It seems lately that brevity is the soul of wit in my life. Whether it is six word novels, 140 characters on Twitter or capturing the essence of my status on Facebook, the fewer words the better. (A very poor excuse for lack of regular blogging however!!)
I've been thinking a great deal lately about how the technology tools I use change not just my relationships with people, but also how I write. I no longer feel the need to write the great American novel, or any other novel for that matter. Instead, I think about who I am writing for and which tool is the best place to capture that writing.
I am always looking for ways to have students think about their writing and I come across some pretty powerful stuff in my feeds. This is one of the most recent ones to catch my eye:
That 25 word challenge had a focus on things we see too much/too little of. I am thinking of a different 25 word challenge here: What words of wisdom do you have for writing?
Post your words in the comments section and I'll create a similar slideshare for everyone!
6 comments:
Exaggerate with specific details not flowery adjectival phrases. Get to the point quickly and don't assume your reader must know everything to "get" your story.
25 words - Mike Fisher
Be yourself. Let your personality, humor, sarcasm shine through. Don't try to use $50 words when $10 ones will do. KISS--Keep it simple, stupid.
Writers write to create pictures in the minds of readers, so write in a way that the reader can see what is on your mind.
25 words - Shelly Burns
Just start. Get out of your own way. Let your stories write themselves. Don't avoid the rocks in your path. They provide you new direction.
Words sometimes fail us. Don't obsess over perfection, start with what feels close and let your story unfold. The right word will eventually introduce itself.
This is a very powerful use of a few words. I am going to use it as inspration for my middle school students.
Funny you should comment on writing the great American novel... November is national novel writing month (http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/). My after school writing club and I are going to give it a go. Once I read through the Elementary workbook, I just couldn't help starting to form "the greatest story ever told" in my mind.
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