I’m reposting an oldie but goodie today. Partly because this mousie is still kicking around and I tripped over him today, and partly because this still holds true.
Getting the Point Across – [originally posted April 28, 2010]
I walked through the kitchen this past weekend, nothing too unusual there. It was probably around 12:30 p.m. and yes, I was running late when it came to feeding the Vache. I don’t know about your animal (should you have one), but Vache can tell time. When that first paw touches me in the morning a quick glance at the alarm clock shows it to be 5:19 a.m. on the dot. Every single day, weekends not excluded. So, I shouldn’t have been surprised that Vache had been waiting for over a half an hour for his expected snack, or that he had found a way to communicate his displeasure when it failed to appear. Here’s a picture of his method:
Simple. Effective. It got his point across:
You’re late.
My bowl is empty.
All I can fill it with is this fake mouse.
Feed Me.
Wouldn’t it be exciting if I could hone my writing to that level?
Could you imagine? No more run-on sentences, no more meandering away from the plot point, no more inability to define a character’s motivations and actions leaving them open to misunderstanding.
Words as clear as a single image. Simple. Effective. Able to get my point across.
Inspired by the Vache.