“A Pattern Language” (v3)
@September 19, 2024 8:37 AM (EST) – @September 19, 2024 9:30 AM (EST)
@September 19, 2024 1:30 PM (EST) – @September 19, 2024 2:58 PM (EST)
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The One Thing
Lean on the architecture metaphor and Alexander’s book even more.
- Bring back a couple of the very apt block quotes from v2.
- Don’t introduce Frank Lloyd Wright’s three rules (as an example of tangential material).
- Explicitly map the dimensions of your pattern language onto Alexander’s.
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Open Questions
Feedback
To Workshop:
Intro
- To help with the nomenclature and indexing/references, I suggest having a Preface, an Introduction, then Chapter 1 would be Thesis (or whatever you decide is the first element). That way, you could reference MICROCOSM (1.2), and it’d be a direct link to that section in Chapter 1.
- Don’t lose track of this vision. Even if you don’t state it explicitly, use it to guide you as you write:
- Let’s workshop this on our call:
- "simply a complex system" doesn't quite work.
- "goal" feels wrong here. If an architecture is the system, how does it relate to goals? Couldn't there be many goals accomplished with the same system, using its parts in different ways?
- It's confusing the relationship between the "complex system" and "parts that come together." Is the system parts put together, or is the Empire State Building, for instance, the parts put together. The Empire State and Architecture don't share the same goal.
My whole book is offering a system for the "self-study" of writing. There are a few routes: 1) Get an $80k MFA and learn from the experts, 2) Flail around on Substack every week and hope you get better through reps. The middle road is what's missing; we have books, templates, threads, and courses, but none of those really satisfy the need of serving as a multi-year guide to hone your craft.
An architecture, simply, is a complex system of parts that come together to achieve a goal.
My goal in Essay Architecture is to build a hierarchy for all the patterns that matter in essay- writing.
- This doesn't feel quite write. It's not a hierarchy *of Patterns*, because all the Patterns at the same level of the hierarchy. To me, it's an architecture for essay-writing, comprised of the 27 essential Patterns.
“Place the greenhouse so that it has easy access to the VEGETABLE GARDEN (177) and the COMPOST (178). Arrange its interior so that it is surrounded with WAIST-HIGH SHELVES (201) and plenty of storage space—BULK STORAGE (145); perhaps give it a special seat, where it is possible to sit comfortable—GARDEN SEAT (176), WINDOW PLACE (180)...” p.814
- This quote falls below the standard you set in the last draft for your references to Alexander. I'm not sure this adds much. You won't write a paragraph like this (with as many references), and I doubt your reader would want to read it.
- Let’s workshop this header. I’m not sure this section is about this.
This system is focused on essays because essays are the best medium to learn a pattern language around writing composition.
Body
- EXAMPLE: I think this part of the meta-chapter template works much better for Elements than it does in this Introduction.
- Dimensions: Keep this super brief. Lean on the diagram and the architecture metaphor. One paragraph — then get into the Elements.
- This is very clear and compelling. Don't change a thing. Just execute this.
Elements: I’ll show the 9 elements, and talk about how (a) each one has a unique geometry, and (b) each one satisfies part of Aristotle’s triad. The idea is to collate the dimensions and elements into sections here. So there will be “The Elements of Idea,” “The Elements of Form,” and “The Elements of Voice.” You can intuit the dimension through a discussion of the elements (there doesn’t need to be a separate full section for idea, form, voice).
Reference
Roy Peter Clark on the significance/vibe of the number of things
"We use one for power. Use two for comparison, contrast. Use three for completeness, wholeness, roundness. Use four or more to list, inventory, compile, and expand.” – Writing Tools