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Student handbook (Table of contents) (On-line forms) |
Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology ("MAC") The
MAC student handbook: by Margot F. Boyer, MFA. Used by Permission. To author a piece of writing is to assume authority. As an author, your job is to say what you mean in the clearest, most powerful, and most vivid way. You must also interest your readers, or your efforts are in vain. Habits of hedging, hesitating, and uncertainty which go unnoticed in spoken conversation will kill your writing. Good writing has a definite point of view. Even if your topic is ambiguity or self-doubt, the writing must be transparent and assertive. Much terrible writing is published every day by government agencies and the public relations flacks of corporations. This writing is designed to conceal information rather than revealing, to obfuscate responsibility, and to prevent readers from noticing lies and misinformation. These documents are not good writing, but sophisticated mind control. Those of us who aspire to write with power must recognize bad writing for what it is and not model our own writing upon it. Good writing is clear. It is direct. It says what it means with grace and power. It is flexible. Good writing surprises, rather than confirms expectations. Clear writing empowers the oppressed and can bring down the powerful. Technical obstacles to good writing, such as uncertainty about punctuation, can be remedied with study. Emotional obstacles, such as self-doubt and fear of criticism, are more difficult to recognize and overcome. I believe that by developing a powerful authorial voice, we strengthen the inner authority that supports us in our political, intellectual, creative, and spiritual work. I. CONSISTENCY All writers make countless decisions about their writing. What shall I write about? Shall I tell a story, describe a technical process, or compare the views of authorities? Shall I write in the present tense, the past tense, or -like this sentence- the future? Even seemingly minor decisions, such as what words to capitalize, can convey the writer’s opinions and evoke strong reactions in readers. As the author of a piece, the ultimate responsibility for style and content is yours. By maintaining a consistent style, you establish your credibility. Inconsistencies in spelling punctuation, and voice make your choices seem arbitrary rather than conscious and can undermine your argument in obvious and subtle ways. If your are unsure of how to spell or write something, check a dictionary or stylebook to learn what style is considered standard or accepted. Whether or not you choose to follow the standard style, do be consistent in applying the style you choose. It shows the world that you know what you’re doing. Places to check for consistency: Capitalization. Do you capitalize ethnic group terms, such as Black, White, Asian, Latina, People of Color? How about sub-groups that include ethnic terms, such as Women of Color? Do you capitalize God, Goddess, Universe, or the names of specific deities? Technical terms. Any term of art you use, the technical vocabulary of your profession, group, political philosophy, spiritual persuasion, or other special terminology, must be used consistently. (It may also be necessary to define these terms when writing for a general audience.) Punctuation. Look up the rules, if necessary. Decide what you think is right and stick with it. Headings, Indents, and Spacing. Be consistent in your use of headings, indentation, spacing, and other layout choices. This helps orient your readers, which is critical in long documents. II. USE POWERFUL VERBS Verbs are the muscles, the engine, the motive force of every sentence. Verbs grab the reader, illuminate your concerns, propel your audience down the river of your intention. Using powerful verbs in the active voice will make your intention clear to your audience, and force you to clarify your purpose with every line you write. Use the Active Voice Active voice sentences emphasize the one who is doing the action, rather than whoever or whatever is being done to. Active voice makes for livelier prose. It also emphasizes agency, responsibility, and choice. The passive voice has traditionally been used by government agencies and corporations to obfuscate questions of responsibility and power. Passive constructions conceal dictators and put the populace to sleep. Don’t do this in your writing. Passive Voice: PCBs were released into the Hudson River from 1948 through 1972. Active Voice: The DeNile Corporation released PCBs into the Hudson River. . . Passive Voice: Clients were told that they could not re-apply for benefits and were not informed of their right to a formal hearing. Active Voice: Case workers in Joliet office told clients that they could not re-apply for benefits and failed to inform them of their right to a hearing. Passive Voice: Medicine bags were collected and sent to the museum in Chicago. Active Voice: Frank Museum archeologists excavated the medicine bags and sent them to the museum. When Is the Passive Voice Appropriate? The passive voice is appropriate when the true subject of the sentence is how an action was performed, rather than who did it. This often applies to technical descriptions. Appropriate Passive Voice: The microphones were set up to record the room ambiance during the concert. Salmon eggs were collected from the beginning of the spawning season through late April. The garlic was kneaded into the bread before it was placed in the pans to rise. Cut Unnecessary Helping Verbs Almost any sentence can be written using helping verbs, more formally known as Auxiliary verbs. Unless the verb case requires their use, your sentence will be stronger without them. Unnecessary helping verbs such as “to do” and “to be” dilute the force of the main verb and enable the construction of long sentences that say little. Get rid of them. Helping Verb: Bessie was organizing the workers to demand a raise. No Helping Verb: Bessie organized the workers to demand a raise. Helping Verb: Herbert always does the house cleaning in his red boxer shorts. No Helping Verb: Herbert always cleans the house in his red boxer shorts. Helping Verbs: I do my painting in the evening after I have milked the cows. No Helping Verbs: I paint in the evening after I milk the cows. When Are Helping Verbs Appropriate? Some verb tenses require the use of helping verbs. Future tense, past progressive, present progressive, future progressive, and many other fancy verb permutations require the use of helping verbs. Use them with gusto! Future: She will mope tomorrow when the impulse seizes her. Present progressive: I am moping around the house all afternoon. Past progressive: He was moping around the castle waiting for the postman. Future progressive: By spring, I will have been moping for five months straight. III. ELIMINATE EVERY WORK THAT DOES NOT ADD TO YOUR MEANING Intensifiers Paradoxically, intensifiers such as “very,” “really,” “totally,” and so on actually dilute your meaning and put your readers to sleep. Get rid of them. When tempted to use intensifiers, ask yourself if the sentence needs more descriptive language so the reader will better understand your meaning. With Intensifier: The student was very defiant. No Intensifier: The student was defiant. Descriptive: The student arrived late, slammed her books down on the desk, collapsed in her seat with a heavy sigh, and glared at the teacher. With Intensifier: It was a really stressful conference. No Intensifier: It was a stressful conference. OR, I felt stressed about the conference. Descriptive: During the conference my palms sweated, my heartbeat accelerated, and I felt faint. Qualifiers Frequent or unnecessary use of qualifiers such as “I think,” “it seems,” and “it could be” leave the impression that you are not confident of your own perceptions or views. As an author, you take responsibility for your views and should assert them strongly. It’s not necessary to keep pointing out that what you write is based on your opinion. Your name is on the piece. Your readers already know that there are other opinions in the world; they doubtless have some of their own. Sometimes it IS appropriate to use phrases such as “I think,” or “I believe.” Often in an academic or scientific paper, the author begins by amassing data or outlining arguments about their topic. Later on in a “Conclusions” or Results” section, the author analyzes the information and expresses his or her own opinion, recommendation, or conclusion. It there is any doubt, do make it clear that you have shifted to expressing your own view. Do not avoid using the personal pronoun “I” when it is needed. “I believe that Dr. Nieto’s model of human development is the most compelling.” “I think that Dr. Kissenger’s account of the war is insincere.” Stating the Obvious It is not necessary to inform your readers that poor people lack money, that pregnancy affects women of child-bearing age, or that the winter weather in Chicago is cold. This makes readers feel that the author has no respect for their intelligence. You must, however, be aware of your audience and consider if their point of view requires elaboration of some points: a North American audience may need to be reminded that Christmas in Brazil takes place during the hottest time of the year. Navigating between stating the obvious and explaining what may be new information is a challenge that every author must face. IV. SAY WHAT YOU MEAN AS DIRECTLY AS YOU CAN Say what it is, not what it isn’t. If you find you have said what things are not, try describing what they are instead. This will force you to clarify your own thinking and save readers from guessing at your meaning. Not very affordable Expensive, unaffordable, costly Less than entirely committed Uncommitted, distinterested, apathetic Not a good time
A terrible time, a bad time, NOT THIS: My boss is not very supportive or helpful. BUT THIS: My boss belittles my accomplishments, insults my appearance, and often harangues me for hours. Take the Direct Route Long, convoluted sentences should be edited until they yield their meaning to direct statement. NOT THIS: The committee expressed some reservations about my plan and informed me that if I persisted in my attempts to enact it that my employment in the institution would be terminated very shortly. BUT THIS: The committee told me to stop at once or be fired. As Specific as Possible You get no extra credit for vagueness or euphemism. Specific, concrete words give texture and color to your writing and keep your readers interested. NOT THIS: BUT THIS: The urban area in which I live. . .
My neighborhood, A leisurely mid-morning weekend meal Brunch The central
area of the A very
exciting opportunity V. FORM FOLLOWS CONTENT A simple idea fits a simple sentence structure. A complex
idea, loaded with implications for history and psychology, Don’t try
to turn simple ideas into very long, vague, wordy sentences that drag on
and on pointlessly without ever really coming to the concept or Say what you mean! |
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Email contact: (MAC@stmartin.edu) |