I am going to be honest, at first I was not too thrilled about having to blog every week. Once we got past the basics, I started like it. To me, blogging was a way of writing about whatever I though about Bird by Bird. It was my thoughts and I got to share them with others. Blogging also taught me many things, especially from reading Bird by Bird and reflecting on it through blogging. It taught me that no writer is perfect and the best way to get your mind off of whatever is going is to let it all out on paper or in this case blogging.
Grammar
I learned a lot about grammar skills I didn’t know but I was also reminded of grammar skills I had forgotten. I realized how important grammar is in order to make a piece of writing the best it can be. Grammar allows writing to flow and add information. Throughout this class, I have definitely found ways that will help me carry these grammar skills throughout the rest of my life.
Paper Writing & Revision Process
It is important to focus on one aspect when writing because then it will be easier to understand and be more informational. There should always be a purpose as to why you are writing whatever you are writing. You need to be passionate and mindful when writing a paper. I have learned that it is very important to have multiple revisions made on a piece of writing to achieve maximum excellence. When having someone revise a paper, it needs to be someone you trust and that you know will be honest with you. Your editor should know how to give you feedback respectfully and in a way that you will be accept it. This person shouldn’t be someone who makes you feel awful and just completely craps on your writing but it also shouldn’t be someone who will tell you nothing is wrong and that it is absolutely perfect. You need a respectful and honest editor who wants you to succeed.
The Class
This class definitely was a good part of my day. Not only because a bunch of my friends were in the class but because I knew I could do whatever I needed to get done that day. Also that I would be learning in a fun way and not the typical lecture and notes. The environment was perfect as well. I always felt calm and knew that whatever I needed help on, I would get my answers. This class helped put my mind at ease and I always looked forward to this class on stressful days because I knew I could relax once I got in there. Writers Workshop not only taught me the skills of writing but it also taught me that anything is possible if I put my mind to it.
Anne describes herself and what she goes through when waiting for her editor. She describes the steps to take when hearing your book will be published. People think that their lives are going to change immediately and largely if they get one of their books published. You are going to be able to make a living off of what you love to do. But, early reviews can be good and bad. You are going to have so much confidence because your book is getting published but you’re also terrified for the next steps of doing it again and all of the possible dislikes. Anne says that she believes that humans find real satisfaction in being writers. When one of her books was doing well, she went a bit crazy from all of the attention. She decided to go see a pastor and he told her that she can’t get peace from the world if you don’t have it or find it in your heart. Anne did not like that and the pastor also said that if you can find peace in your heart then the word can not take it away from you. This will effect my writing because I am catholic and live a life of faith. Knowing that if my work does well, I need to stay come and find peace within myself because I won’t truly get it from others or my success. I won’t be scared but find joy in doing well. If I get a bad review I won’t get upset I will just work harder.
The Last Class
Anne wishes she could have said more to say her last class. She reminds others to write about their childhood and why it is important. Growing into a writer is about becoming conscious. Writers should and do have the courage to writer about their emotions honestly. Anne believes you should write about the bad things that have happened in your life, but she says you should change a few things. Her main reason for this is so that the person you are writing about doesn’t claim that you were talking about them leading to a whole mess and possibly suing. Writing is its very own reward. You become a better reader by writing and a better writer by reading. There will be days where you can sit down and write perfect words for hours on end and other days you can’t. That is okay. Writing allows us to open our eyes to the truths about life and learn to laugh about things that happen in life. As stated, “You can’t stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship.” This will effect my writing because I will try not to feel sorry for myself. I need to take what I learn and apply it. This will also lead me to read more because reading will make me a better writer. If I have a bad writing day, I won’t be upset because I know I always have tomorrow. It is important to write about personal things so I won’t be afraid to write about things that have happened in my life.
Anne recommends always having note/index cards and something to write with. If you have always have those two things laying around then you can write down every idea that pops into your head no matter where you are. She believes some people do not need index cards but she also believes it does not make you a cheater if you do. If you have a disorganized brain, using note cards aids you in organizing and remembering. It does not make you a bad writer it just makes you more creative! Even if your note cards are messy it is still helping you in your process because it is not all jumbled up in your head and you aren’t forgetting anything. If you use index cards you are not a bad writer and it is okay to be a disorganized writer. This will effect my writing because now I will use note cards to get my ideas down and organized instead of keeping them in my head until I can sit down and write. I will also find a way to write down any idea that pops into my head no matter where I am so I don’t forget.
Calling Around
When you are struggling, call on the people and experts around you to help. With the technology we have now it is very easy to do so. One of Anne’s examples is when she wrote about opening a champagne bottle. Her main reason for telling this story is because now others can rely on her writing/expertise to help themselves. Those readers now have extra knowledge. This will effect my writing because I will know it is okay to ask for help and talk to others. It is better to ask questions and talk to “experts” than not know. I will also know not to be scared to do so because all good writers do this or have done it.
Writing Groups
People who are most successful when writing are people that write everyday. As a writer you should always want feedback and a good way of getting it is joining a writing group. There are many good reasons to join a writing group and they are you can learn more about writing, want/get feedback, you get to hang out, have someone to sympathize with when having a bad writing day, get to give feedback on others, and you also get real feedback from others who aren’t your friends. Writing classes, conferences, peer edits etc can be nerve wracking because of the fear of being rejected or getting your story torn to pieces. There are also positives to starting your own writing group. Anne talks about her experience, about how four of her students started a writing group that has lasted for four years and now those four students are genuinely better writers and better people. This will effect my writing because I will put myself out there more. I will know that the greatest writers have gone through exactly what we go through. Feedback is so important! I will also know that it is better to get feedback from someone I don’t know well rather than a friend because a friend might be too nice.
BIRD BY BIRD #8
Someone to Read Your Drafts
Sometimes when writing you feel lost and don’t know where to go when you have problems. Someone who reads your drafts can help you in the right direction with solving the problems. They can guide you so that your writing is the best it can be. Someone who reads your drafts doesn’t have to be a stranger but someone you can count on to be honest. These readers aren’t criticizing your work and being mean, rather helping you. The person you pick to read your draft should be someone honest and trustworthy. If ever put in a position where the reader is rude, negative and critical Anne says to just move on. She says to move on to someone who is honest yet gentle, they need to encourage you to write. This will affect my writing because I will know to have the people I trust read over my drafts. I will make sure to find the right for me, someone who is honest with my writing but knows how to help in a positive way. This person needs to help me want to write and if they don’t, then I will find a new person that can do all of those things.
Letters
It is a given when writing that you are going to get stuck. Anne explained how she got to her big fandom, writing in letter form. When writing in the form of a letter, write to a kid or a friend. A lot of people start their writings in the form of a letter. This will affect my writing because if I get stuck I will just start writing in the form of a letter. I won’t get upset because I know now that lots of people do this and it was successful for them.
Writer’s Block
Just like before, it is a given to get writers block at some points during writing. This is when you have no energy, feel sad and small with not very much hope left. Anne suggests two ways to solve writers block. The first is acceptance and the second is writing 300 words a day. When beginning as a writer is important to commit to finishing things, famous writers have problems too. Remember, we are not really in control of our fate or our books. This will affect my writing because I will accept that this happens to everyone. I will engrave in my brain that since I started it, I will finish it. I will work on writing 300 hundred words a day and then taking a walk or getting my mind off of the writing somehow. It is important to give ourselves breaks and our minds some rest.
Bird by Bird #9
Writing a Present
Writing is rewarding in so many different ways other than fame and money. Anne talks about this and relates it to when she wrote two books for people who were dying. One being for her father who had brain cancer, her book allowed his story to live on beyond his life. When writing this book for him, it made her, her father and her whole family happier. Telling our own personal stories can be hard, especially when they are about difficult times in our lives. But also remember it is worth doing and will help other people whether you know it or not. There are still going to be critics that say your work is too personal or it isn’t good enough but that’s okay. This will effect my writing because when I can’t decide if I should write something personal or not I will because I know it will help others. I will also realize that it will be difficult and some won’t appreciate what I have done but there will be more who do appreciate it. It will also be a way of looking back at a memory. Writing personal stories will bring happiness to myself, my family, those who are ill, and those who I don’t know but find comfort in my writing.
Finding Your Voice
As a writer, it is very important to find your own voice. We have to try different styles. When finding your own voice, you will encounter many things. You will realize your strengths, things you didn’t know that were important to you will come to light, you will find new things you care about, and you will face anxiety. It will be hard but it will be an amazing experience and you will know when you have found your voice. This will effect my writing because I will try new things out. I will know that being truthful will only make my writing better and I need to by myself. I also need to pay attention to things that pop out at me and spark my interest to see if it will become something important to me.
Giving
A reason for writing is simply that you are giving, writing is giving fully. Anne says writing is like being a single mother to a three years, your child and books belong to you so you have to care of them because you brought them into existence. You don’t have to be an optimist. Writers help other people open up. As a writer, it takes a lot of courage to be able to do that but it will be so worth it in the end. This will effect my writing because I will see that writing is giving. I don’t have to feel the need to help people through my writing because just being a writer is enough to help other open up.
Anne recommends always having note/index cards and something to write with. If you have always have those two things laying around then you can write down every idea that pops into your head no matter where you are. She believes some people do not need index cards but she also believes it does not make you a cheater if you do. If you have a disorganized brain, using note cards aids you in organizing and remembering. It does not make you a bad writer it just makes you more creative! Even if your note cards are messy it is still helping you in your process because it is not all jumbled up in your head and you aren’t forgetting anything. If you use index cards you are not a bad writer and it is okay to be a disorganized writer. This will effect my writing because now I will use note cards to get my ideas down and organized instead of keeping them in my head until I can sit down and write. I will also find a way to write down any idea that pops into my head no matter where I am so I don’t forget.
Calling Around
When you are struggling, call on the people and experts around you to help. With the technology we have now it is very easy to do so. One of Anne’s examples is when she wrote about opening a champagne bottle. Her main reason for telling this story is because now others can rely on her writing/expertise to help themselves. Those readers now have extra knowledge. This will effect my writing because I will know it is okay to ask for help and talk to others. It is better to ask questions and talk to “experts” than not know. I will also know not to be scared to do so because all good writers do this or have done it.
Writing Groups
People who are most successful when writing are people that write everyday. As a writer you should always want feedback and a good way of getting it is joining a writing group. There are many good reasons to join a writing group and they are you can learn more about writing, want/get feedback, you get to hang out, have someone to sympathize with when having a bad writing day, get to give feedback on others, and you also get real feedback from others who aren’t your friends. Writing classes, conferences, peer edits etc can be nerve wracking because of the fear of being rejected or getting your story torn to pieces. There are also positives to starting your own writing group. Anne talks about her experience, about how four of her students started a writing group that has lasted for four years and now those four students are genuinely better writers and better people. This will effect my writing because I will put myself out there more. I will know that the greatest writers have gone through exactly what we go through. Feedback is so important! I will also know that it is better to get feedback from someone I don’t know well rather than a friend because a friend might be too nice.
BIRD BY BIRD #8
Someone to Read Your Drafts
Sometimes when writing you feel lost and don’t know where to go when you have problems. Someone who reads your drafts can help you in the right direction with solving the problems. They can guide you so that your writing is the best it can be. Someone who reads your drafts doesn’t have to be a stranger but someone you can count on to be honest. These readers aren’t criticizing your work and being mean, rather helping you. The person you pick to read your draft should be someone honest and trustworthy. If ever put in a position where the reader is rude, negative and critical Anne says to just move on. She says to move on to someone who is honest yet gentle, they need to encourage you to write. This will affect my writing because I will know to have the people I trust read over my drafts. I will make sure to find the right for me, someone who is honest with my writing but knows how to help in a positive way. This person needs to help me want to write and if they don’t, then I will find a new person that can do all of those things.
Letters
It is a given when writing that you are going to get stuck. Anne explained how she got to her big fandom, writing in letter form. When writing in the form of a letter, write to a kid or a friend. A lot of people start their writings in the form of a letter. This will affect my writing because if I get stuck I will just start writing in the form of a letter. I won’t get upset because I know now that lots of people do this and it was successful for them.
Writer’s Block
Just like before, it is a given to get writers block at some points during writing. This is when you have no energy, feel sad and small with not very much hope left. Anne suggests two ways to solve writers block. The first is acceptance and the second is writing 300 words a day. When beginning as a writer is important to commit to finishing things, famous writers have problems too. Remember, we are not really in control of our fate or our books. This will affect my writing because I will accept that this happens to everyone. I will engrave in my brain that since I started it, I will finish it. I will work on writing 300 hundred words a day and then taking a walk or getting my mind off of the writing somehow. It is important to give ourselves breaks and our minds some rest.
Bird by Bird #9
Writing a Present
Writing is rewarding in so many different ways other than fame and money. Anne talks about this and relates it to when she wrote two books for people who were dying. One being for her father who had brain cancer, her book allowed his story to live on beyond his life. When writing this book for him, it made her, her father and her whole family happier. Telling our own personal stories can be hard, especially when they are about difficult times in our lives. But also remember it is worth doing and will help other people whether you know it or not. There are still going to be critics that say your work is too personal or it isn’t good enough but that’s okay. This will effect my writing because when I can’t decide if I should write something personal or not I will because I know it will help others. I will also realize that it will be difficult and some won’t appreciate what I have done but there will be more who do appreciate it. It will also be a way of looking back at a memory. Writing personal stories will bring happiness to myself, my family, those who are ill, and those who I don’t know but find comfort in my writing.
Finding Your Voice
As a writer, it is very important to find your own voice. We have to try different styles. When finding your own voice, you will encounter many things. You will realize your strengths, things you didn’t know that were important to you will come to light, you will find new things you care about, and you will face anxiety. It will be hard but it will be an amazing experience and you will know when you have found your voice. This will effect my writing because I will try new things out. I will know that being truthful will only make my writing better and I need to by myself. I also need to pay attention to things that pop out at me and spark my interest to see if it will become something important to me.
Giving
A reason for writing is simply that you are giving, writing is giving fully. Anne says writing is like being a single mother to a three years, your child and books belong to you so you have to care of them because you brought them into existence. You don’t have to be an optimist. Writers help other people open up. As a writer, it takes a lot of courage to be able to do that but it will be so worth it in the end. This will effect my writing because I will see that writing is giving. I don’t have to feel the need to help people through my writing because just being a writer is enough to help other open up.
The plot is the main point of the story. The development of characters develops the plot. Reread what you have written the day before and imagine what would happen next. Whatever you picture, write it down to help your plot. Having others read your work will help you see mistakes that you wouldn’t have otherwise and that will help your plot too. Make sure to have drama somewhere in your plot because that is what grabs and holds the attention of the readers. Give a specific moment and give each character a role in it. Don’t fake the characters though. The readers will read right through it. Remember the formula for a story is ABDCE for action, background, development, climax, and ending. This will effect my writing because the plot is so so important. The plot keeps the readers engaged so its important to make sure you have a good plot that includes drama. To eliminate errors and have the best possible outcome, I need others to edit and read my paper.
DIALOGUE
Dialogue needs to flow and have movement, “good dialogue is such a pleasure to come across while reading, a complete change of pace from description and exposition and all that writing.” Dialogue is like a movie, it helps tremendously with the action. Listen and observe. As you learn and discover more about your characters, your compassion for them will grow. Dialogue is way for you to nail a character, work on your voice. Dialogue that is written in dialect is very tiring to read. Remember no one is reading your first drafts. Dialogue will effect my writing because, if done correctly, it is great for a story. It adds action and more imagery. To make dialogue good though, I need to listen and observe more.
SET DESIGN
When writing, imagine yourself as a set designer. This will help you think of what every room and exactly what all the action looks like in your story. If you want to talk about something in your story and you don’t have a lot of information or background on it then find someone or something that does have the information. Read about and study your topics!!!!! This will effect my writing because I know I need to research and study what I am writing about. I also need to imagine what every situation will exactly look like, every single detail needs to be visualized.
BIRD BY BIRD #5
FALSE STARTS
When reading something you have a good idea in your head as to how it ends. You think it is going to go in this one direction. Just like athletes expect to finish their game or race in a certain course and don’t. This will effect my writing because I will think out of the ordinary. I will come up with an ending no one expected. I will end my writings completely off course. I could even add a twist in somewhere in the middle to throw it off track surprise my readers.
PLOT TREATMENT
Some writers writer towards a specific scene not a plot. Anne talks about her experience with her second book. She had an idea and an image of how it would end. She worked on it for over two years and she sent it to her editor. He replied saying the novel just doesn’t work, so he wants her to start over completely. She was told by her friend to take a month off. After taking the month off she looked over her book and moved the scenes around creating a new plot. In the end, the book was published. This will effect my writing because I will know if I am struggling just take some time off and start over. I will never give up on my writing if its something I am inspired about.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU’RE DONE?
So how do you know when you’re done? Even Anne doesn’t know. She states the you just know when you are done, you get this gut feeling. There are always things to add but one indicator as to when you’re done is when you can’t add anything else. Compare your first draft to your final and that will help you decide if you are done. This will effect my writing because I will rely on that gut feeling of feeling like I am done. The editing for hours will help me reach my goal of being done.
Pt. 2
LOOKING AROUND
Writing isn’t all fun and games. You need to have respect and find the meaning when people are suffering. When you write you need to know yourself, to be a writer you need to be relevant. Think about children who are amazed by the smallest things. This will effect my writing because I will know I need to be real and honest. The more relevant I am with my writing the more success I will have. When I am not having fun and playing games I will think about the success I will have in the near future.
THE MORAL POINT OF VIEW
Things we believe in will seem real and true in majority of instances. We tend to like certain characters because they are good people or we could be fascinated by the bad guys because they are interesting. As writers, we should write about topic we are interested in and ones that are important to us. We need to tell the truth and fight for freedoms in whichever way matters most to us. This will effect my writing because I know I need to have interesting characters that the readers can relate to. The characters I write need to keep the readers interested and wanting to read more. I will write about things that are important to me and excite me.
Bird by Bird #6
BROCCOLI
As a writer, when you’re stuck you need to quiet down and listen to the voices inside your head. Writers need the ability to listen to their intuitions of what’s really going on and do not shy away from that because you are scared that it’s inconvenient for others. We need to trust ourselves in the first draft, almost like hypnotizing and unhypnotizing ourselves to get word done and then fix what needs to be fixed. When writing, try whatever you want in many different ways to see if one way works, if it doesn’t work then it doesn’t work. Anne relates this to broccoli, she says, “Listen to your broccoli, and your broccoli will tell you how to eat it.” This will effect my writing because I will make sure to try things I am uncomfortable with and try them in different ways just to see what could happened. I won’t get discouraged and when I am stuck I will listen for a voice in my head.
RADIO STATION KFKD
Anne also relates writing and the process to a radio, radio being a metaphor for all the things you think or that are in your head that gets in the way of your intuition. Like most, she has music, specifically a radio station, on in the background when she is writing. She also found that praying and deep breathing aids her in a successful writing process. Writers should find a ritual that works for them. Remember, it is okay for your mind to wander, as long as it wanders back to your writing. This will effect my writing because I will know to be relaxed. Now when I write, I will find a comfortable spot and turn on some music. I will also try not to get stressed but if I do, I will try a deep breathing exercise.
JEALOUSY
Going back the radio station, KFKD to be exact, Anne says that this radio station is always talking about jealousy and it is so hard to turn off. During the writing process, other people will surpass you which causes one to feel jealous. There will always be those people who don’t work as hard or aren’t as deserving and will have more success, which will be even harder to not be jealous. There are three things that can help with jealousy ; 1. getting older, 2. talking about it until the fever breaks, 3. using it as material. Don’t sweat the small things, don’t take things personal. This will effect my writing because I will know that my work is good. I won’t get jealous because it is not worth it, especially knowing that my writing is good in its own way. I will work hard and not give up. I will also surround myself with positive people who will contribute to my state of mind and who will make me laugh and feel less stressed.
When getting started, just get things down on your paper, no matter what they may be. Once you get your thoughts down the rest will come naturally. The best way to start is think about your past, write about your childhood, your family, memories, interests, etc. When doing that think of how you felt, what you smelt, what you heard, or saw and add that when writing. If you were in pain, describe how you felt, paint a picture for your readers. Writing is hard at first, but it get easier. Yes you may tear up your entire paper and have to start from scratch, but it happens to the best of us. “If you really enjoy something then go for it.”
SHORT STORIES AND SHITTY FIRST DRAFTS
When writing short stories be careless and let your creativity flow. ““Writing can be a pretty desperate endeavor, because it is about some of our deepest needs,” Anne says but the best thing to do is not be so serious. Describe the most important things and you will be golden. For shitty first drafts, whether you believe it or not, all good writers have shitty first drafts. The first draft is the longest, throw all of your thoughts down and somewhere in that shitty first draft will be one excellent idea you can build off of. In order to write something good, your first draft has to be bad. When writing your first draft, eliminate the voices in your head, get rid of all the people around you and focus on just the paper right in front of you. It is just you and the paper.
AFFECTS ON MY WRITING
When starting my papers, I am going to think about my past. I want to find the things in my past that had the biggest impact on me and expand on those ideas. When struggling to write I will also know that all good writers have been in that dead point too, but it will get better. I need to be lose when writing and carefree. Having a sense of what I feel when writing will help the tone of my writings shine through. When writing my first drafts I need to remember to trust the process. I need to be okay with my first draft being bad and understand that there very many unnecessary things in it that can be taken out. I need to believe in my writing otherwise it won’t turn out. I need to correct and edit multiple times but that will help me reach my best writing.
BIRD BY BIRD #3
PERFECTIONISM
Perfectionism can very well ruin your writing. When writing it needs to flow and have breathing room but perfectionism will ruin that. “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people,” Anne stated in chapter 3 of Bird By Bird. If you do not let go of the idea of having perfectionism, you will not get far in your writing. You will get mad and things will not go according to plan which will lead to holding you back in your writing. Now when thinking during my writing I will remember that trying to perfect my writings it will negatively effect me and my writing. It will hold me back and not allow my talents to shine through.
SCHOOL LUNCHES
When writing, think of school lunches. Think about how the sandwich is the main dish, and within writing the centerpiece is the “sandwich.” You have to keep using this technique even though you might only get one good theme but at least you got everything down. After writing and getting down your ideas, you pick the things you want or don’t want just like going through the lunch line. The affect this will have on my writing is to write down every possible idea and create multiple drafts so that I can just pick and chose from there. I have to edit and shape my writing.
POLAROIDS
Writing your first draft is always the hardest, it takes the longest to create just like waiting for a Polaroid picture to develop. You also don’t know all of the finishing touches or product when beginning a piece of writing just like in a Polaroid, you can’t see all the things. Watching something allows you to describe what you hear, see, smell, and feel through words. This will affect my writing by knowing that first drafts take TIME. I have to take my time and get all my ideas down, while the paper develops itself as a whole. I need to get down all of my ideas and make sure I really hon in on what I hear, feel, and smell.
CHARACTER
Anne states, “Knowledge of your characters also emerges the way a Polaroid develops: it takes time for you to know them.” When writing or developing characters, be SPECIFIC. You are going to love some of your characters, because they will remind you of yourself, and you are going to hate some of your characters. Know your characters the best you can, you NEED to familiarize yourself with your characters so that you can really make your story the best it can be. A good way to familiarize is to make your characters based on people you know so you can paint that description for your readers. You have to ask yourself questions like ~ What are your characters routines, beliefs, and what holds their life together? What do they like and hate? What would they write in their personal journals? What do they teach their children? When creating narrators, think of a friend, someone that is reliable and has common flaws. This will affect my writing because I know that my writing will become so much better when I know my characters and base them and the narrator off of people I know. I will also know to be descriptive in everything I do, I can’t sell my readers short.
In the introduction of “Bird By Bird” by Anne Lamott, she talks about herself and experiences. Upon sharing a bit of her life, she also gives suggestion on writing and different ideas the readers can relate to. Anne states that writing gives people the excuse to travel along with help of paying attention and being aware or ones surroundings. Growing up she struggled at times when writing but once she found out her that dad wrote pornography, she was sparked to write journals and other pieces about some of her favorite writers. As every writer does, she struggled on her way to success very much but after her father passed from brain cancer, her interests really sparked. She now teaches writers workshop classes and inspires her students to become good writers.
“Finding our voice is perhaps the biggest challenge we face as writers.” Upon finding your voice, everything else comes naturally. Having a strong voice makes us stand out against every other writer in this world. It also allows us to connect with our readers and keep them coming back. So how do we find our voice? It is perceived that we were born with a certain voice and it is up to discover it. In reality, our voice develops over time and sometimes we even develop it through studying other people. One thing to remember is never write the way you speak because it will leave readers confused and leaving you look grammatically challenged. Written voice is more emotional and sensory because you don’t have body language to rely on like we do when we speak. The following are four examples of types of voice.
EVERNOTE
In evernote, the topic is straight to the point and addresses a wide audience. This type of voice is very simple. An example is, “remember everything that matters whether is be pictures, books, words, etc.”
MAN CRATES
In man crates, it is a type of voice geared more towards specific people which allows the writer to get more in depth with the topic. More words are being used but more emotion is being used to help get the point across.
NANCY DUARTE
Nancy Duarte uses a lot of sensory words so that it stirs up an image in our minds. This is strongly liked because it helps better communicate her ideas.
JON MORROW
In Jon Morrow, he is known to be over the top using lots of emotion. He sometimes repel readers but he speaks very strongly towards his audience.
Just as the painter combines a wide repertoire of brush stroke techniques to create an image, the writer chooses from a repertoire of sentence structures.
When painting a beautiful sunset, there are certain brush strokes being made to make it look the way you want it to. Just like in writing, we use certain brush strokes (participles, absolutes, appositives, action verbs, and adjectives shifted out of order) to make our writing our own. Using brush strokes in painting and in writing is a way of making it our own and add more beauty to it. As with any decision we make in our life, we are using a certain brush stroke so that we can make the story of our lives our own. In “Painting with Five Brushstrokes” an author explains the basic techniques to best create an image for readers.
PARTICIPLES
In my opinion, participles help you see the action. We can more easily see the action happening. A participle is an “ing” verb that is attached to the beginning or end of a sentence. As I said at the beginning, a participle helps describe what an author wants the audience to picture.
Example ~ Running and screaming, the child was scared for their life.
In this example, “running and screaming” helps describe what the child is doing so that it evokes the reader to picture the scene.
APPOSITIVES
An appositive is something that contains essential information to the meaning of a sentence. It contributes necessary information to understand what is being said, in my opinion. An appositive is a noun or pronoun that explains another noun or pronoun in that sentence. Most of the time, appositives are used with modifiers to form an appositive phrase.
Example ~ The manuals, keyboards, are played with their hands.
In this example, keyboards modifies the noun manuals to explain it more and add more essential information.
ACTION VERBS
Action verb energizes the story and eliminates passive voices. They describe the action and explain what the subject of the sentence is doing. They do that to describe both physical and mental actions.
Example ~ Abby trotted to the ball and wound up her leg to kick the ball to a teammate.
In the example, using “trotted” and “wound up” are action verbs describing what is going on rather than using a passive tone such as “Abby kicked the ball.” This example makes the sentence more exciting.
ABSOLUTES
My way of deciphering absolutes from any other brushstroke is that is an incomplete sentence but if you add was or were it becomes a complete sentence. Like most of the brushstrokes, an absolute is a noun combined with an “ing” participle.
Example ~ Her eyes sparkling, she starred up to the stars.
In this sentence “her eyes sparkling” it is an “ing” at the beginning of a sentence and it as an incomplete sentence that becomes a sentence when adding was or were.
ADJECTIVES SHIFTED OUT OF ORDER
Adjectives out of order are used more for those authors that create fiction because they can amplify the details of an image. When using this one leaves one adjective where it was and shifts and the other two adjectives out of order.
Example ~ The child, youthful and full of smiles, played with her puppy the entire afternoon.
SHOWING is for making the reader feel they’re in there…
Ever since we started learning to read and write it has been engraved in our brains to show not tell. When reading books, our teachers would always point out the showing of the story and compare it to how boring it would be if it was simply told. Eventually when we would start writing our own stories, we would have a standard of some many showings instead of telling in whatever masterpiece we were creating. Just like in volleyball, when learning something new, the coaches and mentors can tell us to do certain things as much as they want. For most people though, it won’t be stuck in our brains and become a natural reflex until we see it, until it is demonstrated and shown to us.
TELLING ~ What exactly is it?
When “telling” in writing, you are more than likely narrating, explaining or informing your readers. It is a part of story telling and covering the ground of basic information. To put it simply, telling is boring to read. It is giving essential information but lacking the ability to pull the readers in and keep them wanting to know more. Telling lays the foundation of a piece of work but does not allow the readers to picture it.
SHOWING ~ What is it and why is it more important?
Showing is what you think. It allows the readers to picture what is going on through the words you have written. Showing is being so detailed in thought and translating those thoughts and words to paper that your reader is able to see and imagine what they are reading. Showing also allows the reader to better understand your writing the way you want them to because you are putting in to words what was your perspective. The best way to show something instead of telling it is to use your five senses. When trying to describe a moment or a series of events, the best thing to do is to use your five senses to describe what is happening so that your readers can depict what is going on. Not only are they just reading your thoughts and words on paper but they are able to picture them too.
Marissa's Truth 