Verbs are the engines that move your writing and your readers, but many authors don’t spend enough time choosing the right ones. If your writing was an electric guitar, your verbs would be the volume, tone, and distortion controls that … More ā
A few years ago, I attended a nonfiction–writing workshop where I was told by the instructor that to qualify as nonfiction, a work must adhere as strictly to truth as possible. But such an edict rests on the naĆÆve assumption … More ā
Polyptoton, a stylistic device where a word is repeated in a sentence but in a different form, enhancing emphasis through repetition and variation. “The things you own end up owning you.” (Brad Pitt in the movie Fight Club, 1999) Common … More ā
Words and Terms related to speaking and speechwriting: Adynaton [ad-uh-NAY-ton]: A form of hyperbole in which the exaggeration is so extreme as to be impossible “You will sooner find a donkey flying than see me agree to that deal.” Allegory … More ā
Writing teachers encourage us to engage the mind and senses. Describe sights, smells, tastes, sounds, feelings, thoughts, and tactile experiences to appeal to the reader’s imagination on every possible level. In concept, this is excellent advice. In practice, the advice … More ā
Here’s a little holiday fun. Thanks for reading my storytelling posts. Have a safe, happy, and prosperous season. ‘Twas a month before Christmas, when all through the land Every forklift was stirring, precisely as planned Products were lined on … More ā
Keep your lisĀtenĀers’ atĀtenĀtion while readĀing aloud. The host anĀnounces the next auĀthor. She walks to the lectern, ofĀfers a synĀopĀsis, and beĀgins readĀing aloud. It’s not bad proseāand I can’t say that for every writer hereābut after three pages … More ā
Storytelling tips: You’re walking along and you happen to look down. āHey, that’s not a scrap of paper; that’s a $20 bill!ā Isn’t it a rush when something we thought was useless turns out to be meaningful. Storiesāwhether they’re truth … More ā
Verbs are the engines that move your writing, your speaking,Ā your readers, and your audiences but many authors ands presenters don’t spend enough time choosing the right ones. If your writing was an electric guitar, your verbs would be the volume, … More ā
