Laura's Discussion of Innovation

In attempting to imitate Brevity it was discovered that what the group initially thought was innovation in writing was not as innovative as it seemed. Per issue, there were about 1-2 texts that could be classified as innovative- in some issues were not any. The innovation in a piece was determined more by format and design than by simple text and narrative. The innovative piece in Issue 27 was constructed as a mini-memoir, told in chapter style and expressing all that a memoir takes on, but in much less length. This was a fresh look at the purpose of Brevity and experimented with the expectations and limitations of the criteria. In the rest of the sample, one of the other innovative texts was presented in question-answer form. This relied on imagery, succinct language and especially a disconnectedness of thought. This disconnect is not necessary for a Brevity essay to be innovative. The innovative text must have an innovative design or the writing must be so original that it does not resemble any of the style of the other essays published. This is an example of a disembodied genre.

In order to imitate the design of the innovative texts, it was necessary to create a format that would not allow for a typical narrative. I chose to use an itemized bank statement to format my essay. I used the totals for two months to set the foundation for my writing. I used short phrases and descriptive words to explain feelings about the totals- to give an inner look at my emotions and personality. This is one of the more obvious approaches to innovation because at first glance it breaks the formatting constraints of the typical essay. This is an example of how formatting is the primary way that innovation is expressed. In the mini-memoir in Issue 27, the use of innovation was subtle. The idea to use Brevity as a platform for a complete memoir was certainly new and broke through the generic constraints that the online journal implements.

However, the writing was not particularly innovative. At best, the writing would have been
classified as abstract, jumping to and from subjects that seem to not be connected. In the innovative style of writing, there is more variation between subjects. In some pieces, subjects seem to be in stream of conscious form or even sometimes a “mosh-pit” of ideas.

The beauty of innovation in Brevity is in experiencing creativity behind the writers’ thoughts. Although Brevity implements very vague guidelines, there is a precursor of the traditional essay and the standard style of essay is generally implied by the writer. The constrictions are put in place by the writers’ psyche, not the publication. But when the writer breaks these forms and makes use of the vagueness of authority, the beauty behind their creativity shines through- the possibilities are endless. At first glance, the online journal appears to be a “one-note” medium. But as the audience is able to read more and more issues and ponder innovation in the publication, there are many design choices that come to mind as simple breaks from the Brevity mold.