I understand that civilians are under no obligation to follow the rules of language, but writers should be striving for precision in their language. Impressionism doesn’t really work for literature. You can’t be blurry.
From the perspective of a person who relies on specific language in their sector, like music or science or auto mechanics, seeing a word that has a specific, precise definition that we rely on to communicate within that world, being used incorrectly, doesn’t just muddy the writer’s narrative and meaning, it compromises the writer’s integrity, and questions their competence. They are writers, shouldn’t they know the precise meanings of every single word they use, and use it in the proper context?
A good musician knows every single note they are playing, and that note’s context within the harmonic and formal structure of the work they are playing. Even a single wrong note is absolutely unacceptable. If a musician played with the same acceptance of imprecision that this thread is suggesting is okay for writers, they would never be considered a competent musician.
There is no problem with a writers using specific jargon to elevate their prose, but they have an obligation to use those terms precisely. Otherwise, just make up your own words. Stop fucking up everybody else’s, especially those that require precise meanings in their original, normal use.
I understand that civilians are under no obligation to follow the rules of language, but writers should be striving for precision in their language. Impressionism doesn’t really work for literature. You can’t be blurry.
Won’t read the rest, this is enough for me to understand you’re now either arguing in bad faith, or are ignorant of how language evolves. Is English you first language? Look up the contributions of Shakespeare to the language. Are you Italian, like “piccolo” could suggest? Look at Dante Alighieri.
Your language would be different without the freedom that writers take over the ages, and for one thing you’re unhappy about, there are a myriad you don’t even think twice about, and hopefully, quite a few metaphorical and poetic idioms that you find beautiful.
The concept that precision in meaning isn’t important to writing is silly. Literary license is one thing, but using words that are flatly wrong and then demanding they be accepted is nonsense.
Would you be so understanding if some artists wanted to start labelling the color red as blue, because they feel like it, and they don’t care how confusing it is, or how dumb it makes them look?
Or if musicians started playing random accidentals in their Bach performances, because they don’t feel it’s important to alter keys at their whim?
Or if musicians started playing random accidentals in their Bach performances, because they don’t feel it’s important to alter keys at their whim?
That would be the equivalent of a writer inserting bacon random words.
The musical equivalent would be a musician making a deliberate choice to alter the performance because they like how it changes the piece. I would be perfectly fine with that.
I understand that civilians are under no obligation to follow the rules of language, but writers should be striving for precision in their language. Impressionism doesn’t really work for literature. You can’t be blurry.
From the perspective of a person who relies on specific language in their sector, like music or science or auto mechanics, seeing a word that has a specific, precise definition that we rely on to communicate within that world, being used incorrectly, doesn’t just muddy the writer’s narrative and meaning, it compromises the writer’s integrity, and questions their competence. They are writers, shouldn’t they know the precise meanings of every single word they use, and use it in the proper context?
A good musician knows every single note they are playing, and that note’s context within the harmonic and formal structure of the work they are playing. Even a single wrong note is absolutely unacceptable. If a musician played with the same acceptance of imprecision that this thread is suggesting is okay for writers, they would never be considered a competent musician.
There is no problem with a writers using specific jargon to elevate their prose, but they have an obligation to use those terms precisely. Otherwise, just make up your own words. Stop fucking up everybody else’s, especially those that require precise meanings in their original, normal use.
Won’t read the rest, this is enough for me to understand you’re now either arguing in bad faith, or are ignorant of how language evolves. Is English you first language? Look up the contributions of Shakespeare to the language. Are you Italian, like “piccolo” could suggest? Look at Dante Alighieri.
Your language would be different without the freedom that writers take over the ages, and for one thing you’re unhappy about, there are a myriad you don’t even think twice about, and hopefully, quite a few metaphorical and poetic idioms that you find beautiful.
I won’t engage further. Have a good day.
The concept that precision in meaning isn’t important to writing is silly. Literary license is one thing, but using words that are flatly wrong and then demanding they be accepted is nonsense.
Would you be so understanding if some artists wanted to start labelling the color red as blue, because they feel like it, and they don’t care how confusing it is, or how dumb it makes them look?
Or if musicians started playing random accidentals in their Bach performances, because they don’t feel it’s important to alter keys at their whim?
That would be the equivalent of a writer inserting bacon random words.
The musical equivalent would be a musician making a deliberate choice to alter the performance because they like how it changes the piece. I would be perfectly fine with that.