WriterByNature.com

January 21, 2009 8:30 am

President Obama’s well-chosen words resonate deeply. Our Commander-in-Chief  has a deep appreciation for the power of words.

I feel like I can breathe again. Imagine a poet as part of the inauguration ceremony. I’m convinced everyone I saw yesterday afternoon was smiling.

I make it a point to keep the text of speeches, poems, songs and other examples of excellent writing accessible. Here is the full text of President Obama’s inaugural speech: (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…)

February 26, 2008 5:45 am

Style, like DNA or fingerprints, is what identifies a writer.

Here are some techniques you can use to create the appropriate style for your written work: (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 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 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…)

March 27, 2007 8:39 pm

Where would we be without humor?

Credit for the following list belongs to lotsofjokes.com: (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 13, 2007 8:19 pm

Making comparisons is a way to increase our understanding.

Metaphor, a Greek word translated as carry something across, is a way of comparing two things without using the words like or as.

As a writing tool, metaphor can create word pictures in the mind of the reader in a number of ways. Here are a few: (more…)

March 6, 2007 8:58 pm

Several years ago I asked a fifth-grade nature class, “How many senses do we have?”

A student’s hand shot up as he said, “Six.”

We rely on our sense of sight for the bulk of our daily activities. We look, then sometimes listen. But we have the ability to touch, taste and smell. I agree with that fifth-grader, our intuitive sense (the “little voice inside’) is another way to experience our world.

Have you ever read something and become so involved that you felt the finger-numbing cold, the shudder of fear or the dry mouth?

Here are some things to think about when using sensory experience to enrich your writing. (more…)