Recently, my friend shared an article on Facebook about a group of people who resist the counsel to wear masks, even when it comes from the top leaders of their religion. 😵
Now, both of my brothers have had COVID, thankfully without complications. One brother got infected by his stupid roommate, who had symptoms but dragged his feet on getting tested and still hung out with people in the meantime. I've left open my offer to punch said roommate in the face, so you can guess how I feel about the people in the aforementioned article. (In the interests of sparing everyone's blood pressure, I'm not going to share it.)
After commenting "What. Is. Wrong. With. People" on my friend's post, I started thinking. What goes on in people's minds that makes them so defiant about wearing a mask? It just doesn't make sense to me.
I took the question to Google and eventually ended up at this article. While it's not specific to dealing with mask debates—which, unless you have to enforce a policy, are probably not worth getting into anyway—it does make a compelling case for how to tell whether you're going Papa Bear (too much), Mama Bear (too little), or Baby Bear (just enough) with the supporting evidence for an argument. Outside of school assignments, we usually don't have a required number of points to make or sources to cite, so these guidelines can help us make sure we're on target.
Interestingly, I've found myself unconsciously using a similar technique when describing things in my fiction. Three sentences max is usually about right to build a clear picture without bogging down the story.
If you're not sure whether your WIP is leaning towards Papa Bear, Mama Bear, or Baby Bear, click here to book a time for us to start figuring that out. And if you or someone special in your life wants to start a new side hustle or even career in the new year, my Manuscript-Critique Certification Course is open for enrollment again. Click here to learn more!
And please—wear a mask.
Write on,
Candice
(Photo: Jonathan Pendleton, Unsplash)
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