Stretchy Librarian

At first I found this tool contradictory after the first chapter that preached starting with strong verbs and nouns and branching the weaker to the right. This next chapter talks about putting your strongest words at the end of the sentence, then at the beginning, and hide your weaker stuff in the middle. (My thought–what’s weak stuff doing in there anyway?)

Perhaps this is like the way you learn to dance. You learn a basic two step, then you add a glide. I’m learning that we have a real power when we pick up a pen. Power to craft in the same way an artisan does–but we shape and carve with words chosen not only for power to create pictures, but also for power of place in the sentence.

In analyzing Lincoln’s speech, words like nation, equal, endure, live, earth were at the end of sentences–almost a summary of the speech. In checking out Dr. King’s speech, I was surprised first at the length of the speech–I’ve always heard just the part where every sentence begins with “I have a dream”. Analysis showed there were also key words in the end place in a number of sentences.

I also analyzed an essay I like on how school libraries have to reinvent themselves to keep up with the technology changes. The writer’s points made an impression on me because of his thoughtful ideas which he expressed with power position words, interesting word choices and varied sentence length. He and Lincoln are similar in the way they distilled their thoughts into powerful lines that didn’t depend just on word placement, but also word choice and even the rhythm and alliteration in the sentences. Lincoln’s words are long remembered for their content, and for the beauty and power of their composition.

 What did you discover?

Yes, we are having a book study of the Writing Tools book. We are on chapter 2 and you are invited to publish your take on the chapter and your response in the writing exercises. I have been secluded, pressing to finish the eighth book in my professional series. Five hours a day after a full day at school nearly did me in–and left no time to complete my Friday work. But the book was submitted Sunday, my husband and I celebrated tonight at a nice restaurant, and I’ll be back to the Writing Tools tomorrow.

 Post your comments to this entry if you are ahead of me on this assignment.

Beginning on February 15, members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators-Houston will join me in a book study. We plan to use Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer (Roy Clark, Little Brown, 2006). Each of the 50 short chapters ends with some brief writing exercises. To keep our individual resolutions to write weekly and produce a quality piece to submit for publication, we will be using this book to develop and perfect our craft.  

Clark starts with the basics–nouns and verbs–and takes the reader/writer surely through the process. He illustrates his points with excerpts of the best in writing so you will also come away with a broad view of how a number of writers do it. The group was started to provide a service to all our members, particularly those who live too far to attend the monthly meetings. You don’t have to be a member of SCBWI-Houston to participate, but you do have to read the book and do the exercises as often as your writer’s discipline will let you. 

The book is available at local bookstores and Amazon.com. Next Friday we will begin by sharing our thoughts on the first chapter and the writing exercise that follows. This is not a critique group—we won’t be reading what you wrote, but rather your thoughts on what you wrote and what you discovered.  Our goal—to figure out how to write better and to write more often. Here’s to our best year ever!