Every story has three parts, and these three parts have been known to exist for thousands of yours. These three parts are beginning, a middle, and an end. Aristotle said that these were the three parts of a story, and I think that these three parts are the most basic sections we can break a […]
The Three Parts of a Story Read More »
Have you ever read a book that was written so well that made you cry? I mean one of those books that is written so well, you realize you’re a slob who is never going to make it in life, so you buy yourself three gallons of ice-cream, four bags of chips, and fourteen pounds
Describing things as They are Experienced Read More »
I have been writing for almost two decades. When it comes to beginnings and endings, I rarely can come up with something that works on the first try. This is especially the case for beginnings. When you open a book, you want to make the reader feel obligated to read the rest of the book.
Writing Your First Sentence Read More »
What is your favorite part of writing? One of my favorite parts is planning the book. I also like the first draft, but one of the areas I do not like as much is editing. Editing can be the worst, because by the time you get to editing, you have already written the entire book.
A Painless Approach to Editing Read More »
When you write anything, you usually decide on how to write that thing based on how it feels in the world. What is the emotional connection? Does this thing I am writing contain movement? Do I need to describe it in a certain way because the way it expresses itself is temporal? Action is one
A New Way to Look at Action Read More »
When I first started to write in school, I was taught that each sentence forms a complete thought. This is probably true. When linguists look at talking and writing, they probably say that a sentence is a thought. Even though this might be true, I think you need to shift your attitude about what forms
Each Paragraph is a Thought Read More »
One of the things I learned about in school was the necessity of having transitions in my writing. If I did not have transitions, my writing would not flow. If my writing did not flow, people would not like my writing. If people did not like my writing, they would not like me. And if
Invisible Transitions Read More »
Writing only consists of what is on the page, but it doesn’t, but it does, but it doesn’t. If you have ever thought about what writing is, you probably have realized that it is a very complex process. Speech is a complex process in and of itself, but writing goes beyond speech. It follows after
The Necessary Space Between the Writing Read More »
Most writers know what purple prose is. Most try to make their writing contain as little writing as possible. I call this skinny writing. In this week’s episode, I talk about the utility of purple prose and skinny writing, when we should use both, and why I think that our writing culture has shifted toward
Purple Prose and a movement toward Skinny Writing Read More »
Begging the Question does not mean that you are asking a specific question. Begging the Question is a logical fallacy that looks at whether someone is making arguments for their basic ideas or is merely making assumptions. When we look at Begging the Question, it can teach us authors to look at our fundamental beliefs
Begging the Question Read More »
