Adonis Diaries

Affirmative Writing Style: The Levant kind, (April 6, 2009)

In my essay “The Bibles as Repository of the Customs in the Levant (Near East)”, I described the written style in the Levant, which is basically the style of the Bibles, New and Old:  “The style in the Bibles is characterized by direct pronouncements, expressing feeling and describing what is seen and heard.  The sentences are not encumbered by prefixes such as “I think”, “I believe”, “I am not sure”, “It is possible”, “There might be other versions”, “I might be wrong”, or “It is my opinion”, or whatever style the western writers have adopted from the Greek’s “rational style”. 

The style in the Levant sounds confident, categorical, and conveying the total truth, though it does not mean that the people cannot discriminate or feel the variations, possibilities, and uncertainties. 

The writers in the Levant simply feel that all these attachments are redundant, since it is a fact of life that nothing is categorical or certain. Consequently, superfluous additions that disturb the flow of thoughts and ideas that need to be conveyed, are not appreciated. 

The author feels that the western readers of the Bible should tone down their uneasiness with “outrageous” direct and assured pronouncements in the Bibles.”

I claim that, if you still need to add all these superfluous corrective or “diplomatic” prefixes, then you might as well warn your readers that the piece is still in the draft stage, that you are ruminating and reflecting; that you are still in the stage of talking to yourself; and that you need your readers to help you out finish the article. 

It is my position that, when you are ready to publish, you should adopt the Levantine affirmative style, the style that confirms to your readers that you have thoroughly thought out your topic, that you have written several drafts, that you have regurgitated your positions in many scarp papers, and that all you need from your readers is their alternative opinions, positions, and their own personal experiences to round up the topic.

It is not appropriate to publish when you are very confused, unless you are specifically sharing your confusions with your readers, and thus your readers should be warned by a note at the beginning of the article that you wish to abuse them and be used as your scrap papers for reflections. 

Let your ideas and opinions flow in a confident style manner, which does not mean that your are opinionated, but have reflected seriously before publishing .

For example, I even refrain from joining paragraphs with adverbs such as “however, on the other hand, indeed, furthermore, moreover…” and on.  I do not want to lead the reader by the nose. I want the reader to re-edit the piece in his own style, I want him to rearrange the article in a manner that suit his own style of thinking and comprehension

I want the reader to take time reflecting instead of fast reading it and thinking that he got the idea in the least time. 

If I worked hard to write an essay, I want the reader to feel the energy and perseverance that I invested for him in order to share my ideas and feelings.

That is how I like to read articles.  That is how I like to write articles: The Levant style. 

If you are apprehensive of censure and you are not ready to lay your neck on the scaffold then desist. 

If your neck was spared, you have got another chance to reflect and resume your fight.

Publish as a free man, willing to admit mistakes and errors in due time. Publish as a confident man who can be trusted, because you are loyal to your conscious and have the zest for change and fairness. 

Mostly, publish because you have a genuine and serious sense of humor and you want people to share in the fun.

Note: The availability of internet social platforms has confused the dividing line between writing and publishing: Publishing entails social responsibilities to the readers…