Carlos Ferrao

Wrote this very, very brief overview of E-Prime for a friend’s ‘zine. I will explore the subject further as I become more proficient at writing with this set of rules and limitations. E-Prime functions as a praxis and only time and application can reveal its treasures.

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If we aim to free our minds from prejudice and preconceptions, we must free our language too.

Language shapes our thought-processes through its symbols and structures. The letters t-r-e-e when put together form not just a group of letters but rather an actual material living thing, represented in our mind’s eye by whatever we perceive as a normal tree. We accept these symbols as natural, keeping our own internal dialogue running using a language shared by all. A large part of this dialogue (externally as well) uses the verb ‘to be’ in an automatic, careless way. It restricts, rather than expands, our thoughts, encouraging identification (i.e. “Anna is a nurse”) and predication (i.e. “Anna is beautiful”). It also makes abstraction easy to accept letting it slip as something we perceive as normal. Read more »

As part of my plan to improve the quality of my writing this year , I have started a writer’s group called Writeopia.

It has grown very rapidly, reaching 12 active members in the brief space of a month. So far the quality of the critique and work submitted to the group has impressed me. I find writing to be a very lonely and demanding activity, one which can cause writers to retreat into a shell and work by themselves for long periods of time. This lack of challenge and feedback can make writing sterile and, for lack of a better word, endogamous. Hearing what other writers think of our work, especially writers who often practice a different style, can shock at times. Ultimately it improves our writing and broadens our horizons.

If I knew they would help me this much, I’d have started a writer’s group ages ago!