Palindrome is complex concept.

For our purposes of writing well, consider a palindrome a word, phrase, sentence, paragraph, or poem that reads the same backwards or forwards. Then realize that palindromes show up in other sciences and arts too: math, acoustics, and music to name a few.

Hüsker Dü‘s concept album Zen Arcade contains the songs “Reoccurring Dreams” and “Dreams Reoccurring,” the latter of which appears earlier on the album but is actually the intro of the former song played in reverse.

Back to letters…

“Mom” is a palindrome. Short words simplify the idea. Look at these…

• Dad
• Level
• Redder
• Racecar
• Diefied

Notice that, for palindromes, punctuation doesn’t count. Capitalize any letter; place spaces and punctuation marks anywhere. Consider letters exclusively. Check out these short sentences:

• Rise to vote, Sir.
• Name now one man.
• Never a foot too far even.
• Pull a bat, I hit a ball up.
• Yawn a more Roman way.

Quirky, fun, weird: yep. But…

Why Bother With Palindromes?

Mainly: they stretch your mind. Look close at them. Read them forwards and backwards. Enjoy larger and longer ones. Test the validity of each. And enjoy the quirky ideas that flow from one after another.

Look how long, complex, and extra funny these become—

• Harass sensuousness, Sarah.
• Doom, royal panic, I mimic in a play or mood.
• I saw desserts, I’d no lemons, alas, no melon, distressed was I.
• See slave, I demonstrate yet arts no medieval sees.
• Won’t lovers revolt now?

Here’s my personal favorite: “Drab as a fool; as aloof as a bard.”

Ultimately, though, there’s another level of mind stretching: make your own palindromes.

Check out Demetri Martin’s 224-word palindrome poem.

Many of the above Palindromes are well known.
Find others in Making the Alphabet Dance (pp. 32-34).

Every first time someone asks me “What do you think of my writing?” I worry a little.

People are sensitive. We equate our writing with our personal, inner value. A writing critique seems to equate to “Since he doesn’t like my writing, he doesn’t like me.”

Don’t worry: I like you even if I despise your use of passive verbs. I expect too many passive verbs in every writer’s writing and I’m right… almost every time (even with me).

Say something.

Talking proves that we use an active voice. I bet you used more active verbs than passive ones.

When we turn from speaking to writing, somehow we switch. We fill pages with passivity. We don’t speak like that, but when we get ours hands on a pen or a keyboard, we fill space… too much space.

Passive verbs are great for filling space.

Or, said another way (and to sneak in an example of better writing)…

Passive verbs fill space.

Why Avoid Passive Verbs?

1. They’re boring.
2. They’re inaccurate.
3. They are used to make sentences much longer than they need to be.
4. They are important.

See?

Each of the reasons above use a passive verb: are. The first two hide it in a contraction, but it’s there.

Look at the same 4 reasons with active verbs:

Why Avoid Passive Verbs?

1. They bore people.
2. They misrepresent.
3. They create long sentences.
4. They radiate meaning when used well.

That sounds better, no?

Yes it does.

Next time you’re done writing, circle all your passive verbs. Eliminate all of them. Later we’ll examine excellent uses for passive verbs of being.

Chances are, you used too many, and it takes some effort to extract them from writing. For now, learn the passive verbs…or…verbs of being.

Passive Verbs of Being

Chant them to remember them…

am is are – was were

has have had – do does did done

be been – can could

shall should – will would

may might must

Here’s  a good read and an author that uses both passive and active verbs precisely: Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises (aff link).

Twice. This blog has thrived; then I erased it. Thrived and erased.

So it goes…

I wrote about politics and web design, martial arts and healing powers. Politics, at some point, bore me; it’s all the same, year after year. Web design intrigues me; it gets better and better looking. Martial arts and healing arts are my forte. Really.

All of it, at least in terms of the internet, requires writing.

The new face of SRS Blog focuses on writing well.

On occasion, we’ll dip into other subjects.

Enjoy.