Just some notes on our recent reading of Emerson’s Writing Field Notes for my own reference (and for anyone else who needs a refresher … )
writing as a construction, a version of the world according to the writer
filter vs mirror
stylistic narrative conventions
selective and partial
asides, commentaries
forget and simplify
immediacy
dictation vs writing
internal editor
stream-of-conscious fashion
what to include and what to leave out
include tangential activities and comments “minor”
description, dialogue, characterization
adjectives and adverbs – color, shape, size, sound, timbre, volume, smell, fragrance, gestures, movements, posture, facial expressions (kinetic)
stereotypes – gender, age, race, physical appearance
visual cliches
avoids evaluative verbs and adjectives
tone of voice, attitude of writer – in word choice
direct-indirect quotes
sketches – brief segments, still life
episodes – continuous action or motion
asides – brief, reflective bits of analytic writing that clarify explain, interpret, or raise questions about some specific happening or process described in a field note. – tentative hunches
commentary – more elaborate reflection, a series of stories portraying slices of life in vivid detail
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