Writing a Book

[Jonathon]

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?

[Zalmoxis]

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.

[Jonathon]

Good suggestions, Zal. Thanks!

[Marianne Dashwood]

Do it! Be the Lynn Truss of descriptivism!

[Jonathon]

You mean write a book that manages to become a runaway bestseller in spite of actually being terrible?

I'll do it!

[Porter]

I hope you sell out.  Big time.

[Tante Shvester]

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!

[SteveRogers]

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.

[Tante Shvester]

I've always been an APA girl.  I can't see switching teams.

[SteveRogers]

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.

[pooka]

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.