I ran this poll last year and got some good suggestions for how to make it more neutral (which is why I’ve added the slideshow of images rather than all the animal turkey images. Take my poll–what do you associate with the word ‘turkey’? Continue reading
‘Perspective’ is a tricky concept. When you’re writing, it’s easy to forget that words don’t always mean the same to others as they do to you. Here’s a poll I use in my classes to get students thinking about perspective-taking, but it works just as well for we-writers to see the confusion that can result … Continue reading
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These writer’s tips will come at you once a week, giving you plenty of time to go through your story and make … Continue reading
Author Michael Smart (see my chat with Michael here) has a pet peeve about using too many words when fewer would do. If you haven’t read his riveting Bequia Mysteries, set in the unusual locale of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, you’re missing out. All three are tightly-woven, action-packed, and sprinkled with the authentic island … Continue reading
As part of my writer’s resources, I post lists of descriptions that have jogged my creativity and helped me write about this and that more cleverly. One of the most challenging jobs as a writer–IMHO–is representing how people talk in the cultural nuances of their geographic area. I’m not talking about a native language–a Russian … Continue reading
I love words. I keep a list of about three hundred favorites, the ones that draw a mental picture that involves taste and feel as much as sight and sound. I browse them when I’m editing my mss, sometimes for inspiration but just as often as a reminder that writing requires a vast collection of … Continue reading
I got tagged by Tess over at How the Cookie Crumbles. She’s a regular participant in Julia’s One-Hundred Word Challenge for Adults. I’m not. I could never keep to the schedule, but Tess’s submittals are amazing. So one week, I commented on her pithy submission. The next week, Tess formed her weekly challenge around my … Continue reading
The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind’s Greatest Invention by Guy Deutscher My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews I love studying how man became who he is–living in communities, farming the land (rather than hunter-gatherers), believing in a god, decorating our bodies, creating unique cultures. Many believe our most … Continue reading
The Oxford Essential Dictionary of Difficult Words by Oxford University Press My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews This book is a wonder if your style of writing is a bit on the intellectual side or if you want an Anthony Hopkins type of character, ala Silence of the Lambs–educated, professorial, cerebral. … Continue reading
If I could only recommend two books about words to writers, it would be: The Lexicon by William F. Buckley Jr. The Oxford Essential Dictionary of Difficult Words Both are for those atavistic autodidactic souls who love Beautiful Words. Not ordinary words, or syntax, or grammar and spelling, nor the ebb and flow of a … Continue reading
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