Historical Writing Workshop

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Historical Writing Workshop
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Topics for Today

• Sentence Structure
• Vocabulary/Word Choice
• Streamlining your writing

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I. Sentence Structure

• Look out for the, this, that, etc. at the
  beginning of sentences.

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I. Sentence Structure

• Make sure there are no sentences linked with
  commas
• The Byzantines were suspicious of the Latin
  westerners, they had reason to be worried.

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I. Sentence Structure

• Watch for sentence fragments often indicated by
  a verbal noun form such as being
• Sentences with no verb being ungrammatical.

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I. Sentence Structure

• Vary your sentence structure some short, some
  longer, so that the language flows
• Use terms that tell your reader the relationship
  between ideas such as however, moreover,
  consequently, etc.

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II. Vocabulary/Word Choice

• Eliminate bland verbs to be, to have, to go.
  Replace them with more dynamic, specific
  language the goal is not fancy or obscure
  prose, but clear and concise writing.

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II. Vocabulary/Word Choice

• Avoid nominalization, which means turning a verb
  into a noun and then using a duller verb with
  it.
• The Latins made an agreement to give a large
  payment to the Venetians, who then began the
  construction of a fleet for the transportation
  the crusaders to Egypt.

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II. Vocabulary/Word Choice

• Historians avoid the following! Why?
• I, you
• this led to
• this shows
• when looking at
• since the beginning of time
• there are both similarities and differences
• Websters Dictionary defines X as. . .

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III. Streamlining your writing

• Cut out everything extra you want your prose to
  be as efficient as possible, and this requires
  practice
• Reading your writing out loud is a useful way to
  identify wordy passages or dead wood needing to
  be pruned

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How could you streamline this?

• The Byzantines did not like having the Latins in
  Constantinople because it seemed to them that the
  crusaders did not have a right to be there, and
  there was a lot of past history between them that
  made each side hostile to one another.

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How could you streamline this?

• The Byzantines did not like having the Latins in
  Constantinople because it seemed to them that the
  crusaders did not have a right to be there, and
  there was a lot of past history between them that
  made each side hostile to one another.
• The Byzantines, who had not forgotten previous
  conflicts with the crusaders, bitterly resented
  the Latins presence in Constantinople.

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Peer Review

• Swap papers with someone else, put your name on
  the top as well, and edit
• Mark any errors in grammar or punctuation
• Underline passages that are wordy and could be
  rephrased more concisely
• Circle bland language or nominalizations
• Write a sentence or two of suggestions to them
  for a rewrite