Just as MAYA applied to several objects in the article, it is also relevant in public and professional writing. Specifically, writing takes on the “familiar and new” approach more often than the repetitiveness of the Marvel franchise. My first thought of “familiar and new” meets writing was Twitter’s recent extension of their character limit. The familiarity of Twitter keeps users involved. While the new, exciting option to double your characters to 240 tests tweeters creativity and keeps them writing and reading tweets more than ever. If we had originally started with 240 characters, would Twitter have even caught on? Could our shrinking attention spans handle 240 characters? The article says, “humans seek familiarity, because it makes them feel safe. On the other hand, people are charged by the thrill of a challenge, powered by a pioneer lust.” I think that Twitter’s idea to extend their character limit follows this idea exactly, for we are now challenged to be funnier, cleverer, or more opinionated on our familiar app.
In addition to Twitter, the Fifty Shades of Grey series took advantage of the “familiar and new” idea when it dropped the vampires from Twilight and added sex to a very similar storyline. In fact, Fifty Shades of Grey IS Twilight fanfiction. And what better way to get an entire country of women to openly read and discuss unconventional sex? Use a storyline they all loved years prior and enhance it. Just like the FX series Sons of Anarchy, where at face value it’s a motorcycle show, but low-key it’s just Hamlet for the 21st century, Fifty Shades of Grey is mostly thought of as socially-acceptable pornography, but accepted because it’s basically Twilight. Fifty Shades of Grey worked because it was NEW – before this series you didn’t see women casually carrying around sex novels. It also worked because it wasn’t new at all: we fell in love with Twilight in 2010, and we fell again in 2012 (unknowingly).
While I think MAYA applies clearly to public writing, the line is blurred for professional writing. For example, a college application essay is seemingly standard. Students are given a prompt to which they type up a few paragraphs and maybe throw in some literary devices or anecdotes in hopes of standing out. It’s the familiar way and it works (see, even USA Today recommends opening with an anecdote http://college.usatoday.com/2014/10/23/9-essay-writing-tips-to-wow-college-admissions-officers/) . However, I’ve heard of students writing their essays in the form of a poem, and it WORKED. If I had to guess why, I’d say because of MAYA. The article mentions that, “a surprise seems to work best when it contains some element of familiarity.” To those reading the essays, a poetic application would be a pleasant surprise, something different from the thousands of other essays; however, it only works if it still answers the question simply as they all do. On the other hand, professional writing, such as a science journal, there isn’t room for MAYA. The format is nearly the same for each possibly because any attempt to change it may take a shot at the author’s ethos.
Overall, Loewy was onto something with his MAYA idea. If it applies to most aspects of our lives such as apps, names, and TV shows, it certainly applies to writing, too. Where the line is drawn between the type of writing MAYA applies to, I am not completely sure. But, if I had to guess I’d say it falls somewhere amidst professional writing.
I liked the way you related MAYA to twitter, I hadn’t thought about that. I think you ask a valid question when you wonder if it would have caught on at the extended 240 characters. But thinking about when twitter came out, it was so novel for the time, there was nothing like it. So despite a smaller character count, I wonder what the familiarity appeal was from the start. Maybe it was a form of social media/news/gossip, something we already experience in our everyday lives? Either way, I like the connection you draw there.
I also thought it was interesting how you described Fifty Shades as a mimic of Twilight. I think it is interesting that after those there weren’t more hugely famous series so identical to those, maybe another similar series would have crossed that line into too much of the familiar?
I really liked the way you explained MAYA through a college application in the form of poetry. I thought that was very creative, and it really would be distinguishing from other applications, but only OK if it answers the questions asked, as you intelligently pointed out. MAYA is all about finding that balance. The article discussed science trying to find a ratio about perceptions of what is beautiful; I wonder if there is a ratio that could be found for MAYA – what percentage you need to make something familiar, surprising, and what percentage you need to make something surprising, familiar, so that people will be comfortable with the product.
Lastly, I agree in terms of style professional writing can’t really have a surprising style, however I’d argue the surprising aspect is the writing itself. Explaining new science/contradicting current beliefs or setting new legal precedent/writing dissenting opinions could be the surprising, while the form in which they are written is the familiar.
I was interested in your thought process of the Twilight Saga compared to the 50 Shades of Grey series. I see the similarities in both and feel that authors continue to utilize the plots they know appeal to the general masses. What I’m curious is why you think they transitioned so quickly from vampires to sex? I understand that romance played a major role in the Twilight Saga, but 50 Shades of Grey epitomizes romance and sexual encounters. Personally, I feel that this day and age people are more willing to express their sexual encounters and having unconventional sex is somewhat encouraged (at least in the environment of college campuses). Therefore, perhaps the producers of large-scale movies are catering to the general masses and the conformity of society.
I also wanted to highlight the idea that MAYA is blurred for professional writing, particularly college essays and resumes. I recall having difficulty with college essays – not because I did not have experiences that would make me a good candidate, but rather I found it difficult to cater to the admissions counselor whom would be reading my essay. I read the article you attached and really enjoyed the anecdotal piece. If you could start off explaining an experience that happened to you to make the admissions counselor emotionally attached, then they are more drawn in to understanding who you are as an individual. I also found the poem idea very interesting, where it’s something different than a few paragraphs on a sheet of paper. I guess the takeaway is find something important to you, then run with it and focus on making the reader intrigued. The same can be said about resumes, however highlighting/explaining previous experiences is evolved in a cover letter or interacting through an interview. I agree that we all use MAYA on a daily basis, but there is no definitive line where it can be applied.
I love how you relate MAYA to most things that we are familiar with like Twitter and Twilight. It is because we are familiar with these that we could understand the concept of MAYA being applied. If you had given examples from something before our time, I may have not been able to relate it with MAYA. For the entertainment business, I agree that MAYA plays an important part. Because we liked Iron Man when it came out, the MARVEL Universe caught on. Then, the DC Universe and all new movies with almost the same storyline, ” A group of people with superpowers saves the day from an evil force”. I agree that with twitter, they have successfully applied MAYA and gain more attention to them. What do you think about the Instagram app? The app adds a lot more features in a very short time compared to twitter, does it help? I find Instagram’s updates frustrating and unhelpful. The app somehow adds too much new features that I find it unfamiliar.
The thing about people is that we love familiarity, and we would always choose something that is familiar to us instead of something new. If we like it, we would surely stick with it. Just like eating out, if we love the restaurant, we would certainly come again.
I did not know that 50 Shades of Grey was Twilight fan fiction! I haven’t read/watched either, so I’m not sure how I would know that…but still, weird pop culture nuggets like that are things I tend to know. Definitely disappointed in myself on this one.
Also enjoyed the note about college admission essays and how MAYA may had been in play for some poem entries there. Great article!
I’m glad you expressed some skepticism about how MAYA may apply to more professional writing–though you focus on academic writing specifically (though, why can’t that be “professional”?). You write:
On the other hand, professional writing, such as a science journal, there isn’t room for MAYA. The format is nearly the same for each possibly because any attempt to change it may take a shot at the author’s ethos.
Is that true? This is a great claim to test out.