Do literacy and logic have a chicken-or-egg relationship? Our ability to read and write is formed by a certain degree of logic. Words, sentences, essays, and novels can all be broken down into basic rules and structures. By studying these underlying elements, we improve our reading and writing skills. Do those skills, in turn, improve logical thinking?
Is Logic an Art or a Science?
Our society splits academics into two branches: one for those with “logical” minds, another for the “creatives.” STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) versus liberal arts. As someone with a logical mind and a love of literature, I question that distinction.
Some educators are shifting to a STEAM approach (adding “arts” to STEM), which brings creativity into STEM subjects. That addresses the perceived value of both branches, but it still assumes that art and literature rely more on creativity than logic. Is that assumption true?
Creativity is present in both art and science. We need imaginative thinking to create beautiful paintings, write epic novels, invent new technology, improve medical care, and uncover the deeper mysteries of our known universe. Yet creative solutions are more effective when they are based on a sturdy foundation.
Have you ever read a novel, or watched a movie, where you cannot suspend your disbelief enough to stay engaged in the story? Or maybe the plot or dialogue is too convoluted to follow. Literacy and logic go hand in hand. For a story to work, it needs to follow its own internal rules. For writing to be clear, it has to follow grammar rules–or selectively break them for intentional effect.
Phonics and Diagramming Sentences
How you learned to read and write largely depends on when and where you went to school. English teachers in my elementary school were big on Phonics. In essence, Phonics teaches common letter patterns in words and maps them to the sounds they make. It’s an organized, systematic approach to reading and writing that is said to improve spelling and reading comprehension.
Side note: I credit Phonics for my Wordle skills. Gotta consider those phonemes!
Sentence diagramming was another tool my teachers loved. And, to be honest, I love it, too. Sentence diagrams visually show the logical arrangement of a sentence. There are different rules for diagramming sentences, such as the Reed and Kellogg System, and they can get pretty complicated. Yet no matter how complex the sentence, you can follow the rules and organize the parts of your sentence into a logical diagram.
To some degree, I now think in sentence diagrams. I have simple thoughts that I flesh out with adjective clauses and prepositional phrases. When I write novels, I’m keenly aware of sentence structure, in addition to plot structure.
Writing Structure and Internal Logic
Along with laying a logical base for words and grammar, my teachers also focused on the structure of writing. We wrote five paragraph essays. We analyzed plot structure in stories. In short, we were taught the value of well-organized writing. We were also taught that well-organized writing begins with well-organized thoughts.
Have you ever used brainstorming techniques to come up with writing ideas? There are many ways to pull together your ideas including free-writing, lists, and thought maps. Once you’ve gathered your ideas, you can then put them into a logical form using an outline or other writing tools. If you’re writing fiction, your ideas will include character development and plot structure.
Organizing your ideas and plans for your writing will help you stay on track and, in fiction, keep to the internal logic of your own imaginary world.
Plotters and Pantsers
In fiction, novelists often self-identify as plotters or pantsers. Plotters use many of previously mentioned methods to structure their story before they begin writing. Pantsers dive in, writing “by the seat of their pants.” With novels, I am a plotter. Yet, on my Freely Written podcast, I switch into pantser mode, since that is the point of the podcast.
Having used both methods, and having talked to pantser novelists, I still believe strong logic and literacy skills come into play with any good writing. In essence, writing is putting words down on paper (or a screen) and moving them around until they make sense. Understanding language rules and writing structure can streamline that process, whether you plot it in advance or draw from experience as you go. It can also lead to writing that is more readily understood by your readers.
A Cycle of Literacy and Logic
It’s well known that English, as a language, has many exceptions to its rules. Language also evolves over time, both in vocabulary and usage. Still, language has logical structure. Learning that structure may help us create a more logical structure to our own thoughts. Which can make it easier to write coherently, which can lead to more practice in organizing our thoughts…. and on and on the cycle goes.
Despite an outward show of creativity, literacy and logic are intrinsically linked. You can improve your writing with logical thinking and, perhaps, improve your logical thinking by practicing reading and writing.