William Zinsser continues, “. . .not what you did in a certain situation, but how that situation affected you and shaped the person you became.” Zinsser reminds us that readers don’t want to be impressed by your accomplishments. They don’t want to see whining, anger, or revenge. Instead, you should … Read More
Month: April 2023
“I can allow myself to speculate on all that now, though it would not have occurred to me to do so at the time.”
When writing about something that happened years ago, should you stick to the story, or should you interject speculations about what could have happened? Should you also comment on your speculations? People who write stories about things that happened to them regularly consider these questions. Pulitzer Prize recipient Peter Taylor… Read More
“Go north a dozen years on a road overgrown with vines to find the days after you were born.”
This remarkable first line of the poem “Sight” by Faith Shearin does three things: it provides a way to visualize a journey back in time along “a road overgrown with vines.” It includes an interesting slant rhyme with “vines” and “find.” And, it’s written as a command, in what English … Read More