文档介绍：Department of Sociology
University of Toronto
725 Spadina Ave. Toronto, Canada M5S 1A1
e-mail: ******@ /~wellman
How To Write -- and Edit -- a Paper
(c) Barry Wellman December 6, 1999
I. PURPOSE
A. Enhance creativity and clarity of expression.
B. Liberate creativity by systematizing work, focusing work, using tricks to do "maximum output with
minimum effort"
C. Enables you to see -- and highlight -- connections between your ideas.
D. Communication, not masturbation (writing for one's self)
1. "A vision is just a vision if it's only in your head. If no one get's to hear it, it's as good as dead!"
(Stephen Sondheim, "Putting It Together," from Sunday in the Park with e [Broadway musical,
1984?]
E. You are writing prose, not poetry: writing to do a job, not to call attention to itself
1. See Isak Dinessen, Out of Africa. Clear writing, beautifully precise descriptions, but simple language.
F. Mark Twain--"Genius is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration".
But this was before systems of writing techniques were developed.
Our approach is to see if we can raise inspiration proportion to 20% by cutting down on the perspiration.
G. Nevertheless, writing is hard, frustrating, lonely work.
“I do it because I have to. If you don’t have to do art, then do something else. [Kevin Cunningham,
Executive Artistic Director, 3-Legged Dog {performance art group} at Bellagio Centre for Studies and
Conferences, 16Nov99.
“I’m difficult when I don’t write, and I’m difficult when I do write. But at least when I write there is a
reason.”[Science-fiction writer/editor Judith Merril, munication, about 1995].
H. The solution is to NOT wait for inspirational genius to descend but to keep writing anyway. Usually you
will write servicable prose, and often you will discover your genius as you write or as you edit.
Your job is “to make the invisible visible through reality.” Max Beckman, painter, as quoted by Herschel