• Home
  • Books
  • Bio
  • Blog
  • Links
  • Events
  • Contact
Katie Van Ark
Passion on the page

Technique Tuesday: Cut the Clutter! William Zinsser's On Writing Well

10/21/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
I am a revision addict. To me, revision is like choreography: moving ideas and even words around until every movement is in the right spot, every line just so. On ice, I love working with a coach because of the additional energy and skill another person contributes. I'm upping my writing today with William Zinsser's On Writing Well. Though it's a guide for nonfiction, it applies across genres and its “mini-lesson” format makes it perfect for pre-writing exercises.

In the “Clutter” section, Zinsser says, “Examine every word you put down on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose” (12). Don't write that someone smiles happily. Replace phrases like “at this point in time” with “now.” He suggests examining your work and bracketing unnecessary words. (If you don't see any, I suggest checking someone else's work and then returning to yours.) I tried this technique on today's post. Below is my original draft with brackets:

I am a revision addict. {Honest truth. I love to revise.} To me, revision is like choreography: moving ideas and even words around until every movement is in {just} the right spot, every line just so. On ice, I love working with a coach and the additional energy that another person {brings to the process}. {Craft books can be great writing coaches and right now I'm enjoying} William Zinsser's On Writing Well. Zinsser's book is {technically} a guide to writing nonfiction but {much of good writing is good writing regardless of} genre. {What I especially love about this book is its format.} The “lessons” {are broken into small chunks, perfectly sized to spend a few minutes reading} and {then hone in on that area} in my writing that day.

Today I read the section {titled} “Clutter.” {The essence of this lesson is the old adage to K.I.S.S., or Keep It Simple, Stupid.} Zinsser {encourages writers to} “Examine every word you put down on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose” (Zinsser 12). {For example,} “at this point in time” {should be} replaced with “now.” {You} don't {need to} say that someone smiles happily {or that a skyscraper is tall.} Zinsser suggests {looking through} your writing and {putting} brackets {around} unnecessary words. (If you {have a hard time seeing} any {in your own work}, you {might try looking at} someone else's first and then {moving on} to your own.) {Read on to see how} I {gave} this technique {a} try in this {very blog} post. Below is my original draft with brackets {added everywhere!}

Thank you, William Zinsser, for the inspiration!


Picture
Your writing is a garden...
Picture
...don't let it get overgrown by weeds!
1 Comment

What I Read This Weekend: K.A. Barson's 45 Pounds (More or Less)

10/19/2014

6 Comments

 
Picture
My book crush of the week goes to K.A. Barson's fabulous debut, a contemporary YA called 45 Pounds (More or Less). I wish this book had been around for Teen Me - and all the girls who've struggled at some point in their lives with body issues.

Puberty wasn't kind to me. Like main character Ann Galardi, I put on a lot of weight. I hated gym class, especially running. Growing a few inches taller helped, but I wasn't really comfortable with my body until I started to get into sports. Taking up swimming and later figure skating made me feel good because it re-focused me on all the amazing things my body could do.

Other things I loved about this book? Shy Jon, who likes Ann for who she is inside. Raynee and the many other well-developed secondary characters. Aunt Jackie and her bride's awesome wedding vows. And too many things I don't want to share here because I'll spoil the book!
6 Comments

Girls Weekend - Writing Style

10/13/2014

4 Comments

 
Picture
There are so many things I love about the way skating makes me feel. I love the crisp cold that shakes me awake on Saturday mornings. I love that flying-too-fast-to-ever-stop feeling, the days when the timing is just right on a jump and I soar. I love how my body feels when I push it to the limit, my heart racing and breath gasping with alive.

Today I feel like all of that combined after a great weekend with some of my writing pals. We rented a cottage on a lake for our own writer's retreat and had a blast: great conversation, great food, great lakeside walks, and of course a lot of time for writing, sharing, and reflecting. To wrap up, we did a couple writing exercises together, including one where we each selected a word from a pile of note cards with words and definitions written on them.

The point of the exercise is to start writing a scene. You begin by listing synonyms or phrases that the word makes you think of and as soon as one of those sparks an idea, you start writing the scene. Of course, as with all writing, glorious accidents (aka complete tangents) are fine. The goal is to write. (If you are the kind of person who could list synonyms forever, set yourself a two minute timer and take the last word you wrote when it goes off.)

Picture
My word was prosaic (unromantic, dull, commonplace), but as I started listing the synonyms I found myself really thinking about how they were all sort of opposites of the word mosaic. I ended up with this:

Mosaic. It was her favorite art form. All these little pieces. Shards, even. Broken, yet still. Just a little bit of glazed shine. A sparkle when the light caught the fragment of glass just right. And even the pieces that were plain Jane. When the picture came together, it wouldn't work without them. Life needed all kinds, all sizes, all colors, all together. She could see it finished in her head, knew it might change along the way, but it would be beautiful. In the end it would be beautiful.

Is this a new story? A character in a novel I'm already writing? I don't know yet, but I'm excited to write more. I think this would be a great exercise to try with "quote" cards, too. (Yes, I'm a wordaholic AND I have a quote fetish.) One to start you off?

Here's to exercising the writing muscles. :-)

4 Comments

    Reflections on Writing

    Picture
    I love few things better than a bottomless to-read list of books and firmly believe the world has room for all the stories we want to share. This blog is intended to provide resources and spark discussion about improving writing. Opinions are my own and not intended to discredit anyone else's work, only to open conversation. Thanks for reading!

    Archives

    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    March 2020
    January 2018
    July 2017
    April 2017
    August 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Categories

    All
    Blog Hop
    Character
    Craft
    Craft Analysis
    Description
    Donald Maass
    Fantasy
    Figure Skating Championships
    Heather Demetrios
    Interview
    Jennifer Comeaux
    Jenny Elliott
    LGBT
    NaNoWriMo
    Premise
    Presentation Skills
    Rainbow Rowell
    Setting
    Skating
    Stakes
    Voice
    What To Read This Weekend
    World Building
    World-building
    Writing
    YA

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos from diongillard, BLMOregon, ebbandflowphotography, French Tart, photographerglen, York College ISLGP, apalca, VinothChandar, 4Neus, ♔ Georgie R, anokarina, martinak15, photosteve101, revjett, Skley, Peter Werkman (www.peterwerkman.nl), Rusty Darbonne, JoshArdle Photography, ashraful kadir, Guillaume Paumier, ChrisL_AK, ryantron., koadmunkee, Jim Larrison, JMR_Photography, ulazarosa, jfingas, Hamed Saber, kyz