Transcript Blue Print for Writing Well

Blue Print for Writing Well
Based on Stephen King’s On
Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
His expertise on the writer’s “toolbox.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embe
dded&v=QQ_S89fdg38#t=0
Vocabulary
Don't write fancy; use plain and direct language.
•King says that a writer should always use the first
word that comes up -- no other word will mean exactly
what you wanted it to mean.
•Write so people can understand and don't feel
alienated.
•Don't dumb your writing down, but don't try to dress it
up either.
•Write as you are.
•Keep your writing crisp, clear, and direct.
Grammar
According to King, "Bad grammar is bad writing"
(120).
•The best way to acquire grammar rules without
thinking about it, is to read.
•As long as you have a noun and a verb, then you can't
go wrong. Simple sentence constructions worked for
Ernest Hemingway and other great writers -- they can
work for you.
•If you expect more from your writing than just a noun
and a verb to make a sentence, he does recommend
Warriner's English Grammar and Composition: First
Course.
Active vs. Passive Voice
King and every other writer in the world will tell you
to rid your writing of passive voice constructions.
•King says that when writers use passive verbs, it's
usually because they are timid or passive
writers/people.
•If you're not sure of what is meant by passive/active
verbs, here is an adapted example from King himself
(123).
Passive example: The body was carried out of the
kitchen.
Active example: Freddy and Myra carried the body
out of the kitchen.
Active vs. Passive Voice
continued….
Freddy and Myra are your subjects, not the dead body
(which is already passive since it's dead). When you
write, look over your sentences one by one and see if
you write with a passive voice. If this is your pattern,
then you should make a conscious effort in changing it.
Writers must assert themselves as authorities in their
writing; otherwise, why would anyone want to read
their work?
King also suggests avoiding “to be” verbs as much as
possible. Replace them with action verbs to stay in
active voice.
Adverbs
"Adverbs are not your friends," King most ardently
states.
•Usually ending in -ly, adverbs are used to modify verbs,
adjectives, or other adverbs. But as he points out, they're
unnecessary.
•We don't need words like firmly, sadly, ardently to be placed
in the prose because the prose that comes before these
extra words should be telling us this stuff to begin with.
•Adverbs are basically redundant, extra, and unnecessary.
And whatever you do, omit them from your dialogue
attribution. These are phrases that tell us who said what and
how ( he shouted, she pleaded, he said).
•Adding adverbs to these verbs weakens the dialogue and
your writing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOnRHAyXqYY
•
Notice
the
adverb??
Paragraphs
King says that paragraphs are "maps of intent" (130).
•On paragraphs, King also reveals that they are not the
melody of your work, but the beat, and in order to find the
beat that will rock your writing, you must practice.
•Don't think about where paragraphs should begin and end;
just sit down and keep writing until the beat finds you.
•To help with this, he also suggests that you read a lot of
fiction: "The more fiction you read and write, the more you'll
find the paragraphs forming on their own" (131).
Commitment
The last drawer of you toolbox should contain your
commitment to your craft.
•Don't let fear or your insecurities drag you down and
away from what you want.
•Don't let bad reviews or rejection slips deter you from
writing or trying to get published.
•Don't give up. Start small and take one paragraph at a
time -- one beat at a time.
•Keep writing whether you write short stories, poems,
novels, or non-fiction. Commit to your craft -- and stay
committed.