Story is everything! Begin your blog, article, newsletter, whatever you’re writing, with a personal story. Watch this short video to find out why.
Does Your ‘Ask’ Need a Kicking?
So here’s a pet peeve of mine. I like to listen to Hay House Radio, but inevitably, when callers say to my favorite radio host (Alan Cohen) “I have a question for you…” they never ask a question! Instead they launch into a detailed story, while I wait and wait for the promised question.
Writing Tip #4: Read Work Aloud
In my last class on “Crafting an Inspirational Blog” I asked how many of the participants read their writing out loud as part of the editing process.
The answer? None.
Am I the only one who stands at the head of my dining room table and delivers my prose to an imaginary crowd of fans? I’m kidding– I don’t do that. But I do read a finished piece aloud before I send it into the world and you should too.
What If This Is What Freedom Looks Like? (Or The Day God Wore a Black Robe)
Once again, I’m in a Cook County Courthouse. How many times have I been here over the last 5 years? I’ve lost count. Anyway, these are not visits I want to remember. Judge Lopez is a gentle looking man, and soft spoken. But he’s been the arbiter of my shattered marriage and, no offense to him, I never want to see him again.
Writing Tip #3: Words To Avoid
Words to avoid in your writing:
SO: used as an intensifier, “so” can often have the opposite effect, making your adjectives less punchy. So, don’t strive to be so clever. Just be clever.
VERY: should be used very, very sparingly. In fact, see if you can give it the week off in your writing. It’s very tired of holding up words that are strong enough to support themselves.
Use ‘The 3 Gates of Speech’ When Writing Memoir
It was a summer day in 1977; I was watching “Days of Our Lives” with my mom while she folded laundry. The announcer broke in. “Elvis is dead,” he said, and my mom cried. I was too young to follow politics, and two years later, I would barely register the upheaval in Iran, but in my world, Elvis Presley reigned supreme. So I cried too.
What Inspires You? Some Musings on Finding the Muse
This week I went to a Meet-up event for writers– something that’s been on my to-do list for ages. There were seven of us at the Village Tap in Roscoe Village. We sat on the back patio with a noisy crowd of Cub fans. Above us a section of the cloth roof was rolled back like the lid of a sardine can, showing us a sliver of sky. We took turns posing questions to one another and shouting our answers down the length of the picnic table.
Writing Tip #2: Know Your Helping Verbs
This week’s writing tip comes in the form of a quiz! I memorized the following group of words as a chant in 7th grade English class (thank you Ms. Merkel) and they’ve stuck in my head ever since. What is this group of words called, and what is their job?
Don’t Shoot the Messenger: 5 New Thoughts on Gun Violence
I come from a family of gun enthusiasts. My younger brother is a firearms instructor in Iraq. My older brother, who lives in Atlanta, keeps a handgun tucked in his waistband. Even my 66-year-old mother is taking up arms, having just earned her permit to carry a concealed weapon in Michigan. Recently she held up her paper target for me to see: two bull’s eyes! Her exuberance seemed to expect matching enthusiasm from me.
Writing Tip #1: Use Concrete Language
Use definite, specific, concrete language!
The surest way to arouse and hold the reader’s attention is by being specific. The greatest writers–Homer, Dante, Shakespeare–are effective largely because they deal in particulars and report the details that matter. Their words call up pictures.
