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Words without understanding are just gibberish
01/11/2005 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
Or keeping the wolf from the door by equipping the sheep with teeth. Yes, it's November's editorial from Uncle Geoff. Words without understanding are just gibberish.
Or keeping the wolf from the door by equipping the sheep with teeth.
Hello everyone
I like reading. Hmm ... that's pretty obvious from the monthly number of books that I review not to mention the occasional times I bring up some obscure fact from way back that I could only have read. I also bet that practically all of you here like reading, even my stuff, or you wouldn't be here. The Internet is also a medium for readers as I don't think illiterates would be able to work out what is going on even if they could grasp the importance of icon symbols, button pushes and pictures, they'd still be stuck for working out words.
Already, there is a level of justified literate segregation. With an interest in Science Fiction, our knowledge base is probably a little more extensive than average readers are as well without necessarily being scientists. If you think you can puff your chests out, also consider how different you are from those who can also program the software you're using. The distinction is all a matter of understanding and application from our reading matter.
We all, to one level or another, have a grasp of keyboard skills to enable us to express ourselves to others in sentences using words that make some sort of sense even those who rely on txting. We all belong to a common group that has to be looked at a little more closely to distinguish into further groupings. How many of you write in foreign languages to your normal one for instance? Nearest I get is to occasionally use Americanisms or else my contacts across the pond are lost. Even the speed we type can be concealed, unless you use an on-line chat group, should you choose make replies later.
No one really needs to know long you take to ponder over an answer, well unless they look at the e-mail time marker. These are all basic skills that we take for granted. One thing that differentiates us all is the level of sentence literacy, the conveying of ideas and our grasp or understanding although there are probably other qualities associated with this as well. Then its all a matter of command of the language and how good we are at manipulating words. It would be quite frightening if we were all the same.
One thing that is rarely considered is the level that you can read into something. Let's call it an understanding quotient. That is the level and speed you grasp the information that you read. It's what distinguishes superficial readers who scan and miss the small print to editors like me who can scarily check off each word if we like and double-check as to just what you really mean at the other extreme. Although there is a level of intelligence needed, it's more a matter of bringing an explanation at a level that makes sense to you. A lot of the time, its down to what you want to take out of the material that you read. You might scan a textbook for information yet also savour the sentences in a novel. Either way, there is still a level of understanding to what you make of the words and the sentences are meaningless.
For story and article writers, such a deconstruction and reconstruction is part of the tools of the trade. There is a need to understand everything from plot, character and dialogue, emotional content, etc. and make it appeal and bring it to life or the reader. You're either an instinctive storyteller or someone who understand the mechanics or a combination of them both - more so the longer you write. For non-fiction, it is the conveying of ideas in terms that can make the most sense to the majority. Whatever, there has to be either some innate understanding or deliberate research to make it happen. You, as a reader, might not necessarily understand all the separate parts but you would instinctively know something was wrong if something was missing or perhaps not up to par.
The same applies to a lot of types and styles of writing. Unless you can convey what you mean to those who read your writing then you're less likely to be read which sorta misses the purpose of writing something down for others to read. In some cases, you also have to hope the information you're being given is also correct. Probably something in the background that allows us all to arbitrarily call writing 'good', 'bad' or 'indifferent' all becomes refined with experience by everyone. When we review books, we have to express such feelings in words so that brings up a different level of understanding or perception of what we're reading. Reviewers rarely rely solely on gut feeling. They have to work out the why because without it what decision you make about buying a book from a review depends on what you understand or take from the information you are given.
Which brings us back to the topic of this editorial: Understanding. You might have figured that out already. See, you've already displaying a level of understanding even if it's only to get me to go back to the subject. It's how quickly we can grasp a subject from what is written, compare to our knowledge base, evaluate for truth and falsehoods and understand what is actually there beyond the words on the page that is really engraving an image in your memory. You apply your life experience to what you read and if you think they're wrong and have the bottle, might even tell them so.
We might have a wide interest in subject matter and yet limit ourselves to few storywriters in fiction but that happens in any genre. With non-fiction, the sky is literally the limit for absorbing information. All these things also make us different as individuals and more specialised on some subjects than others because we can't be expert on everything. Yet these same skills are brought into play whenever we examine a new subject. Think of the rapid learning curve you went through when learning how to use your computer! Betcha never thought your brain was doing all of this on automatic every time you read something?
With the minefield that we call the Internet, there is always a necessity to look for knowledge and see the search engines come up with multiple entries on a subject. Encyclopedic entries tend to be fairly safe but anything else still needs some consideration as to accuracy, knowledge gaps and anything else to ensure you're getting the best most reliable up-to-date information. Not helped at all should any copy the information from the same sources without doing the proper ground level research themselves. It isn't just understanding that's needed then but common-sense although even that term is open to misinterpretation. I won't even mention the paranoia over whether the person supplying the information is an accredited expert but I've yet to see anyone come up with positive IDing on the Net.
I mean, the only reason you know this is me is cos I don't sound much like anyone else if you've been visiting these editorials for any length of time. Instinct takes over but it's also coupled with unconscious knowledge of inflection that this is the same person each time. With practice, it gets a lot easier to spot when you're being thrown a line or something doesn't make sense. We are all capable of making mistakes but once one is found, you then have a tendency to see if that mistake was genuine, a consistence lack of or someone faking knowledge on a subject against something you're familiar with. At least, I hope you do. We can also all be gullible to what we also want to read or hear as well.
If what we base our picture or interpretation of the world is at fault then it reflects in everything else we do. If we can't make sense of what we are being told and do our own interpretation then we are no more than zombies that can be led by the wolves in this world who will delight in exploiting us. The real problem is in how do we tell the difference if the world we live in is a potential muddle of conflicting information? We have to evaluate what we are told with what we know and see how much understanding we can bring to our own translation of information.
General knowledge and such are less of a problem than theories and ideologies. Even around the world, the level of 'normality' is dependent totally on the country you were educated in so even that is subjective. Your head could be set spinning if something is totally out of the box of your life experiences let alone evaluating it to what you can understand. The only way to beat that is constantly re-evaluating what you know and how you see the world and what you know about a subject with hopefully an open mind. It keeps the mind healthy and more aware of what is going on about you.
Understanding is power. It can allow you to make changes in your life or in that of others if you can see there are benefits to do so. It can also be undermined by people who are blinkered or don't want to know. How many people have you spoken to about, say, the Internet and you can watch their eyes glaze over as if it's a foreign language? The same applies to a range of subjects. Talking about science and even our own interest in Science Fiction has a similar effect on a lot of people.
With SF though, there is some appreciation at some level that its popular these days even if our somewhat more fanatical interest looks a tad odd to some. Oddly enough, such people also have an opinion on the subject that is often not backed up by actual knowledge. If you want to share a level of understanding with them, then you have no choice but to explain in a language where they might understand the options better. It's all a level of understanding and what you can bring to a subject.
The Internet has allowed some level of communal understanding to spread across the world to those who use it. Most of us appreciate the irresponsible behaviour of creating computer viruses - even if it just means you can't do what you want on your computer - to getting loads of junk or spam in our e-mail. There is also an acceptance of consensus when people review products good and bad points. All such things can expand into other areas largely because there is a basis for understanding within the community. It's the equivalent of a shared experience and probably why we British make conversation leading out from what the weather was like today.
Twenty odd years ago, the Net certainly wasn't as expansive as it is today and for many people it's fast becoming a way of life undreamt of in the past. If it is to grow for people, though, then there is always a necessity to raise your level of understanding and what things mean to you rather than stay in a rut and let things never change. One only has to hope that any change is for the better. The tools of the trade are here in front of you but they are meaningless without some understanding to make communication better for both yourself and others.
This is all problematic as why should my answers here be any better or worse than those you've read or been using for years. I mean, shouldn't I be part or and sharing the same problem? From this, we have to think about what is the basis of each of your own level of understanding? Parents? Religious indoctrinate when young or old? Education? Streetwise education? Knowledge of what is right and wrong or what you use to get your own way? All of these things change as you get older and have to be re-evaluated with experience or changing knowledge. Depending on your own level of scruples, can also vary how you use this knowledge in influencing other people. All these things have something to say on your understanding of the world. Other than ethical consideration, we are back to interpretation as to what you believe about the world about you.
Understanding really is in the eye of the beholder but there is always room for improvement. It cannot be quantified but maybe qualified. Well, other than in court but then there are other things that have to be taken into account. The only thing that can never be anticipated is what are you going to do with this understanding.
Thank you and good night
Geoff Willmetts
editor: SFCrowsnest.co.uk
(Less Serious) Thought For The Month: Stargate TV series. While watching episodes, has it ever occurred to you why is it that everyone, especially on alien worlds, always face the direction where the 'waterfall' wormhole shoots out? They don't all have to be in front of the control column.
Something Zen for neo-writers to ponder on: When writing a story, it's important to bring events up and personal in front of the reader. If you're only going to tell them what's happened then you might as well give them a newspaper instead.
PS If you've survived this far in the editorial, let me reiterate something from the website newsletter and the above editorial. As you can see from the main page, we have one of the biggest SF/fantasy/horror monthly reviews columns on the Net. Our success has increased the number of books that comes in and our policy is to read everything before giving a review. You want the bottom line about what you're going to choose to read. We road test books so you have some idea of what you're letting yourself in for. That means actually reading the product and telling others what you think. For that, we're always on the outlook for more reviewers. Apart from the ability to put words into sentences, you also need to know how to précis, either know or do a little research on associated subjects and can express opinions constructively expressing good and bad points about the books you read.
You'll even get a little editorial help in how to write good copy and that can always lead to other things. I did say you have to love books and willing to read beyond your favourite authors, didn't I? If you like reading books in the genre, think and show you can write a decent review and, most importantly, live in the British Isles (sorry, expense, time and distance traveled mostly prohibits elsewhere), then use the link below and see our requirements. We can't pay you but a review for the price of a book has to be a good incentive. We have one of the most popular SF review columns on the Net. Do you think you're up to writing a review? If you think you can, then you're really going to think you've landed your hands in the biscuit tin.
Review Guidelines
PPS: For those keeping track, I'm still about 20 months (end of November 2003) behind. With going through the ebook samples, I have removed some who've gotten published elsewhere. Thank you for your patience but let me know if you've sold elsewhere so I can reduce my pile or if you've changed address, especially e-mail address. I can't give you my comments unless either is up to date. Currently, doing spot-checks to see if you're still there when I reach your sample in the pile is making it easier on my time and catching up on the slush pile. This isn't much of a repeat, just to show you're not forgotten.
Those sending in ebook samples, be prepared for a long wait and read the Guidelines elsewhere on this website
They are there to help you do some of the right things and reduce the number of times I'm repeating myself over silly grammatical errors and spelling mistakes that you shouldn't be making. It makes editing a lot easier if any editor has less work pointing out poor English which should have been sorted out in the first place and more focused on other areas of your work.
There's an old editorial adage, if you can't aim for perfection why should an editor nurse-maid you to that state? If you're a writer, then you should understand the words and grammar of the job you're supposed to be writing or are you considering it as mundane and boring as any other job to get right? Fall in love with making every sentence the best you're ever written, read up and understand the rules of grammar. Be prepared to put a story away for a few weeks and go back to it for a self-edit. A lot of the time, errors will just stare you in the face when you didn't see them the first time round. Once you know where your weaknesses are, they can be sorted and allow you to move a little higher up the ladder towards making your material look its best.
Common Problems Link
Please don't confuse this with my short story slush pile which is kinda low at the moment. We're always willing to give short story writers a chance to be seen if they can withstand my scrutiny even if we can't pay for their efforts.
Short Stories Link
Don't forget also, we've got a teaching ground of one page stories, so check out the rules elsewhere on the website.
Flash fiction stories Link
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