Well timed piece, Matt, since I managed to manufacture a drag post quite recently! One thing good about Substack is that you can have another shot, if you're resilient. And, the community generally forgives the occasional boo-boo slip.
I have always been guilty of skimming boring sections of books, trimming sentences, glancing over the minutiae, and so on. I feel like I am robbing myself of the experience if I don't read each word, or maybe even reread sections to make sure I milk every ounce of the book. Yet there are books that can be a struggle to get through, but part of me doesn't want to stop part way and put it back on the shelf, it seems sacrilegious... right?? I must have gotten this mindset from my Dad who also seems to finish whatever book he starts no matter the level of "draggy-ness" it may have. Recently, I have been guilty of applying all of these reading tactics to a book I'm struggling through right now, which has been the definition of "drag." But after reading this, and realizing there are other people who apply similar strategies to get through the fluff is somehow very comforting. So thanks for sharing!
Nicely done once again Matt. Not a moment of drag throughout the whole of the thing. I like this topic and I especially like your association of it to efficiency. In an athlete or a dancer it is economy of motion, nothing decorative, nothing superfluous. Pure. Writing is a little slipperier. It's unavoidable that style makes itself known, it is, at least in part, the motor behind our efforts. So, efficiency in prose can have a hundred, a million different faces. But that's a good thing, we can enjoy multitudes of efficient writers making efficient works. Unless they happen to take us to places we have no interest in visiting. But that's part of the adventure you so beautifully describe. That beautiful, intangible dance between writer and reader. Art. Keep it coming . . .
i loved this! honestly I never viewed drag like this, I always saw it as a flaw in my reading or a flaw in the writer, but it really doesn’t have to be either. this is a refreshing take :)
Well timed piece, Matt, since I managed to manufacture a drag post quite recently! One thing good about Substack is that you can have another shot, if you're resilient. And, the community generally forgives the occasional boo-boo slip.
I have always been guilty of skimming boring sections of books, trimming sentences, glancing over the minutiae, and so on. I feel like I am robbing myself of the experience if I don't read each word, or maybe even reread sections to make sure I milk every ounce of the book. Yet there are books that can be a struggle to get through, but part of me doesn't want to stop part way and put it back on the shelf, it seems sacrilegious... right?? I must have gotten this mindset from my Dad who also seems to finish whatever book he starts no matter the level of "draggy-ness" it may have. Recently, I have been guilty of applying all of these reading tactics to a book I'm struggling through right now, which has been the definition of "drag." But after reading this, and realizing there are other people who apply similar strategies to get through the fluff is somehow very comforting. So thanks for sharing!
Nicely done once again Matt. Not a moment of drag throughout the whole of the thing. I like this topic and I especially like your association of it to efficiency. In an athlete or a dancer it is economy of motion, nothing decorative, nothing superfluous. Pure. Writing is a little slipperier. It's unavoidable that style makes itself known, it is, at least in part, the motor behind our efforts. So, efficiency in prose can have a hundred, a million different faces. But that's a good thing, we can enjoy multitudes of efficient writers making efficient works. Unless they happen to take us to places we have no interest in visiting. But that's part of the adventure you so beautifully describe. That beautiful, intangible dance between writer and reader. Art. Keep it coming . . .
“the needle of my Satisfaction Gauge (SG) slowly creeps into the red zone...” lol SG
Reminds of the concept of Occam’s razor, and how powerful simplicity can be.
i loved this! honestly I never viewed drag like this, I always saw it as a flaw in my reading or a flaw in the writer, but it really doesn’t have to be either. this is a refreshing take :)
This.
This, was a fun post.
Gonna doing more dragging.
Thanks for writing it :)