Six S's of Writing
01/28/2023 12:08 PM MST
ai, writing
This article is based on multiple discussions with OpenAI's Davinci 3 model. It began with a suggestion that the 3's of writing are signs, syntax, and symbols. The AI countered this by suggesting structure, style, and substance as the 3's of writing. Eventually we agreed that it makes sense to expand it to the 6 S's of writing as style could imply the voice of the writer, whereas signs are more fore-shadowing and other mechanics of writing used to tell a story. My reason for investigating and writing about this is to improve my own writing. It helps to consider each of these categories if writing a story. So without further ado, here are the 6's of writing!
- Structure: the overall organization of your writing, including the introduction, body, and conclusion.
- Structure: the overall organization of your writing, including the introduction, body, and conclusion.
- Style: the way in which you express your ideas, such as the tone, voice, and word choice you use.
- Substance: the actual content of your writing, such as the facts, evidence, and arguments you present.
- Signs: the visual elements of writing, such as punctuation, italics, and headings.
- Syntax: the way you arrange words and phrases to form sentences.
- Symbols: the metaphors, analogies, and images that you use to convey meaning.
How could someone classify data into one of the six categories?
When classifying data into one of the six categories, it is important to consider the content of the data. For instance:
If the data is factual in nature, it would likely fit under the "substance" category.
If the data is visual in nature, it would likely fit under the "signs" category.
If the data is written in a certain style, it would likely fit under the "style" category.
If the data is arranged in a certain way, it would likely fit under the "structure" category.
If the data consists of metaphors, analogies, and images, it would likely fit under the "symbols" category.
Lastly, if the data consists of words and phrases arranged in a certain way, it would likely fit under the "syntax" category.
- Structure
- Introduction
- Body
- Conclusion
- Style
- Tone
- Voice
- Word Choice
- Substance
- Facts
- Evidence
- Arguments
- Signs
- Punctuation
- Italics
- Headings
- Syntax
- Word Arrangement
- Mythology / Magic *
- Translation *
- Symbols
- Metaphors
- Analogies
- Image
I put asterisks next to Mythology/Magic and Translation as it's arguable that these should belong to another category. I decided to place them in the syntax category however, since Mythology/Magic relate to the arrangement of various properties or in the case of magic spells, the arrangement of syllables in the incantations.
Story based on these notes compliments of OpenAI:
I put asterisks next to Mythology/Magic and Translation as it's arguable that these should belong to another category. I decided to place them in the syntax category however, since Mythology/Magic relate to the arrangement of various properties or in the case of magic spells, the arrangement of syllables in the incantations.
Story based on these notes compliments of OpenAI:
"Once upon a time, there was a young writer named Jane who was eager to share her stories with the world.
She had a vivid imagination and was inspired by the myths and magic of her hometown. She was determined to create something unique, so she began to weave these elements into her writing.
Jane was careful to consider the structure of her stories, ensuring that each one had an introduction, body, and conclusion.
As she wrote, she chose her words carefully to create a certain tone and voice that would capture the reader’s attention.
She also included facts, evidence, and arguments to provide substance to her stories.
To bring her stories to life, Jane used punctuation, italics, and headings to draw attention to certain words and phrases.
She also used her mastery of language to arrange words and phrases in a way that was both interesting and meaningful.
Finally, she used metaphors, analogies, and images to convey her message in a way that was both beautiful and powerful.
Jane’s stories were soon translated into multiple languages, and people from all over the world began to appreciate her work.
By combining the six S’s of writing—structure, style, substance, signs, syntax, and symbols—Jane was able to share her unique stories with the world."
These categories can also be applied to other domains. For example, the AI suggested this mapping for analyzing chemistry using the same basic principles:
- Structure: the way chemical components are organized, such as the arrangement of atoms in a molecule or the hierarchical structure of a compound.
- Style: the way chemical concepts are expressed, such as the use of symbols, formulas, and equations.
- Substance: the actual content of a chemical reaction, such as the reactants and products.
- Signs: the visual elements of a reaction, such as the type of bond formed or the energy levels.
- Syntax: the way reactants are arranged and transformed into products, such as the type of reaction taking place.
- Symbols: the metaphors, analogies, and images used to explain the process of a chemical reaction.
This could be an interesting way to examine other domains. If one determines how the 6s of writing can apply to the domain, then hopefully writings on these topics will become more useful and entertaining.
This could be an interesting way to examine other domains. If one determines how the 6s of writing can apply to the domain, then hopefully writings on these topics will become more useful and entertaining.