Why Don't You Do Something To Make Yourself Feel Better (Not What You Think)

It is a question, that's a definite. At one juncture I thought that maybe it was a statement, then I read it again and realised that, although a question, it you changed the emphasis, then the onus changed. Why don't you do something to make your self feel better said without pause does seem more like a statement but is still a question. Then if you put more into the 'don't' then it really does become a question in its own right and yet the meaning has moved slightly.

Sentence construction can be an art form. Not just the order of words but the choice and then the delivery. Something may look the same on paper, same punctuation, same spelling but depending on how you say it, it will conjure up a whole other meaning. Clues as to how to perceive the message may be in the context of the work, or it maybe how you see the person who is speaking. I think along those lines when I look at a sheet of music, though my understanding is far less, I think of it as a guide. Let's be honest, some of the older classical pieces have no period soundtrack to go with them. You can't go and find a recording of Mozart jamming in his kitchen just to check you're playing it as the maestro intended. There may well be subtle differences, nuances, that he could have played that were never transposed onto the sheet music.

Update: I was going to change the title to "Who's On First Base ?" which is a sketch by Abbott and Costello but I would have had to change the whole first paragraph, not happening. Anyway, worth a watch, just for a chance to see true comedic genius at work.

Oh boy, I have gone so far off track. This was meant to be about spending time working on your sites, no wonder I never get anything done. I'm not sure I can bring this one back. Might as well see it through to the end.

There is a brilliant sketch on YouTube. It was filmed at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. One actor (Paapa Essiedu) stands in the middle of the stage, reciting the immortal words from Hamlet. "To be or not to be, that is the question". No sooner has he finished them, Tim Minchin comes on and gives his thoughts on where the emphasis should be. For him it is on the 'or'. Then we have Benedict Cumberbatch getting in on the act, pun intended, who thinks it is better to add weight to the 'not'. There ensues a litany of differing opinions on how the line should be delivered. All, it has to be said, valid.

There are a few here at WA, who know a thing or two about writing the right way. Mmm. Writing a writ in the right way would make the writ well written. Sorry, couldn't help it. One of the pieces of advice they have given is to have someone else read through your work.

This is a great way of seeing how someone else actually 'reads' what you have written. The problem we have and I am so very guilty of this, is that when we read through our work, we do so in the way we had it in our heads. We automatically read it as we thought it. That may be very different to how someone else interprets it. All the little pauses and stresses are there in our mind but might not come through in the words.

It's different when we make a 'faux pas' in a conversation. Dropping in an accidental 'double entendre', might be embarrassing but you have the chance to correct yourself immediately and apologise, if needs be. That might not be the case when you have already published your post. Someone might read something completely different to what you intended. Once it's out there, it's out there.

I did it once (probably more than once, but got called out on this one) here. I used a word that

was innocuous in the context I gave it, only to find out the true meaning was something completely different. Luckily, one member, graciously pointed it out and that gave me the opportunity to change it. I also apologised for any offence it may have caused. It was a beauty though.

Easily done. So, in closing. It is worth reading through your work, just to make sure there are no glaring indiscrepancies. Spell-checkers and grammar correction tools will only do so much. If you have someone who is willing to have a read through your post, then I'd go with that.

Better to take the critique from a friend than a disgruntled reader.

Have a monumental Monday.