Ok- again, not debating! But I
minored in philosophy, Lynn, not majored...
And I do see the value of following essential guidelines for clean writing, I'm not advocating we do away with punctuation...not yet, that's for later.<g>
I couldn't resist this:
According to one article I've read, it's more likely you will lose your distinctive voice when you work with a critique group where your work is re-worked by many different writers until it begins to resemble a work by committee.
I have a gig as the local playwright for our small town. Two plays a year I get to do with as I like. Two plays a year I'm 'assigned' my topic and it is suggested to me rather meaningfully who I cast and etc...
I write those plays- this is fresh in my head as just had one a few weeks ago- and then turn them in. The Reading Committee frowns over them, and then makes the appropriate "suggestions." By that I mean, they tell me what stays and what goes.
Long story short, those plays never sound like me. Ever. But I had a old friend come to the one that was mine, hadn't seen him in ages, he said when the first actor opened her mouth he "heard me."
I guess the tricky part is the balance- the creative spark that takes you places, and the guidelines that keep you readable...
Don't really know. This is all good stuff.
I'm thinking on it,
CC
