Resist the urge to explain. You know your joke hasn’t gone over well when you have to explain the punch line. Writing is like that too. The best narratives speak for themselves. Give Your Reader Credit Explaining each detail is akin to talking down to your reader. Surely, they can infer your meaning without explanation. Readers as a whole are intelligent beings capable of coming to their own conclusions based on the information you give them. Look at the example below. Aunt Cecelia believes that if you can’t produce a thing yourself, you have no business using it. You’d never know she is related to my image conscious, consumer driven,…
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Time for School
If you’re a student, welcome back to school! Sharp pencils, packages of shrink-wrapped lined paper, and fresh haircuts are sure signs of a new school year. No more late nights stargazing or watching Netflix. It’s time to settle in with textbooks and homework. Survival Tips Whether you’re in fifth grade or college you need a good night’s sleep. Light from a TV or computer screen can affect melatonin production. That’s the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle, also known as circadian rhythms. Turn off all screens two hours before you plan to sleep. That includes your cell phone! Stay active. If you find yourself sitting for more than an hour,…
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Meaningful Writing is Personal
Whether you’re writing a report, an essay, or fiction, the best writing is personal. Writing is a conversation between you and your reader. If they want to look up facts and figures without your personal analysis, there’s always the internet. Readers crave a personal connection with the writing and that’s what you bring to the conversation. Nonfiction Think about the last report you wrote. Was it an assigned topic? If not, how did you choose what to write about? Was your report dull and lifeless or did you pack it with the passion you have for the topic? The best writing always has a personal component. That personal connection allows…
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Monthly Goal Sheet
In order to be productive, a writer must set goals. I know I’ve talked about this before, but it bears repeating. In addition to word count and project goals, a writer needs to set revision and submission goals. Think about making a monthly goal sheet. Mine is divided into three categories: creative, business, and networking. Creative What do I include under the creative heading? Weekly flash fictions and blog posts, projects under development, and continuing revision on a Middle Grade manuscript are on this month’s goal sheet. I post it on the bulletin board in plain view then mark through with a green highlighter when I complete a task. At…
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Write Your Congressman
Why write your Congressman? People write their elected representatives for a variety of reasons. In a representative democracy like the United States, your congressman acts on behalf of their constituents. Constituents include children, adults, citizens, and immigrants. Regardless of voting status, if you live in this country your congressman speaks for you. They are not mindreaders. It’s up to you to tell them what you think about the issues of the day. Succinct The most important advice for writing your congressmen: be succinct. Your Senator or Representative has thousands of constituents and likely receives hundreds of emails and letters each day. Save your detailed argument with facts, figures, graphs, and…
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What Should I Write About?
Where do you find ideas for stories? Well . . . there are plenty of places to discover something interesting or worthwhile to say. But to track them down, you have to keep informed about what’s happening in the world, brainstorm original ideas, and keep your ear to the ground for the curious, the weird, or the otherwise fascinating. Finding Something to Say Ideas for stories are everywhere. In the news, in that summer novel, in your neighbor’s backyard. Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, an idea is out there waiting for you. Elizabeth Gilbert writes in Big Magic that inspiration is ripe for the writer who is open to…
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Stereotypes in Writing
Stereotyped characters fit a mold manufactured by media and society. They are flat and predictable. If I say “cowboy” do you see a man wearing a Stetson and boots astride a horse? Does “librarian” conjure up an image of a mousy middle-aged woman in glasses and a bun? These are stereotypes—what we expect to see. Expectations can expand to behaviors as well. Cowboys are tough, hard drinking, and independent. Librarians are honest, prim and proper. Why Stereotypes are Valuable Stereotypes can help the reader recognize your character. Men who ride horses, wear Stetsons and boots are cowboys. Prim and proper women who wear glasses and style their hair in a…
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Propaganda
Propaganda is a dirty word. As a writer you have a responsibility to recognize it. As a reader your future may depend on whether you recognize it or not. I’ve been away visiting family and wasn’t sure I’d post this week. But something I saw on Facebook prompted this post. Twisted Truth Let’s start with a definition. Click here. We rarely think of propaganda as the truth. Surprisingly, propaganda can be the truth repackaged. Let me explain. In seventh grade Mrs. Tucker taught a unit on advertising and propaganda. I find it interesting how these topics are linked, but I digress. At the height of the Cold War, she presented…
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Narration and Dialog Keep Your Story Moving
Fiction writing comes in two stripes: narration and dialog. They both move the story along. Narration does it in large strokes. Dialog gets into detail at the character level. Narration Narration allows the writer to relay information that is important to the story in a paragraph or two. It sets the scene, describes a particular place or a specific time period. Or perhaps it condenses the important events leading to the character’s current situation. In a novel, writers use narration to summarize earlier scenes to remind the reader how they got to that point. In each case, narration is a kind of shortcut to give the reader information or description…
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Conflict is the Basis for Storytelling
All good stories contain conflict. Sometimes it’s good against evil, or a misunderstanding that snowballs out of control. Sometimes it’s a humorous mix-up. Whether visiting family, traveling, or attending summer camp this summer, recognize the potential for great stories. Family Conflict What better place to look for conflict than within your own family. Sibling spats, In-law imperfections, and cousin capers all scream conflict. Some of the best family stories involve everyday events blown out of proportion. Think about all the ways siblings get under each other’s skin. Something as simple as a trip to the store can be the basis of a conflict-laden story. Maybe your in-laws are driving you…
