GalacticCactus Forum

Forums => English & Linguistics => Topic started by: Jonathon on April 12, 2012, 05:11:43 PM

Title: Writing a Book
Post by: Jonathon on April 12, 2012, 05:11:43 PM: Some random thoughts:

Lately I've been toying with the idea of writing a book about language (once I'm finally finished with this whole thesis thing). I think I'd like to write something for a popular audience about grammar, correctness, authority in language, the prescriptive-descriptive war, that sort of thing. I obviously haven't really planned anything yet, but I figured I'd start feeling things out and try to decide whether there's any potential there. Does anyone here have any burning questions that they'd love to see answered in a book like this?
Title: Re: Writing a Book
Post by: Zalmoxis on April 13, 2012, 01:10:09 PM: I'd love to see an analysis of the histories and pros and cons of the various major style guides and why they developed the way they did and what their strengths and weaknesses are.

I could also see a whole chapter on formal language and why what sounds formal to us now may not have started out that way etc. --- take a look at the King Jame's Bible, wedding invitations, etc.

And something on the pronoun problem -- he vs. she vs. they. Attempts to have gender neutral pronouns, etc.
Title: Re: Writing a Book
Post by: Jonathon on April 13, 2012, 02:16:53 PM: Good suggestions, Zal. Thanks!
Title: Re: Writing a Book
Post by: Marianne Dashwood on April 13, 2012, 10:33:29 PM: Do it! Be the Lynn Truss of descriptivism!
Title: Re: Writing a Book
Post by: Jonathon on April 13, 2012, 11:12:03 PM: You mean write a book that manages to become a runaway bestseller in spite of actually being terrible?

I'll do it!
Title: Re: Writing a Book
Post by: Porter on April 15, 2012, 08:15:47 AM: I hope you sell out. Big time. :)
Title: Re: Writing a Book
Post by: Tante Shvester on April 15, 2012, 12:56:21 PM: I love to read that sort of book; I own a bunch and I've read a bunch more from the library. It's always fun when the author throws in a bit about nutty etymologies. I just love a good nutty etymology!
Title: Re: Writing a Book
Post by: SteveRogers on April 21, 2012, 07:10:06 AM: Only vaguely related, but I've always been moderately annoyed by the many different types of stylistic rule books. I spent years writing in MLA and then had to switch to APA style, and I often wish we could all just pick one.
Title: Re: Writing a Book
Post by: Tante Shvester on April 22, 2012, 11:27:41 AM: I've always been an APA girl. I can't see switching teams.
Title: Re: Writing a Book
Post by: SteveRogers on April 22, 2012, 11:32:51 AM: I just had to switch when I switched majors essentially. I wrote in MLA for my Associate's when I was going to community college, but I now write in APA as a psychology major at my four year institution.
Title: Re: Writing a Book
Post by: pooka on April 23, 2012, 08:41:22 AM: I guess you kind of need to decide who you are writing to and what it is you want to tell them. Just thinking about this in light of your most recent blog post on grammar and morality. Is this a book for people who wish to go back in time and tell their high school English teachers to get bent? Or do you want to write to the English teachers about how English is a tool, not a superpower? Or do you want to write an "editing for dummies" kind of book? I now and then run into people who express wanting such a book.

Oh, right, you said in your opening post it's for the general public. Well, I guess my question is whether the general public cares about any of those things. I guess I'm suggesting you look for some kind of theme or angle. Or you can just gather together your blog posts and try and group them and expand on some.