Chapter 1
Writing Vs. Thinking About Writing
There is writing and there is thinking about writing. People often confuse the two. When you are writing, there should be no hesitation and you should be able to get words on the page without hesitation. Writing is a creative act.
What is in this Chapter?
Warm-up Exercise: Part I
Warm-up Exercise: Part II
Pen Precept: audio lesson + PDF
Who said it best?
Editing and Revising
Beyond Writing
Focus on Your Writing
Warm-Up: Part I
Just as musicians warm-up for practice or performance, so too should writers.
Directions: This is an exercise in word production (writing). How many words can you get on the page - without stopping? Your task is to take the word that I give you and run with it...wherever your imagination takes you. Don’t think...write. Don’t fight the words...write the words.
Grab a pen, paper, and a countdown timer or stopwatch (most smartphones have a countdown timer feature).
Click on the arrow icon below to reveal your one-word writing prompt. Write for one full minute. Without stopping.
Get ready to write...
elixir
Oops! I goofed up and looked at the one-word writing prompt. No worries. Click on the icon below to see a second one-word writing prompt.
Get ready to write...
debacle
Warm-Up: Part II
Directions: This is an exercise in targeted word production. Consider the quote below. Below the quote is a scene from a story. Your task is to consider both the quote and the scene and to write what happens next in the story. Use your imagination. There is no time limit. Write at least one page of prose (this could be in a writing journal or on a loose piece of lined paper).
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is wing’d Cupid painted blind.”
William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act I
“Do you really think that it's a good idea...to marry him? You know that he comes with a lot of baggage. Like a lot of baggage. Like, he has to pay for two plane fares when he goes on a trip because he's got so much baggage.”
Sarah ground her teeth in frustration. She'd already had this conversation with her brother...and her mother. And now she was having this conversation with her best friend. She was tired of it.
“I'm going to marry him,” she said. “I don't care about his past. People can change. People do change. He's changed. He's not the same person that he was. I know. I know it in my heart.”
What happens next?
Pen Precept No. 1
When you are writing, you are putting your thoughts on paper. That is all. You are not concerned with anything aside from getting what is running through your brain onto the page.
Directions: This is an exercise in targeted word production. Consider the quote below. Below the quote is a scene from a story. Your task is to consider both the quote and the scene and to write what happens next in the story. Use your imagination. There is no time limit. Write at least one page of prose (this could be in a writing journal or on a loose piece of lined paper).
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is wing’d Cupid painted blind.”
William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act I
“Do you really think that it's a good idea...to marry him? You know that he comes with a lot of baggage. Like a lot of baggage. Like, he has to pay for two plane fares when he goes on a trip because he's got so much baggage.”
Sarah ground her teeth in frustration. She'd already had this conversation with her brother...and her mother. And now she was having this conversation with her best friend. She was tired of it.
“I'm going to marry him,” she said. “I don't care about his past. People can change. People do change. He's changed. He's not the same person that he was. I know. I know it in my heart.”
What happens next?
Who said it best?
Directions: This is an exercise in making judgments about writing. Consider the quotes below. All three quotes deal with the idea of love. Your task is to read each quote and decide which is the best. You should be able explain your reasoning. In order to make your decision, make sure that you understand what each writer is trying to convey.
“The wounds invisible,
That love’s keen arrows make.”
William Shakespeare, As You Like It
_____
“Who can give law to lovers? Love is a greater law to itself.”
Boethius, Philosophiae
_____
“To be loved, be lovable.”
Ovid, Ars Amatoria
_____
Who said it best - Shakespeare, Boethius, or Ovid?
Click on the icon to see my answer.
Here is the winning quote:
“The wounds invisible,
That love’s keen arrows make.”
Shakespeare is triumphant.
_____
I chose this quote because the Bard referenced Cupid from ancient Greek and Roman mythology. That is smart. You have to understand both the mythology of Cupid shooting people with arrows, and that sometimes love hurts. It’s smart because it shows the reality - sometimes painful - of love. And his words show humanity. There is depth to this quote, and that’s why I chose it as the winner.
Lesson Learned: Show me the reality/humanity of this world and I will appreciate and enjoy your writing.
Question: Why did I start off with quotes about love? Remember that there are no accidents in teaching, writing, or crime. I chose love because love is what makes the world go ‘round. And if love makes the world go ‘round, then don’t you think that your writing should include elements of love?
Editing and Revising
Directions: This is an exercise in making judgments about writing. Consider the quotes below. All three quotes deal with the idea of love. Your task is to read each quote and decide which is the best. You should be able explain your reasoning. In order to make your decision, make sure that you understand what each writer is trying to convey.
“The wounds invisible,
That love’s keen arrows make.”
William Shakespeare, As You Like It
_____
“Who can give law to lovers? Love is a greater law to itself.”
Boethius, Philosophiae
_____
“To be loved, be lovable.”
Ovid, Ars Amatoria
_____
Who said it best - Shakespeare, Boethius, or Ovid?
