In today’s post I want to talk about outlining after the fact. Writing has structure. Essays start with an introductory paragraph laying out the premise of your argument. The following paragraphs each have a topic sentence and points that support your topic sentence. The concluding paragraph ties together all your points. A longer work such as a novel also has a structure. There is the inciting incident, rising tension, etc. etc. After the Fact Outlines before writing are supposed to make writing easier. Be honest. Have you ever completed an outlining assignment by writing the piece first, then using the finished product to create the outline? While I don’t recommend…
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Quiet Writing at the Library
A dense freezing fog painted the trees white. Even though the thermostat read 70 degrees, a simple look out the window gave me a chill. At the end of the day, I crawled into bed and nestled under the covers expecting a reprieve from the dreary cold. Sleep Socks I lay there, as I often do, impatient for sleep. I plumped my pillow and closed my eyes from the bedside clock’s illuminated display. I turned on my side and waited. Sleep didn’t come. I tossed. I turned. My toes were icicles that refused to warm up. I rose, careful not to wake my softly snoring husband. Rummaging through my sock…
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Summer Writing Time is Here!
The summer solstice this week marked the beginning of summer writing season. It started getting light at 4:45 in the morning and didn’t get completely dark until 9:28 at night for a grand total of sixteen hours and forty-three minutes of daylight. Self-care It’s easy to let all your self-care routines lapse during the summer, especially if you are on your own while your parents are at work. What do I mean by self-care? That includes sleeping, eating, hydrating, exercising, and social media usage. Here’s Dr. Mary’s prescription: Get eight to ten hours of sleep a night; eat enough nutritious calories to maintain good health—not too many and not too…
