Chapter 8

This is Chapter 8 of my never ending short story. Previous chapters can be found through the links to the right. I post new installment every couple of weeks.



Previously:



..................“Now, if you still have doubts about my ‘Truths’ (Men are goal oriented; Women are process oriented), then think about sex.”





I tried not to.

One of the signs of a good writer is their ability to focus. The other sign is brevity – communicate as fully as possible with as few words as possible. These two traits go hand in hand and to accomplish them simultaneously is the “work” involved in writing. When I was in school my writing teachers chastised me regularly for being too brief, “Not long enough.” they said. I struggled with this until I took a class from Dr. Long, who taught me the value of “communicating” rather than just “writing”. The other teachers had failed to express themselves clearly. I had been brief, but my words failed to impart my point to the reader. He said I failed to “communicate fully” to the reader – that I had assumed too much – that the average reader would fail to get my point; feel my emotion; get my drift if you will, because my choice of words had not been pungent. “If you don’t spend as much time in the dictionary and thesaurus as you do composing, your piece will fail.” he said. “Really good writers get quoted not because what they say is right or correct, but because they communicate a very defined thought in a very few words. The person who uses the quote does so because the author’s few words convey what they themselves cannot express. You will know when you are a great author when you are quoted.”

I want my students to become great authors even though I have not gained that status myself. The chances of them fulfilling my dream are slim, but it is a noble goal. She has the ability; she has the spark which could ignite the readers mind. I turned my attention to teaching her what I could and let the other students go along for the ride. I needed to challenge her. I needed to present tasks which were difficult so she could develop her ability to focus. She had quit giving me writing topics; instead she gave me a blank sneering stare. I assumed she had taken the position it was time for me to become the teacher. I took it as a compliment.

At least that’s the theory I tell everyone. To be more truthful, I gave writing assignments to find out what her response would be.

Every year a group asks a question and seeks responses from notable “Thinkers”. Their responses are sometimes noteworthy so I assigned one of the questions as a writing topic: What do you believe is true but cannot prove?

Her response was exceedingly brief but before I berated her for failing to communicate fully I looked at the topic again. It was only a question. She answered the question. She did not assume I needed an explanation. She had been brief; she had communicated well (by answering the question); her answer gave lots to think about.

Her answer was: “I believe my dog is not God, but I can’t prove it.”