Exercise #3: Speak out what others keep quiet about
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2025 10:31 am
Why do so many texts sound as if the author has a broom up his butt?
Why do people pretend when they write an article? Often it is the desire to appear "serious". You can save yourself this courtly pretense.
Be human, be honest and be like the boy in the fairy tale "The King's New Clothes". Say it: "The king is naked!"
Like I said in this article about becoming a freelancer .
Creative Writing: My video on this topic ->
Exercise #4: Write only one sentence
Often the mere thought of the huge uk phone number list novel or article blocks us. This mountain is so big that we don't want to tackle it.
The trick: Sit down just to write one sentence. Tell yourself: “I’m only writing one sentence.” You can do it.
This is how you outsmart yourself. After the first sentence, you can write a second one. And before you know it, you're already half a page.
Exercise #5: Don’t tell, show
You'll find this rule in all writing guides: "Show, don't tell." The reason is clear: it's closer to reality. Don't tell me that the football player "left offended." Instead, say that he "packed his things and left without saying a word." I can and should then imagine that he was offended.
Stop describing feelings. Instead, describe what is happening - the feelings will arise from that.
Task: Replace the following narrated states with “show”:
1) He was tired.
2) He was angry.
3) She was happy.
Exercise #6: Write a declaration of love
Write a declaration of love to someone you love. You will notice how carefully you choose your words. How you start to think about the deep meaning of each sentence. That is the goal of the exercise. You learn to weigh every word and every sentence carefully.
Why do people pretend when they write an article? Often it is the desire to appear "serious". You can save yourself this courtly pretense.
Be human, be honest and be like the boy in the fairy tale "The King's New Clothes". Say it: "The king is naked!"
Like I said in this article about becoming a freelancer .
Creative Writing: My video on this topic ->
Exercise #4: Write only one sentence
Often the mere thought of the huge uk phone number list novel or article blocks us. This mountain is so big that we don't want to tackle it.
The trick: Sit down just to write one sentence. Tell yourself: “I’m only writing one sentence.” You can do it.
This is how you outsmart yourself. After the first sentence, you can write a second one. And before you know it, you're already half a page.
Exercise #5: Don’t tell, show
You'll find this rule in all writing guides: "Show, don't tell." The reason is clear: it's closer to reality. Don't tell me that the football player "left offended." Instead, say that he "packed his things and left without saying a word." I can and should then imagine that he was offended.
Stop describing feelings. Instead, describe what is happening - the feelings will arise from that.
Task: Replace the following narrated states with “show”:
1) He was tired.
2) He was angry.
3) She was happy.
Exercise #6: Write a declaration of love
Write a declaration of love to someone you love. You will notice how carefully you choose your words. How you start to think about the deep meaning of each sentence. That is the goal of the exercise. You learn to weigh every word and every sentence carefully.