waver, fall and rise up burning: another tip on style.

Sat, 11 May 2013 12:56:25 -0400

waver, fall and rise up burning: another tip on style.:

One of the easiest and fastest ways to liven your writing is to avoid the use of the verb to be: am, are, is, was, were, etc. More often than not, you trace a dull passage to the overuse of that annoying little verb. Look at these two examples:

When she finally emerged from the house, Wendy was stunned. The sun was blinding, but the weather was cold. All around her were frozen trees that had broken off at their waists. Everything was both beautiful and awful.

Eliminating the verb to be forces you to think about your method of expression. Usually, this results in a revision of the original thought but in a more poetic and precise manner:

Wendy emerged from the house, stunned by the blinding sun. The trees, broken off at their waists, lay over the yard; each naked branch encased in a thick layer of ice. The day had just begun but held an awful air of beauty about it.

—this isn’t to say that the verb to be is terrible and you should eliminate it completely from your writing. No, you can use the verb, but I’d like to challenge you to use it less than you normally would. It will be tough and difficult, but that’s why it’s a challenge. Good luck.

waver, fall and rise up burning: You are a different person around everyone you know.

Sat, 11 May 2013 12:56:16 -0400

waver, fall and rise up burning: You are a different person around everyone you know.:

the-hardyest-rpc:

Online → School → Work → Home → Close friends → Acquaintances → Extended family → Lovers → Exes → Your cat → Your dog → Children → Ordering a cup of coffee → On vacation → At a party → At a restaurant → In the morning → At night → With authority → When In authority

Humans are the most versatile liars I know. They are the only liars I know.

Don’t think you can be an actor? Guess what? You are. Every waking moment; and you don’t even realize it. Inconsistency is at the core of the human persona.

So a quick tip— you want to be a layered character, one that’s well-rounded? You make them react differently to each situation they’re in. You tweak, just a little bit. Make them fake smile to the bartender, make them love a child unconditionally, make them recluse around family, make them always jovial with close friends, make them defiant to authority, make them abusive when given too much power.

Make them a reflection of you. What it means to be human. A liar. That is a character worth rooting for.

- TH

systems

waver, fall and rise up burning: another tip on style.

waver, fall and rise up burning: You are a different person around everyone you know.