|
|
| www.1001TopWords.com |
|
|
Aesop, Abraham Lincoln, and You
May I tell you about a writing technique shared by Aesop and Abe Lincoln? Let's look first at Aesop's timeless tale about the tortoise and the hare. It's the one that ends "slow and sure wins the race." The entire story is about 160 words long. Now let's move forward in history about 2600 years. Nearly 150 years ago President Abe Lincoln stood to address the crowd at a cemetery dedication ceremony. He spoke so briefly and left the podium so quickly, the photographer barely had time to snap a picture. Yet the Gettysburg Address is considered one of humankind's greatest speeches. And it's only about 240 words. (That's even more impressive when you consider the average speech back then ran about 7200 to 15,000 words!) Have you guessed what Aesop's tale and Lincoln's speech have in common? Yes?each is very short, well under 200 words. Recent research presents convincing evidence that shorter, more succinct messages get read and remembered better than longer ones. Next time you sit down to write a letter or report, remember Aesop. Remember Abe Lincoln. If they can write powerful documents in very few words, so can you. You've got a great advantage over these two magnificent authors. They're not with us anymore. But tomorrow, you could create a classic. Rix Quinn's new book "Words That Stick: A Guide to Short Writing with Big Impact" offers lots of writing ideas for both students and professionals. It's available from you local bookstore, or Ten Speed Press. http://www.tenspeed.com/catalog/all/item.php3?id=1661
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Plotting Problems - Episodic Writing The rejection letter says: "Your story, on the surface, appears to be well-told and has appealing characters. However, the writing is episodic; the story lacks direction." Memoir Writing Help, Memoir Writing Ideas You might not need any memoir writing help, per se, as you know your past and you know quite well how to write, thank you. You might instead just need someone to inspire you, motivate you, give you a nudge--with some memoir writing ideas. The Writers Identity: Exploring the Writer Within Les Edgerton writes in his book, Finding Your Voice, that the best way to find your voice is to write autobiographically. "Writers will never find a powerful, evocative voice until they learn to be bone-deep honest with themselves, open and vulnerable." I believe that Mr. Edgerton is on to something. In my experience, the best writers are the ones who dig deep within themselves and pull out the rawest pieces of who they are, filling their pages with words that leave their audiences wanting more. If I could interview an author whom I admire, I would most want to know what helped him or her get to that magical place. Editing Secrets Once you've plotted out your book, developed the characters and written the last word of text, the real work begins. As busy editors are bombarded with hundreds or even thousands of submissions a year, it's more important than ever that authors apply their own editing skills to their manuscripts before putting them in the mail. Checking your basic grammar and spelling are of course important, but authors need to go beyond surface editing if their work has a chance of catching an editor's eye. 6 Tricks To Squeeze Your Letters Onto One Page Anyone who has read any of my articles on the subject ofletter writing or resume writing will know how important I believe it is to minimize the number of pages, preferably limiting them to one page whenever possible. In Your Own Words More Tips For New Writers (Part I) When I Grow Up I've just come back to work after nine glorious, sun-drenched days at home. This year, vacation was the week of July 4th. We stayed home instead of dashing off to a cottage on a lake. Aside from saving a few thousand bucks, I had plans! Amazing plans! Projects galore, and the gumption to tackle every one of them! Aesop, Abraham Lincoln, and You May I tell you about a writing technique shared by Aesop and Abe Lincoln? Retail Margin, Trade Discount, and What it Means for the Author DEFINITIONS The Work Flow Cycle of the Editorial Industry As an editorial professional, I'm sure you're aware of the market slump right now. What you may not be aware of is that this is due to more than just the economy. A Perfect Day for Writers In one of the exercises in my "Getting Started as a Freelance Writer" workshop, I ask participants to describe what a "perfect day" would be like for them. The Cost of Being a Writer You are the only one who knows what being a writer means to you. Freelancing Doesnt Mean Writing For Free. Does it? Writer's forums are bustling with debate over whether or not a writer should send something out for free. Some people feel that writing for free weakens the market for other writers, while some people feel that writing is an art that should be shared freely. How To Write A Newsletter In order to be successful with a newsletter, specialize in a subject not adequately covered in existing newsletters. A subject which you can give more, or better information on. Open a Vein If you want to be a writer, you must write and that requires sitting at your typewriter or computer and writing although it may not be easy. That also means avoiding all distractions that will keep one from writing-visitors, friends, relatives, television, radio, and anything that will keep the writer from concentrating on the task. Nonfiction Idea Generators The hardest part of nonfiction writing is finding a subject to write about. Unless you're a student or a professional writer no one is going to select a topic for you. That means you have to come up with your own themes. If you're like most writers, your subject matter will be things that interest you. I used the headings listed below to generate ideas for my writing. Hopefully these idea generators will help you become a more productive writer. Format Each eBook Chapter Before you Write It Do you have a problem creating a focus in your chapters? Does your writing slip around, leaving a muddy path to the gold--your unique, useful message? Writer?s Web Resources The Internet has truly revolutionized the careers of writers worldwide. Now you can work for publishers, corporations and a whole range of other clients on a truly global scale. Whether you are in the heart of a big city, or in a remote mountain village, all you need is an Internet connection to run your writing business. A Beginners Guide to Writing a Novel No one is born a novel writer. But do you believe that we all have the capability to be writers? Impossible as it may seem but the answer is yes! If we have the passion for it and if we strive to make it happen, novelwriting can be as easy as writing ABC. Writing is actually not a very complicated thing. It is just like drawing, painting, and even cooking. It is an art! Your imagination is all that it takes to get it started. What makes it hard is not writing itself but how people make it harder than it really is. New Year Resolutions for Writers - The Best Kind to Make and How to Keep Them On the first day of a bright and shiny new year, stretching out ahead of us full of possibilities, it's so easy to feel a sense of determination. ("This year I'm DOING it! I'm going to write a book / lose weight / take more time for myself... etc etc.)
|
| © Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |
