The Difference Between Writing and Talking
April 2, 2007
Some people are writers. Some people are talkers. Teresa is a writer. I am a talker. I will win a debate if we are talking fast, but she will win it’s over Instant Messenger.
This is because I’m very good at being funny while I talk. I have all these awesome hand-gestures (I’m doing them right now), and facial expressions (I wish you could see them) and these amazing voice inflections that you can’t hear. They make everything I say really funny.
Plus I’m REALLY quick on my feet. I have a good retort for everything. My comments on Teresa’s posts always make her laugh because she can see the hilarious hand-gestures in her mind. And for those who know me, you can probably see the superb facial expressions and hear the perfectly timed inflections as well.
Apparently though, people who don’t know me also read what I have to say. Probably because Teresa is a really good writer, and we use the same URL. And sometimes I write a post where, if you can’t see the hand-gestures, I look like a jackass or psychopath instead of a well-timed comic pointing out the absurdities of the things that are going on in the world. In fact I just did that with a post about Iran.
Many of you who come here to read Teresa’s musings (and sometimes get mine by accident) have you own blogs that you write for. So I have a question for you: how do you convey your facial expressions and vocal inflections? Because my posts are good, but man if you could see the hand-gestures.
PS. For those who don’t know me, picture Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean.
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One thing I’ve found that is effective (and I’m not suggesting this as being something I myself am good at) is to help clearly indicate what you mean, versus what you’re writing, be obvious. Emoticons have always seemed like a crutch to me, and bloggers typically don’t use them (or at least not the ones I read), so you have to keep in mind that if you’re being sarcastic, for example, you make that obvious.
How you do so is a matter of circumstance and statement, but if you keep the need in mind, you’ll probably come closer to achieving your desired goal than if you hadn’t.
One other tip: always re-read anything you write and listen to the voice it is written in. Somethings just don’t write as well as they are said.
Anyway, passion isn’t a bad thing, so don’t ever bottle it up and deny us the opportunity to delve into what it is that makes you you.
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