Telling and Showing: An Introduction to Visual Communication

by Carl Rittenhouse Larson

a. Many writers don’t realize this, but
b.
c. Textual Communication
i.
1. is a type of
ii.
2. Visual Communication. Textual
i.
ii.
iii.Visual communication is the bigger category. Visual
iv.
b. We are not googlebots, and
i. we do not robo-read.
ii.
iii.We’re actually people,
1.
2. and we have attention spans!
3.
c. We often scan material,
d. rather than reading it word for word.
i.
ii. Because we’re busy.
iii. We have lives to live.
iv.
1. Sure, we all know how to row our way
2. across seas of text,
3.
4. but wouldn’t we rather
5. get in a sailboat?
a. And ride over the horizon?
b.
c.
e. When we read text,
 f. it’s like we’re
i.
3. Rock climing.
a. We need footholds,
i. toe spots,
ii.
iii. places to jump in halfway through,
iv. get what we need,
v.
vi. and move on with our busy lives.
vii.
1. Text oceans give no footholds.
a. There’s no jump-in point.
b.
c. And it makes readers click away.
d.
a. I just dropped out of law school.
b.
c. In law school, you’re supposed to make
d.
4. Outlines.
a.
b. It’s laughable how
c. you’re just supposed to know how to do this.
i.
ii. Should I put numbers or letters?!
iii. When do I press enter?
1. Or tab?
a. Or shift+tab?
2.
a. Help!
b.
iv. I quickly realized that
v.
5. Outlining is an art form.
i. There’s no exact science.
 ii.
1. Look at any law school class,
2. same material,
3. same professor,
4.
a. but every student’s outline is different!
b.
iii. There’s so much unused communication bandwith
iv. when a writer ignores the option to put text into outline form.
v.
b. Besides,
i.
ii. it gives so much more room for pictures!
iii.
iv.
1. We love pictures!
2.
c.
6. There’s no right or wrong way to read an outline.
a. JYWXPIXMXÂow.
b.
c. Indents usually indicate levels of
i. WTIGMÁGMX]
ii. and generality.
iii.
iv.
v. Long open spaces indicate what might be considered
vi. a pause in a conversation.
vii.
1. Everett Bogue eloquently says on his “Contact Me” page that
viii.
7. Attention is the world’s most valuable commodity.
a.
b. Writers, use your reader’s attention wisely,
i. and you will be handsomely rewarded.