'Building Great Sentences'

[Nik]

I've been offered a 24 lecture DVD set by Prof Brookes Landon (U.Iowa) on 'Building Great Sentences: Exploring the writer's craft'. Running time is ~ 30 mins/ lecture.

Is this worth having ??

 

[Ursa major]

I found these using Google (I expect you did too, Nik), but to save others the trouble:

• Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft by Brooks Landon - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists
• Brooks Landon’s “building great sentences” « Cultivated Pages

The only other link I found was to this thread.

I'd be interested if anyone posting here has had any experience with the course.

 

[The Judge]

We also received the catalogue in which this was offered. I had a quick look at the list of contents for the course, which looked interesting, but not enough to entice me.

 

[mygoditsraining]

While I like the name Brooks Landon (it sounds like he should be engaged in some sort of rainy rooftop chase and shootout in the final reel), the sales blurb puts me right off this, especially the examples of "great sentences" that, presumably, we are meant to aspire to.

So, no, I personally would avoid this like the plague.

Now, if it was called "The Thousandth Revision; How To Knock Your Drafts Into Shape And Spot Weak Sections", I might be temptified.

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Now just remember, in the case of sentences, bigger is usually not better.....

 

[Nik]

So, based on a small sample, the consensus is 'Run Away ! Run Away !'

I can do that.

==

OT: My 'P for Pleistocene' has hit a flat spot about 35,000 words in. Not much use learning to write beautiful sentences if they lack content...

 

[The Judge]

I've finally got around to reading those links Ursa provided, and I have to say that the reviews in the first one rather confirmed my first thoughts. If the reviewer named Bruce has modelled his prose on the sentence-teachings of this Landon, well, something has gone awry!

And to be honest, Nik, I'm not sure how helpful it would be to you anyway. You have a very distinctive writing voice. It isn't always easy to follow, as it's very sinewy and information-rich, but attempting to "beautify" it by use of various rhetorical flourishes isn't likely to help overall, I think. If you were worried about your style, and wanted to make it a little more reader-friendly, then find an author whose style you admire and analyse what makes it enjoyable for you and then try copying it.

Here's hoping the flat spot is only a temporary plateau.