Writing Tools (10th Anniversary Edition): 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer
Type
Book
Authors
ISBN 10
0316014990
ISBN 13
9780316014991
Category
General
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Publication Year
2006
Publisher
Pages
288
Subject
English language--Rhetoric--Problems, exercises etc. Report writing--Problems, exercises, etc. English language--Grammar--Problems, exercises, etc.
Tags
Description
xv, 260 p. ; 22 cm.
Biblio Notes
Contents
Introduction: A Nation of Writers 3
Part One. NUTS AND BOLTS 9
1. Begin sentences with subjects and verbs. 11
2. Order words for emphasis. 15
3. Activate your verbs. 19
4. Be passive-aggressive. 23
5. Watch those adverbs. 27
6. Take it easy on the -ings. 31
7. Fear not the long sentence. 36
8. Establish a pattern, then give it a twist. 41
9. Let punctuation control pace and space. 45
10. Cut big, then small. 50
Part Two. SPECIAL EFFECTS 57
11. Prefer the simple over the technical. 59
12. Give key words their space. 64
13. Play with words, even in serious stories. 68
14. Get the name of the dog. 72
15. Pay attention to names. 76
16. Seek original images. 80
17. Riff on the creative language of others. 84
18. Set the pace with sentence length. 88
19. Vary the lengths of paragraphs. 93
20. Choose the number of elements with a purpose in mind. 98
21. Know when to back off and when to show off. 103
22. Climb up and down the ladder of abstraction. 107
23. Tune your voice. 112
Part Three. BLUEPRINTS 117
24. Work from a plan. 119
25. Learn the difference between reports and stories. 124
26. Use dialogue as a form of action. 128
27. Reveal traits of character. 133
28. Put odd and interesting things next to each other. 137
29. Foreshadow dramatic events and powerful conclusions. 142
30. To generate suspense, use internal cliffhangers. 146
31. Build your work around a key question. 150
32. Place gold coins along the path. 155
33. Repeat, repeat, and repeat. 159
34. Write from different cinematic angles. 165
35. Report and write for scenes. 169
36. Mix narrative modes. 174
37. In short works, don¿t waste a syllable. 179
38. Prefer archetypes to stereotypes. 184
39. Write toward an ending. 188
Part Four. USEFUL HABITS 193
40. Draft a mission statement for your work. 195
41. Turn procrastination into rehearsal. 200
42. Do your homework well in advance. 205
43. Read for both form and content. 210
44. Save string. 214
45. Break long projects into parts. 219
46. Take an interest in all crafts that support your work. 223
47. Recruit your own support group. 228
48. Limit self-criticism in early drafts. 232
49. Learn from your critics. 236
50. Own the tools of your craft. 240
Afterword 245
Acknowledgments 246
Writing Tools Quick List 249
Index 255
Introduction: A Nation of Writers 3
Part One. NUTS AND BOLTS 9
1. Begin sentences with subjects and verbs. 11
2. Order words for emphasis. 15
3. Activate your verbs. 19
4. Be passive-aggressive. 23
5. Watch those adverbs. 27
6. Take it easy on the -ings. 31
7. Fear not the long sentence. 36
8. Establish a pattern, then give it a twist. 41
9. Let punctuation control pace and space. 45
10. Cut big, then small. 50
Part Two. SPECIAL EFFECTS 57
11. Prefer the simple over the technical. 59
12. Give key words their space. 64
13. Play with words, even in serious stories. 68
14. Get the name of the dog. 72
15. Pay attention to names. 76
16. Seek original images. 80
17. Riff on the creative language of others. 84
18. Set the pace with sentence length. 88
19. Vary the lengths of paragraphs. 93
20. Choose the number of elements with a purpose in mind. 98
21. Know when to back off and when to show off. 103
22. Climb up and down the ladder of abstraction. 107
23. Tune your voice. 112
Part Three. BLUEPRINTS 117
24. Work from a plan. 119
25. Learn the difference between reports and stories. 124
26. Use dialogue as a form of action. 128
27. Reveal traits of character. 133
28. Put odd and interesting things next to each other. 137
29. Foreshadow dramatic events and powerful conclusions. 142
30. To generate suspense, use internal cliffhangers. 146
31. Build your work around a key question. 150
32. Place gold coins along the path. 155
33. Repeat, repeat, and repeat. 159
34. Write from different cinematic angles. 165
35. Report and write for scenes. 169
36. Mix narrative modes. 174
37. In short works, don¿t waste a syllable. 179
38. Prefer archetypes to stereotypes. 184
39. Write toward an ending. 188
Part Four. USEFUL HABITS 193
40. Draft a mission statement for your work. 195
41. Turn procrastination into rehearsal. 200
42. Do your homework well in advance. 205
43. Read for both form and content. 210
44. Save string. 214
45. Break long projects into parts. 219
46. Take an interest in all crafts that support your work. 223
47. Recruit your own support group. 228
48. Limit self-criticism in early drafts. 232
49. Learn from your critics. 236
50. Own the tools of your craft. 240
Afterword 245
Acknowledgments 246
Writing Tools Quick List 249
Index 255
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