POST No. 2 on WRITING:

WRITE TO BE UNDERSTOOD; NOT TO IMPRESS

CLARITY IN WRITING
When I was a young lecturer I became involved in writing academic reports of various kinds for the Department of Education in Northern Ireland. I was chatting with a senior staff inspector at a course one time and I said, “Why did you pick me to write these reports?”
I was initially upset, almost insulted, by the answer. “We have had reports written by other people but much of it is jargonistic and confusing. Your stuff is dead easy to read.”

Dead easy to read? Did that mean that my writing was superficial? That it was simplistic? That it lacked depth? To be honest, for quite a while I felt genuinely aggrieved by his comment. ‘Dead easy to read’ seemed to me to detract for the depth of argument, the subtleties of meaning, that I knew were there. I wondered if people reading my stuff were missing the good that was in it. I said as much to the inspector and he laughed at my concerns. “Anyone,” he told me, “can discuss complex issues in complex terms, particularly using the jargon of the topic. It looks and sounds great but more often than not is confusing and confused. Sometimes it degenerates into gobbledegook. Your skill lies in the fact that you can deal with complex issues in a jargon free way that allows your reader to follow your arguments and still be with you when you arrive at your conclusions.”

I thought about it for a day or two and finally arrived at two conclusions.

ONE: that he had actually paid me a compliment and,

TWO: that I was going to have to radically examine my writing style and try to understand what it was that I had been doing so that I could do it as a deliberate process. And I determined that above all things, clarity would be the hallmark of anything I would write in the future.

I WOULD WRITE TO BE UNDERSTOOD, NOT TO IMPRESS

and if people wanted to call it ‘easy’ or ‘simple’, then I would accept that as a compliment.

So it is now my belief that writing styles can fall into 4 categories:

FOUR CATEGORIES OF WRITING STYLE

1. COMPLEX IDEAS described using COMPLEX LANGUAGE (to impress, to blind, and ultimately to confuse … frequently degenerates into gobbledegook).

2. SUPERFICIAL IDEAS using COMPLEX LANGUAGE (to give the ideas a veneer of intellectual worth that they do not have).

3. SUPERFICIAL IDEAS using simple or NAIVE LANGUAGE (the writing of the immature)

and

4. COMPLEX IDEAS, something with some depth to it expressed in CLEAR AND UNAMBIGUOUS  LANGUAGE  (Dead easy to read.)

NB: Always aim for Number 4.

ON WRITING

I delivered a talk recently on writing and getting published. I intend to post bits of the talk over the next while. here is the first instalment.

A teacher of English Literature was lecturing a class of adolescents on one of the syllabus’s prescribed modern novels. She selected a short passage which included the following sentence:

“Vanessa’s passage was impeded by a blue door at the side of the building”

She read the sentence aloud and said to the class, “What did the author mean when he said the door was blue?”

Heads went down and none of the students would meet her eye. So the teacher went on, “What we have here is a clear metaphor for the angst, the anxiety, I might even say the Weltschmerz, that can afflict modern youth as they seek answers to life’s most basic questions. There is a specific significance in the use of the word ‘impeded’ here, with all its implications of psychological conflict, especially as it is linked to the unmistakeable nuance of melancholia so strikingly impressed upon the inner consciousness by the deliberate choice of the colour blue.”

It so happened that, a couple of weeks later, the writer of this book was doing a book-signing at the local bookshop. One of the students, a studious young male, went along to have the famous author sign his copy of the book. As the author was writing his signature, the boy said, “Do you remember that bit in the book where Vanessa was impeded by a front door and you said, ‘The door was blue.’”

The writer thought for a moment and said, “Oh, yes! I do.”

“What did you mean when you said the door was blue?”

The writer eyed the boy up and down, mystified by his question. “I meant the door was blue. What else could I have meant?”

Literary Deconstruction
Sometimes I wonder if literature teachers, in their enthusiasm for literary deconstruction, that is, reading hidden meanings into an author’s text and coming up with a host of hypotheses about intent, do so at the cost of creating a mystique around the nature of writing that can confuse young would-be writers and distract them from the essential need for clarity in writing. I had a literature teacher once whose outlandish explanations of what authors meant easily rivalled that of the teacher in this anecdote. It got to the stage where I could scarcely understand anything I was reading, so convinced was I that I was missing all sorts of significant underlying messages. And, of course, I always assumed that there was no point in me ever trying to be a writer because I would never be able to write anything that contained hidden depths, that contained meaning other than the obvious. But sometimes interpretation is nothing more subtle than accepting the meaning that is there. There may be, often will be, subtlety in a line or a phrase, but you will need support from the context before letting your minds run riot about it.

For me, interpretation of intent is nothing more subtle than accepting the meaning that is there. BUT, of course, writers do use words, ideas, characters, with specific nuances in order to manipulate the reader.  That’s what writers do.  It’s built in to their DNA. These subtleties are there to be seen by the astute reader.

 Other subtleties come almost unconsciously from the innate values, principles, and the attitudes that drive the writer’s normal existence We are all born into a certain kind of life – we have parents, siblings, peers, an neighbourhood with a specific environment, teachers, social circles… and we assimilate, unknowingly, attitudes and values from the milieu in which we have lived and grown up. These values will emerge in your writing and, until you are a very experienced writer, very aware of what you are writing and what you are saying, there will be all sorts of messages underpinning your writing without you realising that they are there. So, don’t worry too much about hidden meanings and symbolisms.  Future critics of your work will find loads of meaning that you didn’t know was there.  It’s there because any writers who writes honestly…who writes his or her truth… will inevitably leave parts of themselves in the pages. 

THIS REVIEW HAS APPEARED ON AMAZON

        Click here to see more reviews:  The 11.05 Murders

5 0UT OF 5 STARS   on March 27, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase



ByJoseph Souza, Author of Crime Thriller, NEED TO FIND YOUon 28 March 2016


The first thing I thought after reading this book is: why isn't Brian O'Hare better known in the crime writing world? This man is extremely talented, and his book a wonderful whodunnit that left me guessing until the end.

O'Hare masterfully tells a tale of obsession, lust and political maneuvering. Set in Nothern Ireland, we start with a sexual assault on a young college woman that happened twelve years ago. We are then brought back to the here and now with the violent murder of a unethical loan officer. His connection to the sexual assault soon becomes apparent, and before long the body of another man from that era comes to light. One more man from that fateful day is still alive, and the police must save his life and catch the clever killer.

But there's so much more between these pages. Amazing dialogue and setting, for starters. Intricate plotting and a vibrant pace. But where O'Hare shines is in the brilliant characters he's created. Stewart, the beautiful but standoffish sergeant, is one of his best. She is smart, sexy and dedicated to her job, and yet troubled at the same time. Her budding romance with a fellow police officer is masterfully told. But his character, Mike 'The Bat' Weir is a brilliant portrayal of a villain, a monster in all respects. I could read an entire novel with these two in it.

If you love police crime novels, you must read O'Hare. I have to say, I was unsure of what I was getting into after glimpsing the uninspired title. Don't let that put you off because it doesn't do this brilliant novel justice. Also, the novel needs better proofreading and formatting, but these are minor quips in view of his unique talent as a writer. I can't recommend this book enough. I'm so glad I discovered this author. Highly recommended!

Radio Interview about The Miracle Ship

On Sunday 8th May, Michael O'Neill, Miracle Hunter, aired his weekly programme on Relevant Radio, Illinois. There are three or four items on this programme,  but one on them is an interview with Brian O'Hare, author of The Miracle Ship. The Miracle Ship
        
Here is the audio archive of the interview:
http://relevantradio.streamguys.us/MH%20Archive/MH20160508.mp3

THE 11.05 MURDERS


SUMMARY

Three people are murdered on separate Tuesday evenings at precisely 11.05. Random clues point to random suspects, but too many questions remain unanswered. Why 11.05pm for each killing? Is there any connection between these deaths and a rape that occurred at Queen’s university twelve years before? What is the connection between the killings and Sergeant Stewart’s mystery informant? Who is the violent stalker who twice nearly kills Detective Allen? What is his connection, if any, to the murders? When one of his team is kidnapped, Inspector Sheehan has literally only minutes to make sense of these questions if he is to save his colleague’s life.


SOME COMMENTS FROM RECENT REVIEWS
The first thing I thought after reading this book is: why isn't Brian O'Hare better known in the crime writing world? This man is extremely talented, and his book a wonderful ‘whodunnit’ that left me guessing until the end. [Joseph Sousa, Crime-writer]

Head and shoulders above most mystery authors who are published today, Brian O’Hare deserves far wider recognition. You won’t regret purchasing his books.[CBT, Amazon Reviewer]

Brian O’Hare is an intelligent and compassionate storyteller who takes his chosen genre a decent literary distance beyond your average ‘whodunnit’.[Robin Chambers, author]

An explosive mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end, riddled with unseen surprises and breathless suspense! [Wesley Thomas, writer and blogger]

AT  LAST

In finalising arrangements to launch The 11.05 Murders, we had some last minute glitches with the printer. Apparently the cover picture had some problems with its dimensions. These problems have been resolved and the book is now avaiLable on Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com. Smashwords, or direct from the publishers, (Crimson Cloak Publishing).

To introduce The 11.05 Murders, the publishers have agreed an introductory offer for the kindle version of 99 cents to run for about two weeks.  Take advantage of this while the offer stands.

Even as I write this, I notice there are already two reviews posted on Amazon (both 5*s.)

Check them out here:
Two Reviews for The 11.05 Murders

I hope those of you who have already read The Doom Murders, will continue your contact with Chief Inspector Sheehan. (Perhaps you might even write a short review. These are an author's life-blood, the literary equivalent of word-of-mouth.)

To find the book, click on these links.

http://www.crimsoncloakpublishing.com/the-11-05-murders.html

http://www.amazon.com/11-Murders-Inspector-Sheehan-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B01DAGR6CA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458694612&sr=8-2&keywords=The+11.05+Murders+by+Brian+O%27Hare

http://www.crimsoncloakpublishing.com/the-11-05-murders.html

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/619770

NEW BOOK IN THE INSPECTOR SHEEHAN MYSTERY SERIES

Three people are murdered on separate Tuesday evenings at precisely 11.05. Random clues point to random suspects, but too many questions remain unanswered. Why 11.05pm for each killing? Is there any connection between these deaths and a rape that occurred at Queen’s University twelve years before? What is the connection between the killings and Sergeant Stewart’s mystery informant? Who is the violent stalker who twice nearly kills Detective Allen? What is his connection, if any, to the murders? When one of his team is kidnapped, Inspector Sheehan has literally only minutes to make sense of these questions if he is to save his colleague’s life.

Brian O’Hare is an intelligent storyteller who takes his chosen genre a decent literary distance beyond your average ‘Whodunnit’. Murder investigations must be like this in real life: the discovery of layers of complications and interwoven situations which tell the reader things worth knowing about the human condition, regardless of the mysteries being unravelled. You will have your suspicions throughout, but patience and perspicacity is needed to tease through all the possible patterns and arrive at the final point where all the pieces fit. And, of course, you can confidently expect a few surprises before the end! One for the connoisseurs of this genre. Congratulations Brian O’Hare on a well-judged, carefully crafted piece of work.                                                                                                                 [Robin Chambers, Author of the Myrddin’s Heir Series]