HELPFUL THINGS & TIPS
What I learned from my English Tutor - 3 smart tips to improve your writing // Cookie book tag
{all pics via pinterest}
I love my English tutor...many say she is too hard on her students or too strict but I find her to be my greatest source of inspiration and advice. She's funny and loves books and can never pass up a good conversation. She marks up my papers until black ink consumes their depths, but instead of being discouraged I'm inspired by all the smart corrections and little tweaks she offers. She yells about how much she likes my writing until she remembers we are in a room where someone else is also trying to tutor their student. She is just as honest when it comes to offering praise as for her corrections. We share the same faith and she encourages me to dig deeper into my beliefs, challenging any superficiality that may lie on my page.
I've learned a bunch of things from my tutor but today I'm going to share three, even though I've acquired them while discussing English essays they apply to ANY sort of writing.
1. Tie Your Shoelaces Sentences Together
Guys you know I love metaphors, I CAN"T EVER resist weaving a concept down my writing or posts. Ok what I'm about to say is going to sound overly simple, yet don't doubt it's power of coherence...
Sentence number one is tied to sentence number two, then sentence number three is tied to sentence number two AS WELL as Sentence one.
Your stream of thoughts should flow down your writing and when you introduce a new one it should begin a new paragraph. The smartest way to connect your writing is by seeding a metaphor. Circle the most packed and powerful words and use their depth to continue seeding more related concepts down into your WHOLE work, or perhaps chapter.
Your stream of thoughts should flow down your writing and when you introduce a new one it should begin a new paragraph. The smartest way to connect your writing is by seeding a metaphor. Circle the most packed and powerful words and use their depth to continue seeding more related concepts down into your WHOLE work, or perhaps chapter.
Example
{so and so had a} ...thorn in the flesh.
This is an actual and real example we discussed.
IMAGINE
how many implications thorn has, for a second jot down every
association a thorn carries. Good questions to ask yourself would be
this.
Where are thorns found? (packed metaphor/simile hints!)
What hurts so much about a thorn? (character backstory opportunity, thought process gap, metaphor/simile)
What are the characteristics of a thorn?
Do you see how powerful metaphors in our stories can be??? Theme is much developed through these weaving concepts. Enjoyable books often retain an element that weaves down the story carrying intrigue and hints that lead the reader forward. Which leads us to our next point...
2. Bread Crumbs!
Do you remember the story of Hansel and Gretel? At one point to find their way back home they dropped bread crumbs so they could follow them back (never mind that it didn't work so well).
Drop tantalizing little bread crumbs in your writing AKA little hints. Your readers will be eagerly searching for the next bread crumb and get fascinated and drawn along by your story.
These bread crumbs could include but are not limited to...
1. Character backstory
2. Foreshadowing
3. Symbolism
4. Alternating character scenes
5. Letting the villain action's be seen by the reader and not the MC
etc.
Now as in anything...TOO MANY bread crumbs and your readers will get full and bored. TOO LITTLE bread crumbs and you will have raised up your reader's hopes for nothing.
3. Read Your Manuscript Out Loud (and no I'm not talking about your handy computer voice)
You will catch so many silly little mistakes your eyes miss.
You will correct awkward dialogue
You will get into your characters' shoes
You will bond with your story
You will cut the useless words
Do you remember the story of Hansel and Gretel? At one point to find their way back home they dropped bread crumbs so they could follow them back (never mind that it didn't work so well).
Drop tantalizing little bread crumbs in your writing AKA little hints. Your readers will be eagerly searching for the next bread crumb and get fascinated and drawn along by your story.
These bread crumbs could include but are not limited to...
1. Character backstory
2. Foreshadowing
3. Symbolism
4. Alternating character scenes
5. Letting the villain action's be seen by the reader and not the MC
etc.
Now as in anything...TOO MANY bread crumbs and your readers will get full and bored. TOO LITTLE bread crumbs and you will have raised up your reader's hopes for nothing.
3. Read Your Manuscript Out Loud (and no I'm not talking about your handy computer voice)
You will catch so many silly little mistakes your eyes miss.
You will correct awkward dialogue
You will get into your characters' shoes
You will bond with your story
You will cut the useless words
• COOKIE BOOK TAG •
the yummiest tag on the blogger block
THANK YOU IVIE for tagging me <3
CHOCOLATE CHIP // A BOOK THAT NEVER GETS OLD
the hobbit and lord of the rings
(*considers inserting all the fandom pictures and songs*)
DUTCH SNOWBALLS // A BOOK THAT GAVE YOU AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE
princess bride
(i was seriously amazed and confused by the outcomes of this tale)
to kill a mockingbird
(the premise of almost any book but this is my favorite and most notable incident)
OREO // A BOOK DEALING WITH LIGHT AND DARKNESS
the giver
(in a way i guess it does...)
the giver
(in a way i guess it does...)
SUGAR // A BOOK WITH A SUGARY SWEET VILLAIN
robin hood
false prince trilogy ( i could totally see him {spoiler if revealed name} being sugary sweet)
MONSTER // A BOOK THAT CONFUSED YOUR EMOTIONS
lust for life
( very very mature book: not really recommended even though I found it painfully good)
SNICKERDOODLE // A BOOK THAT MADE YOU LAUGH
summer of the monkeys
(hands down funniest, got me scream out loud laughing, childhood book, READ IT...you aren't too old for it, it's the best dog/boy story)
PEANUT BUTTER // A BOOK WITH A NUTTY CHARACTER
charlie and the chocolate factory
(very nutty characters ^^^)
distant waves
(warning: interesting story but spiritualism is an important part of the story...seances etc. Not too graphically detailed but disturbing at times)
I apologize for this horrendously long post! Did you read any of the books I mentioned? Any thoughts on the writing tips?
Any fun fall things going on for you? Is anyone going to homecoming? How's nano prep going!
Whatever it is talk to me below!!! <3
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
(Psalm 23:3)
