Comments on: Why writers should embrace ambiguity

By: Daphne Gray-Grant

Daphne Gray-Grant — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 23:34:00 +0000

In reply to Robert.

Hi Robert,

Thanks for the correction! My only excuse is that I’m not quite old enough to have been a teenager in the 60s. I’m more a child of the 70s. Still I should have known that!

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 18:11:00 +0000

Daphne,
Love your enews. One of only a few that get opened with no regard to the Subject line. Thought I’d let you know that Keith Richards is lead guitarist for the Stones. Bass player duties go to Bill Wyman. Not a big deal… except to Stones fans in your ecommunity. Write On.
Robert

By: Daphne Gray-Grant

Daphne Gray-Grant — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:54:00 +0000

In reply to Lara Fabans. Patience is an excellent treatment for ambiguity!

By: Lara Fabans

Lara Fabans — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:44:00 +0000

I only ended up with one, but she has taught me how to be more patient, accept the unexpected, and that someone is always watching, so I’d better be consistent 🙂

I totally get what you mean about how ambiguity is not unclear…it just means that when you write three articles, the client comes back with wanting them longer, or actually wants them as blogs, not articles, so you need to find 10 links, or actually, can you just put it together as a special report and we’ll figure out the graphics later 🙂

Thus the long walks that we’ve chit chatted about before, and lots of patience.

By: Daphne Gray-Grant

Daphne Gray-Grant — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:54:00 +0000

In reply to Bob.

When I talk about the benefit of ambiguity I’m DON’T mean the benefit of not writing clearly (there is no benefit to that!) What I mean is that we should embrace the ambiguity of “not knowing” what we are going to say. Many writers feel acutely uncomfortable with this, even though it is temporary.

What I’m saying is that ambiguity is a necessary byproduct of the writing process. I think this true of both fiction and non-fiction.

By: Bob

Bob — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:47:00 +0000

Difficult to reconcile ambiguity and the desire to be clear. But I well remember an occasion at a conference when I suggested that “an administration may” could mean “has permission to” or ” under some circumstances might”.

The chairman said “That’s right. We don’t want it cast in stone – have to leave some freedom of action.”

I consider though that we have to be careful to differentiate between ambiguity (interpretation) and uncertainty (inability to decide). And is a degree of ambiguity desirable in non-fiction writing?