Kamisama

I've been playing with a different kind of writing style, and I'm wondering what some of you think about it.

My writing style takes some Baconian ideas of KISS (Keep it simple stupid). In such a writing style, I use words a child can understand. I also use some philosophy in this rhetoric. I philosophize that words symbolize concepts, and if a child understand the word, the child understands the concept behind the word. Although some words are argued about--in other words, they "beg the question" without some kind of lexical standard--I've tried to find a way to use minimal letters for each word.

The kind of writing style I'm thinking of is complex. It's something I want to perfect, and I'm thinking children book writers probably have a better grasp on it than I do.

Keep the letters of a word to a minimum. Instead of "difficult" use "hard."
It's a way of being concise, simple, and layman.

I look at some of the books I read these days. I think to myself, "The amount of pages in this book could be crunched in half if everything was simplified, concise, and layman."

But to be more concise, I would say:

This book's page amount would be less were words simpler and shorter.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about here? It's perhaps a child-like rhetoric that keeps things simple, short, and sweet. Also, it makes everything easy to understand and quick to read.

This type of writing style has a few things in mind:

1. Readability or conceptual understanding
2. Concision
3. Style: Entertainment, information, and
4. Ability to be quickly read

I'm thinking that this kind of writing style would be more critical in each sentence written; but in the end, everything would be quick and easy to read.

Anyone have an idea of what I'm talking about or some books that emphasize on such a writing style?

I'm calling it a minimalist style because it turns a word like "night" and turns it into "nite."

I also take inspiration from the printing presses of long ago. The fewer characters used, the less expensive making something was. Also, there was less hassle in creating something.

Many publishers seem to be worried with a word count. I'm more concerned with character count. I take a more drastic, critical view toward it. Then again, the downside to such a style would be that sometimes a big, complex word could describe many words. I'm wonder if someone would know how to deal with such a problem. I suppose revision would be an answer.

I think the primary thing that makes this an ideal writing style it the ability to quickly read something and grasp the concepts. That's what I want this kind of writing style to focus on.

I'm wondering, do any of you know if writers of childrens' books tend to have a minimalist writing style?

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aspiring

I'm a children's author. I don't bother with long descriptive passages - I prefer dialogue, action and inner monologue to convey my characters. Child readers like their books to be pacy. However, I would certainly not call my style 'minimalist' because that sounds as though I'm not delving deeply enough into my characters and the situations.

Not all children's writers have the same style by a long way though. Read some children's books and find out. Possible authors:

Meg Rossoff
Kevin Brooks
Tim Bowler
Mary Hoffman
Mary Hooper
Philip Pullman

Bear in mind I am in the UK so my list has some bias.

RichardHeimer Schmitt

I've always considered most of those authors as YA, not children's book writers. I'd look at authors like A. A. Milne (whom I love), or Lewis Carrol, who meant their books for young audiences.

aspiring

They are YA because that's what I read most of. However, YA still counts as children's fiction

If you want to go really minimalist, read picture books.

Shawn

Kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour" is minimalist... and I don't think that is YA. Though not as radical as your idea of it.

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Anarkos

In which case, you (and possibly the original poster) should probably read up on the actual meaning of the word minimalist when applied to prose.

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Mike C

Whilst I don't want you to stop experimenting with style, I think there is a huge difference between minimalism and what you appear to be trying to do, which is over-simplification.

Diminution and contraction of words seem like no more than a stylistic whimsy, and if you strip your narrative too much you also strip away the sheer joy of words. After all, any book can be reduced down to a single sentence - where's the joy in that?

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Rob

I have a feeling I read something recently about a series of books produced, or to be produced, with a similar idea to yours, keeping the language simple. If memory serves correctly, they were aimed at adults, possibly adults who didn't usually read much, I can't remember. I have a feeling some fairly well-known authors were involved.

I appreciate that's all rather vague. I'll see if I can find the article.

Cheers
Omni

aspiring

LOL, who rattled your cage?

Omnius, you might be thinking of 'reluctant readers' - books that target people who have reading difficulties or don't like to read much. I write these for teenagers, and they are 'normal' stories written in simplified language.

Anarkos

It could be simply that it irritates me to see people who should really know better using minimalism as a negative when it actually refers to a significant style of prose. Minimalism does not imply a lack of character-depth or a proliferation of pictures. Indeed, most recognised minimalist authors would, I expect, produce far deeper characters and narratives than most YA work.

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Kamisama

I equate minimalism with a decrease in variables. In a way, minimalism is like over-simplification. Perhaps I mixed things up, but I don't think I did. Otherwise, I wouldn't have used the word "minimalist." However, I do understand that what I was describing would be a type of style that over-simplifies things, yet keeps the hard conceptual ideas intact.

- Wikipedia: Minimalism

Interesting. I'm reading the wikipedia article, and I didn't know someone already conjured up a type of "literary minimalism."

I guess from my viewpoint of art, however, I don't really see what people are calling "literary minimalism" as minimalism itself.

Perhaps this is what literary minimalism is?

- http://www.gwu.edu/~english/kaleidoscope/Essaypages2003/Essay1.htm

- http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...inimalism.html

What do you mean, Anarkos, as a "negative"?

I figure the only thing that makes the minimalist writing style and over-simplication different would be the prose used for characters. Otherwise, it all seems like being concise, getting the point across, and being non-biased.

Would the only difference be how prose is used for characters?

I'm getting the sensation that the minimalist writing style is about morals, ethics, and societal views. However, it's trying to impact these things onto the reader without using large amounts of language.

I rather call that style "moral minimalism." And I would leave minimalism as simplification.

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strangedaze

for minimalist (those who eschew figurative language, complex diction, etc, in favor of brevity and 'precision,' which im thinking you mean) authors i would say...

- amy hempel
- bret easton ellis
- hemingway
- chuck palahniuk

personally, i love writing thats pyrotechnic, that ISNT pared down to nuts and bolts. but thats just me.

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mwd

The problem is that if you invent your own terms ("moral minimalism"), no one will know what you're talking about, which is probably why Anarkos took exception. No one really cares what you'd rather call it, it's called minimalism, and it's produced some exceptional literary work. Strangedaze gave you a good list (although I'd add Raymond Carver, who is one of my favourite short story writers). The Wiki entry on minimalism that you quoted from also has a good list. The best way to get a sense of any style is to read some actual writing in that style. Reading encyclopedia entries just can't quite compare.

I think a minimalist writer would frown upon "using" prose for characters. One of the important aspects of literary minimalism is not simplification but compression: paring down syntax without sacrificing meaning. In practice, when reading quality minimalist fiction, it's often hard to determine where character development begins and plot and theme end, since each sentence fulfills (or at least tries to fulfill) more than one purpose. Good minimalist writing does quite a bit, but it multitasks to give the illusion that it's not as busy as it actually is.

Shawn

Kate Chopin? Hello!

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