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Join us this September in New Hampshire!
How to Create Stories that
Make a Difference
an affordable 2-day interp writing workshop hosted by
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
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Three Fast Fixes
BLINK-- BLINK -- BLINK --
You stare at your monitor, suspecting that the blinking cursor is your computer thumbing its nose at you. The words squat in their double-spaced rows, daring you to change them. You glare at the clock, distracted by its TICK counterpoint TOCK counterpoint BLINK, over and over, the drumbeat of an approaching deadline.
You print out the draft and spread its pages across your desk, hoping that somehow, the words on paper will be better than the ones on screen (it's irrational, you know that, but you do it anyway). It looks nice, very professional. But that's the typeface and printer quality and automated template layout and has nothing to do with how well you've written the story.
Whether your deadline is in five minutes or five weeks--and no matter what you're writing (thematic statement or puppet show, single display panel or massive exhibit hall, always-expanding web site or 70,000-word book)--use these three fast and effective techniques to craft a stronger story.
Verb Volts
The English language is thick with wondrous verbs, yet we typically use only a handful. Replacing well-worn verbs with strong, specific verbs results in livelier, more effective writing. The right verb transforms a yawner of a sentence into one that wakes up your reader.
In addition to the to be verbs, the most commonly used English verbs are go, say, like, take, run, tell, and put. I add provide to the list, too, because interpretive writers use it so frequently.
These verbs aren't bad or wrong; they're just ordinary. A little vague. Not particularly precise. Lackadaisical. Dull.
Instead of the tired and banal, select verbs that convey specific action, image, and emotion. Memorable verbs. Verbs that wake up and shake up your readers.
Does a duck walk or does it waddle? Does the owl hoot, boom, screech, scritch, howl, whine, sing, warble, cough, caw, cackle, hiss, hum, buzz, ululate? Make friends with your dictionary and thesaurus (they're available on-line, too). Why read a story when you can devour it?
Note that I'm not talking about simple synonym substitution here. Hoot, boom, and screech are all sounds an owl might make, but they are not the same sound. Reading and devouring are not synonyms.
Select the verb that means exactly, precisely the action, image, or emotion you want to convey. For example, "The mule deer runs across the hillside" conveys fast movement (running is faster than walking) but not much else. What happens when we replace "runs"?
The mule deer prances across the hillside.
The mule deer tiptoes across the hillside.
The mule deer flees across the hillside.
The mule deer parabolas across the hillside.
These four verbs convey specific but different actions. The different actions reveal different images and emotions. (In case you're wondering, "parabolas" comes from parabola; I've used the noun parabola as a verb to describe the up-down arc of a bounding mule deer.)
Electric Details
The more details specific to the world of your story you include, the more universal the story becomes. Details bring the reader more fully into the topic and the experience. Details can also dictate the pace of a passage by slowing down or speeding up the interval between actions. Detail can create tone, too.
Compare these two vignettes:
The doe stood on the hillside. It raised its head and sniffed the air.
The doe stepped out from under the dark canopy of aspen and pine, pausing in the splash of sunlight that warmed the meadow. Cautiously, quickly, she tested the scent first north, then east, before flicking an ear.
We're not using every detail possible--that would be boring as well as much too long. We are selecting specific details--"electric details"--that blend tangible and intangible to reveal a richer story.
Trust your intuition as you review your draft. Have you included details that make you sit up and take notice? breathe faster or hold your breath? smile? bite your lip? exclaim? These physical reactions are zings-your brain and body recognizing an electric detail.
Out Loud, Again
Read what you've written out loud, as if you're reading to a small but important audience.
When you stumble over a word or phrase, feel your brow wrinkle in confusion, run out of breath, or notice your mind wandering, pencil an "X" in the margin. (If you're reading from your screen, either type a large X (preferably in a different text color) or select a spot within the questionable text and highlight it.) Do NOT stop to make any changes to the text! Continue reading, and continue flagging any spots that catch your ear.
When you've read your entire draft out loud, go back to each mark and make changes to solve the problem your ears identified.
When you've finished, repeat the entire process again:
1. Read out loud;
2. Mark but don't fix;
3. Fix.
Even if you typically write and edit every draft electronically, read, mark, and fix at least once from a print-out. If you have time before deadline, let your draft rest for at least a day, then repeat the process.
BLINK-- BLINK -- BLINK --
The words glow softly on your monitor. Even your cursor agrees: the new draft is stronger: more compelling, intriguing, delightful, and effective, thanks to three fast fixes.
Want to learn more? Check out our archive and register for the September workshop!
Judy
Comments? Questions?
970/416-6353 888/886-9289 email Judy
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Join us this September in New Hampshire!
How to Create Stories that
Make a Difference
an affordable 2-day interp writing workshop hosted by
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
Holderness, NH
Sept. 20-21, 2013
CALL NOW TO REGISTER!
603/968-7194
Registration is $395 per person and includes all workshop materials and handouts, a copy of The Art and Craft of Interpretive Writing, and coffee, tea, and snacks.
SPECIAL OFFER:
Workshop participants receive a 15% discount on all writing, editing, writing coaching, and consulting fees through Greenfire Creative, LLC for the 12 months following the workshop and are eligible for discounts for future Greenfire Creative workshops.
How do you weave what you know into writing that moves readers, changes hearts and minds, and communicates in the most effective way possible? How do you change the ho-hum into powerful interpretive stories that inspire, intrigue, delight, and educate?
Join us at Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness,  NH for a 2-day interpretive writing workshop that will crack open your creativity, energize your writing, and reveal new talents and skills. We'll practice the art and craft of interpretive writing through facilitated  discussion, in-class exercises, and sharing results. By the end of the workshop, you'll understand the critical components of interpretive writing. You'll have tools for organizing, editing, and dodging writer's block. You'll know how to create writing worth reading-and remembering. Who should attend:
This workshop is designed for interpreters of all experience levels who are involved or plan to be involved in interpretive writing or editing.
Where we'll meet each day:
Squam Lakes Natural Sciences Center, Holderness, Hew Hampshire.
Schedule:
All day Friday and Saturday, Sept. 20 and 21, 2013.
About the presenter:
Judy Fort Brenneman, CIT, owner of Greenfire Creative, LLC and author of The Art and Craft of Interpretive Writing (forthcoming), is an award winning writer and playwright, writing coach, and speaker. Her work has helped companies and agencies define their vision, inspire their employees and volunteers, educate their audiences, and increase their sales. Judy is an active member of NAI, the Council for the Interpretation of Native Peoples, International Museum Theatre Alliance, and AAM. Her passion is helping people tell their stories.
Ready to register?
CALL 603/968-7194 (Squam Lakes Natural Science Center)
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