Titles Are For Lesser Mortals...
...or maybe mortals who are simply lesser tired than I am right now. (If that's you, and you happen to think of a good title, you can post it in the comments section.)
So part of the reason for all the silence of the past however many months is that I have been in the last semester of my MFA program, and really had to focus—or at least make a better go of pretending to focus than I usually do. And now, here I am finally nearing the end of the whole graduate-school adventure. I have less than two weeks left before my very last packet of writing is due to my mentor.
If I weren't such an expert at being in denial, I'd probably be panicking right now. Instead, I'm writing this blog. Meaning that the benefits of my denial are all yours, my darlings. (Assuming you consider this rambling non sequitur of a post as a benefit.)
Aside from finishing things up with the MFA, I also got promoted to the position of copywriter at the marketing agency where I work. Which means that I have become remarkably proficient at using language to convey absolutely nothing of consequence. Adjectives in particular have lost all meaning for me. In our marketing materials for our two biggest clients (both in the travel industry), I find myself penning such compelling prose as "Relax in the spectacular Caribbean" or "Enjoy the amazing scenery of the Amazon" or, if I'm really on my game (and here I must ask the kids NOT to try this bit of linguistic artistry at home without the supervision of a trained grammarian), "Bask in the sun-drenched beauty of a relaxing day on an amazing beach full of scenery in the idyllic splendor of the Hawaiian Islands."
Awe-inspiring, isn't it?
Well, to say that the aforementioned sort of writing conflicts with the sort of writing I'm getting the MFA for is a little like saying that water and fire aren't exactly best buddies, but at any rate it pays the bills. Which I certainly cannot say about the creative writing. At least not yet!
Although, if any of you feels inclined to pay me for these blogs, feel free. I would be full of astounding gratitude and I promise to put the spectacular money to a magnificent cause. Like, say, a deliciously soothing getaway amidst splendidly tropical scenery.
Hey, it was just a thought.
So part of the reason for all the silence of the past however many months is that I have been in the last semester of my MFA program, and really had to focus—or at least make a better go of pretending to focus than I usually do. And now, here I am finally nearing the end of the whole graduate-school adventure. I have less than two weeks left before my very last packet of writing is due to my mentor.
If I weren't such an expert at being in denial, I'd probably be panicking right now. Instead, I'm writing this blog. Meaning that the benefits of my denial are all yours, my darlings. (Assuming you consider this rambling non sequitur of a post as a benefit.)
Aside from finishing things up with the MFA, I also got promoted to the position of copywriter at the marketing agency where I work. Which means that I have become remarkably proficient at using language to convey absolutely nothing of consequence. Adjectives in particular have lost all meaning for me. In our marketing materials for our two biggest clients (both in the travel industry), I find myself penning such compelling prose as "Relax in the spectacular Caribbean" or "Enjoy the amazing scenery of the Amazon" or, if I'm really on my game (and here I must ask the kids NOT to try this bit of linguistic artistry at home without the supervision of a trained grammarian), "Bask in the sun-drenched beauty of a relaxing day on an amazing beach full of scenery in the idyllic splendor of the Hawaiian Islands."
Awe-inspiring, isn't it?
Well, to say that the aforementioned sort of writing conflicts with the sort of writing I'm getting the MFA for is a little like saying that water and fire aren't exactly best buddies, but at any rate it pays the bills. Which I certainly cannot say about the creative writing. At least not yet!
Although, if any of you feels inclined to pay me for these blogs, feel free. I would be full of astounding gratitude and I promise to put the spectacular money to a magnificent cause. Like, say, a deliciously soothing getaway amidst splendidly tropical scenery.
Hey, it was just a thought.
Labels: adjectives, copywriting, creative writing, marketing, MFA
posted by grackyfrogg @ 9:31 PM
1 Comments:
At 1:53 AM ,
Drew said...
Hey Grace,
Congrats on being almost done!
In regards to your copywriter work, essayist Christopher Lasch predicted in his 1995 essay, "The Lost Art of Argument," that advertisement jargon could lead to the death of the English language for exactly the reason you mentioned--the jargon begins to strip words of their power, and when those power-stripped words enter the realm of spoken word, our language suffers.
So for God's sake, don't anyone read that blog out loud. :)
The good thing for you, though, is that while your day job may be cutting down the language, your prose is stunning. So I think your net contribution is a positive one.
Oh and that Hawaii by-line would be better if you worked 'splendiforous' into it.
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