One of the reasons for creating this blog was to improve my ability to describe a technology and why it matters, without waffling. (When I start talking, I sometimes experience an inability to stop.)
So I’m going to start an experiment in writing short form essays, aiming to explain ‘what’s the deal with…[insert a technology here]’ without any unnecessary waffle. A short form essay contains 5 paragraphs – an introduction, a 3-paragraph body, and a conclusion. The introduction should contain 3 sentences – i) a provocative opening, ii) transition to heightened drama, iii) thesis statement (I should be able to manage the thesis statement but attempting i) and ii) could produce some ‘interesting’ results). The 3-paragraph body should detail each of 3 main points from the thesis. The conclusion should be 3 sentences that remind you about the topic without actually summarising it.
Well, that’s the theory according to #63 from ‘The Writer’s Book of Wisdom: 101 rules for mastering your craft’ (I picked it up from the Barnes & Noble store in Bellevue, on my last visit to Redmond). Let’s see how the practice goes. The first essay is nearly ready – watch this space…
Update: I’ve decided to change the title of the essays to ‘Does IT Matter…’ (essay titles will start with DITM). Given the original article and book caused such a stir, I couldn’t resist pinching the title to evaluate emerging I.T. trends.
Joining Dots 