can “soar high above the ground,” he must come back to the level of the reader to be effective (p. 67).

Through this writing, Vonnegut makes very valuable suggestions that will help the writer improve his writing style. He reminds us that writing does not have to be complicated.  If kept simple, a writer should still be able to draw the reader in, invoke powerful emotions or change the reader’s mind. His examples and suggestions will assist me in my writing.

Now that you have read Vonnegut’s essay, do you think you will make any changes to your style of writing?