WriterByNature.com

April 1, 2009 7:51 am

A writer friend sent this to me several weeks ago. This brain-teaser is deceptively easy – but not necessarily at first glance.

The complexity of the English language is endlessly fascinating.  I enjoy word games and puzzles, especially when I learn new words, new ways to use words or new ways to play with words.

So, have fun, take your time and see if this little puzzle suddenly reveals itself.

The challenge: What do the following words have in common?

• Banana
• Dresser
• Grammar
• Potato
• Revive
• Uneven
• Assess

The bolded first letter is a clue.

(more…)

November 25, 2008 6:50 am

“A chorus of our differences,” Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker said in a recent interview.

Do you ever wonder why metaphors work? Or more important, how to write a powerful metaphor?

Let’s start with what a metaphor is:

A well-written metaphor forms a bridge connecting two apparently unrelated things, providing logical balance to both sides. A poorly written metaphor distracts the reader.

When they efficiently create an image in the reader’s mind, metaphors also help develop the theme.

Consider how Barbara Kingsolver masters this technique in ANIMAL DREAMS:

“The man had a compass needle in his cerebral cortex. And for all that,  he’d still in the long run declined to be the guiding star I needed.”

Try this exercise to build your metaphor-writing skills: (more…)

May 1, 2007 11:58 pm

I’m always on the lookout for writing exercises, crossword puzzles, hidden picture puzzles or any system that will jump start my writing.

Here are a few ideas for filling the page without the pressure of producing a final draft:

1. Write a one-sentence description of ten friends or family members.
2. Write your obituary in 500 words or less.
3. Describe your favorite place to relax in 300 words.
4. Select an essay that you wrote and rewrite it in third person.
5. Choose a chapter written by you or another author and in third person and rewrite it in first person.
6. Sit in a cafe or public place and transcribe a conversation between two people. Now create characters based on the conversation.
7. Freewrite for ten minutes, then stop and read what you wrote. Write down the central theme or issue and begin another 10-minute freewrite. Stop and read that freewrite, find the central theme and begin another 10-minute freewrite.
8. List ten activities that you love. Now write down the last time you did each activity.
9. Take a walk and list every smell or every sound you notice. Use that to write from a dog’s point of view or a cat’s point of view.
10. Find a passage from a favorite book and rewrite it in another genre. If the passage is science fiction, try writing it as a romance or a comedy.

April 25, 2007 1:02 am

Three days of balmy weather has gone to my brain.

Here are a few thoughts to stimulate nature writing: (more…)

April 17, 2007 11:57 pm

This turned up on a listserv or maybe an email.

I wish the sender had identified the source. I’d like to thank the author.

This is an excellent example of using Show, Don’t Tell to share grammar rules. (more…)

April 10, 2007 11:58 pm

I keep Writing Down the Bones within ready reach. Natalie Goldberg’s book includes a number of useful tools when I need a nudge.

The Action of a Sentence is an exercise I use to make writing fun again. Here are the rules: (more…)

April 3, 2007 11:54 pm

Who/Whom falls into my pesky words category.

I spent years reaching for my style manuals whenever confronted with these words. Until I learned a couple of neat tricks. (more…)

April 2, 2007 3:03 am

An oxymoron is a figure of speech created when two words with opposite meanings are written or spoken as a phrase, like jumbo shrimp.

I always think of an oxymoron as a literary example of when opposites attract. Here’s a list of nature-based oxymorons: (more…)

March 21, 2007 2:01 am

I typically write and research alone, but without the feedback and support of other writers, I’ll miss out on valuable information and take longer to reach my writing goals.

Here are some tips for choosing the writer’s group that fits your needs and goals. (more…)

March 20, 2007 3:45 am

I’m celebrating the Vernal Equinox (8:07 PM in my area) leading a writing workshop at our local Barnes & Noble. WriterByNature is definitely walking her talk.

This is a one-shot, but B&N has told me that 12 people have signed up.Writing is both a solitary and a communal act. Most of my community activity in the last five years has been online. I’m curious to see if writing in the presence of other people is a different creative experience. (more…)