Mix It Up

Unfortunately, we all fall into a trap of just doing whatever is easiest - especially when it comes to writing. The easiest path, however, is not always the most interesting. Yesterday, I had some students interview one another answering the who, what, when, where, how, and why of journalistic style writing. Their assignment is to write an interesting profile story - beginning the piece with the most intriguing aspect of their subject's life and then filling in with the person's history, likes, dislikes, goals, etc. So tempting it is to begin each sentence with Jane Doe was born in ... Jane Doe enjoys ... Jane Doe detests ... YAWN! This type of writing quickly loses the reading audience. Remember to be a good "host" as a writer so your "guests" will enjoy what they are reading. Mix it up. Yes. Challenge yourself to start each sentence with a different technique. Try an adverb opener: Interestingly, Jane Doe was born on the same day as ... Throw in a prepositional opener: Upon completion of her junior year, Jane Doe ... Try a word that ends with an "ing" or "ed": Jumping in wholeheartedly, Jane Doe tackled ... Try a clausal opener: "Because her father was in the military, Jane Doe ..." Words to avoid at the beginning of sentences are AND, BUT, THEN, and SO - unless absolutely necessary. Take a look at your stories, articles, essays. If you are using the same words over and over again to start your sentences, go back and look for ways to mix it up.

"... whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ." Philippians 3:7

I recently edited a newly published book, called Junk, written by Mitch Smith, of Columbia. It's available on http://www.lulu.com/. Here's a synopsis:
JUNK brings truth, humor, and reality to the idea that in order to get the most out of life and achieve success tomorrow, we must begin removing the junk in our lives today. From two real life personal stories, woven into research and a personal perspective, Mitch D. Smith enables you to see how eliminating junk in our lives brings clarity, freedom, and happiness. Out-of-control spending is absolutely killing American families who are trying to keep up with the neighbor next door. "We’re spending money we don’t have on stuff we don’t need to impress people we don’t even know or like! It’s ridiculous! In Junk, Mitch Smith cuts a path through the clutter and shows us how to clean up—and throw out—the junk that’s holding us back." —Dave Ramsey, host of The Dave Ramsey Show and best-selling author of The Total Money Makeover

Encouragement: When Only God Sees

One of the truths that our family tries to live by daily, especially where homeschooling is concerned, is "Do everything for the glory of God." That means everything. My children (students) may feel like they read, tackle tough algebraic problems, and write for no other reason than to check it off their schedules. I may struggle through writing an article that I feel no one may read or be impacted by. However, we must continually remind ourselves that God sees - and that we need to do our very best in all aspects of our daily lives, no matter how mundane the tasks seem to us.


Today I was fortunate enough to be included as a writer for a national devotions site: www.christiandevotions.com. I hope it encourages you today and in your daily walk - be it with writing or whatever else you might struggle with. The featured piece is below:


When Only God Sees
My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalms 139:15-16

Unexpectedly, a woman who has been a thorn in my side for several years, approached me with a gift—a book titled, When Only God Sees. I was astonished with her gesture since she has complained about my teaching style and the style of other teachers as well. She handed me the book and said she wanted me to know “He sees” and that she really does appreciate what I do. This gesture of kindness spoke volumes about what she thought of me as a teacher. It humbled me regarding my attitude toward her.
When Only God Sees is the story of a woman who feels like no one can see her efforts as a wife and mother. She feels ignored and unappreciated. A friend who returns from Europe, gives her a book about cathedrals. She is irritated at first, thinking her friend should realize it will make her long for far away places. When she begins reading it, she learns that most of the cathedral builders were never known, nor did they live to see their cathedrals completed.
There is a story of a monk who carves an intricate bird into a beam he knows will be hidden behind the walls. When someone asks him why he spent so much time on something no one would see, he answers, “God sees.”
God sees everything we are doing – no matter what time of day or night. He hears what we say during the course of the day and how we love our children and spouses. He sees our struggles and triumphs. We’re building cathedrals here on earth in the work we do and the families we raise, and that’s storing up even greater treasures in heaven. We’ll probably never see our earthly cathedrals finished, but what we do now makes a difference. And He sees.
Remember that in whatever we do, we are to do the best we can for His glory. Live transparently, because He sees.
QUOTE: A reader encouraged by this devotion offered this: "In the depth of winter I found within me an invincible summer!"

Write Well in the New Year!

Regardless of whether you are writing a simple note to a friend (and people still do like to get hand written notes, not just emails or Facebook messages), or you need to turn in a major research paper (see research sites at the end of this entry), write well. That seems like a simple request, but truly we have become such a fast-paced society that we don't stop to weigh the meaning and sound of our words ... the impact they can have in our writing. I'm so impressed when, in a television show, a World magazine editorial, or even in recent Christmas cards, weighty words are selected. Weighty words are ones that make you stop and think and consider their meaning, words that linger.

I came across this poem today and I hope it will encourage you to do "all things" (including writing) well for the NEW YEAR!

Another year is dawning;
Dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting,
Another year with Thee;
Another year of progress,
Another year of praise,
Another year of proving
Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies,
Of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness
In the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning
Upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting,
Of quiet, happy rest.


Another year of service,
Of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training
For holier work above.
Another year is dawning:
Dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in heaven,
Another year for Thee.

RESEARCH PAPER TIP: Use resources such as World Digital Library (wdl.org/en/), the New York Public Library, which contains 700,000 images, (kigitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/index.cfm), and - for South Carolinians - scdiscus.org (password: findit), which has hundreds of periodicals to pull from.

Don't Forget Your Thesis

I've been editing many essays lately. Often when I'm finished I'm left wondering what was the point of the essay. The most important element - the thesis - was missing. I read a multitude of interesting facts, quotes, and arguments, yet still I'm perplexed as to what was the main reason for the paper. That main reason is called the thesis. If a paper launches right into explaining something, but fails to give the reader a clue as to what will be explained, the reader is left scratching his or her head in confusion. I have to write a sort of thesis every time I write an article for a magazine. In beginning writing, this is called a topic sentence or an introductory sentence. It basically gives readers a clue as to what they will learn - or, in some cases, what argument will be made - throughout the writing. The thesis might be considered the destination, with the elements in the essay (or article) being the road map to get to the destination. Often, in an essay, the thesis needs to be restated in some way at the end - so that you're reminding readers what it is they just learned. Without the thesis, the writing is just ramblings that take the reader here, there, and everywhere without ever reaching a destination. The following websites actually provides a much better and clearer explanation than what I am attempting here: www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/thesis.html

Avoid Snoopy's fate in "Snoopy's Guide to the Writing Life." In one comic strip by the late Charles Schulz, Snoopy writes the title of his book as "A Sad Story." When Lucy reads it she says, "This isn't a sad story. This is a dumb story." Snoopy responds, "That's what makes it so sad."

Brainstorming BEFORE Writing

When I conducted a writing workshop at a friend's home a few summers ago, there were students there representing all of the major private schools in the Columbia, S.C., area. All of the students expressed that they "hated" to write and their glum expressions on their faces conveyed  that they would rather be anywhere during their summer break than there. What I quickly learned is that the reason they "hated" to write was because they really didn't have any writing skills. Their schools' teachers were assigning them book reports, research papers, and essays on vast topics, without teaching them where to start. They expressed that they would sit, frustrated and resentful, staring at the blank sheet of paper or at the computer screen. Therefore, when I gave them their topic, they first learned one of the key skills required to write - brainstorming. Students had liberty (yes, freedom) to write anything and everything that came into their minds regarding the topic - be it frivolous or ludicrous. I asked them to put some words down that would help the readers experience their writing - words that conveyed sight, sound, taste, smell, touch - if applicable. "Really?" they expressed. Writing wasn't supposed to be fun, but suddenly they began to see that it could at least be somewhat enjoyable. They shared the words - nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs - they were coming up with some enthusiasm, seemingly amazed that the more they wrote down whatever came into their brains, the faster their brains came up with more words. From their brainstorming list, they learned to zero in on some words, or ideas, that would help tell their story. They then created an outline for their story, and eventually began pulling from the words/ideas to write that first paragraph. Those initial brainstorming words stimulated other ideas as they wrote. By the end of our writing workshop three days later, students were proudly sharing their finished works. And, when asked if they still "hated" writing, their comments were much more positive. They learned that brainstorming, just getting words from our brains to the paper, is the essential first element to good writing.

As Edith Wharton said at the end of her autobiography, A Backward Glance, "... there are always ... new books to read (and I hope, to write), a thousand little daily wonders to marvel at and rejoice in ... The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and ears;"

Transitioning (or, How to Keep Your Paper from Reading Like a Bunch of Choppy Thoughts Strung Together)

We learn much about how to write an opening sentence, fill in the paragraph with details that will support the opening sentence, and then close the paragraph. We learn little about how to TRANSITION from one paragraph to another. As a result, our paragraphs read as if they should stand alone - floating around like separate bits of information that have nothing to do with one another. To create a flow in a research paper, essay, letter, etc., we need to use transitional words and/or phrases. Here is a helpful list:


(Avoid “but”, “and”, “then”, and “so” if possible)

Also
Another
Moreover
Similarly
Although
However
In spite of
On the contrary
Nevertheless
On the other hand
Still
Yet
As a result
Because of ...
Consequently
Since
Therefore
After
At last
At once
Before
Eventually
Finally
First
Meanwhile
Next
Thereafter
Lastly
Mainly
More importantly
To begin with
Furthermore
Surprisingly
In contrast
Comparatively
Interestingly

“ly” (adverbs) words and prepositions often work to open sentences, transition from one thought to another, and generally move the writing along.

You can also use these transition words to move from one thought to another in the sentence. To HEAR where you need to insert them, READ YOUR WRITING OUT LOUD.

You will be amazed how your writing flows!

"There are few human pursuits more fascinating than the study of words." (unknown)

September 27, 2010

Redundancy can kill writing. Who wants to read the same words over and over again. The Second Edition of the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary contains full entries for 171,476 words in current use, and 47,156 obsolete words. Can't figure out different ways to express that someone has "said" something? There are at least a dozen choices in Roget's Super Thesaurus. Pick one: utter, speak, tell, assert, give, voice, mouth, pronounce, vocalize, remark, phrase, state, articulate.

What reads best? He said he was going to the store; or, He mouthed to his wife as she was intensely conversing with her best friend on the phone, "I'm g-o-i-n-g to the s-t-o-r-e." Which one gives you a clearer picture?

The words are there. Use them. When I edit my writing or the writing of others, I go through it and circle any words I see more than once in the same general area. If you're using the same word on the first page of a report and then again on page 5, no big deal. But if you have the same word in every paragraph - or worse, in sentence after sentence after sentence - please choose something else. Your readers will be grateful - whether they are your parents or a publishing agent.