TIP OF THE DAY
Does your writing wander? Then remember to speak your truth.
1. Look at some photographs.
2. Think about what you believe is true about people or the world.
3. Explain your truth—map it out with an idea organizer.
4. Write a kernel sentence for each idea in your idea organizer.
For more on this tip, see pages 218–225 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[1] = " " + month + "/02/" + year entryContent[1] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Do you run out of things to say? Then remember to get into an argument.
1. Imagine that someone is challenging you to prove your ideas.
2. Reveal your sources to prove your ideas.
3. Figure out where to add details.
For more on this tip, see pages 226–231 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[2] = " " + month + "/03/" + year entryContent[2] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Do you run out of things to say? Then remember to add a Ba-Da-Bing. A Ba-Da-Bing answers these questions about an event:
1. Where were you? What physically were you doing?
2. What, exactly, were you seeing?
3. What words went through your head as it was happening?
For more on this tip, see pages 232–233 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[3] = " " + month + "/04/" + year entryContent[3] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Is your writing bumpy or disconnected? Then remember to add transitions.
1. Choose the right transitions between sentences.
2. Repeat key words.
3. Connect your paragraphs.
For more on this tip, see pages 234–239 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[4] = " " + month + "/05/" + year entryContent[4] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Is your writing, um, boring? Then remember to use the Intensity Scale.
1. Create a scale with the most boring, general, vague word on the left. Then add more precise words to the right until you get to the most specific word or phrase you can.
2. Replace general words and vague details in your writing with words and phrases from the right side of the Intensity Scale.
For more on this tip, see pages 240–243 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[5] = " " + month + "/06/" + year entryContent[5] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Is your writing too vague? Then remember to add snapshots and thoughtshots.
1. Pick one moment from your writing and visualize it. What do you see, hear, smell, and taste? Write down every detail.
2. Revisit this moment, but this time, write down everything you thought about at that moment.
For more on this tip, see pages 244–245 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[6] = " " + month + "/07/" + year entryContent[6] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Is your writing too vague? Then remember to use a target diagram to write in layers.
1. In the center of the target, write a memory.
2. In the next circle, write details about that memory.
3. In the next circle, write your feelings.
4. In the outer circle, write the life lesson that is dawning on you.
For more on this tip, see pages 246–247 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[7] = " " + month + "/08/" + year entryContent[7] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Does your writing sound like a list? Then remember to add meat to the bones.
1. Use dialogue.
2. Use sensory details—help your reader feel like he or she is there.
3. Use snapshots—give a complete description of the scene.
4. Use thoughtshots—tell what the narrator or the characters are thinking.
For more on this tip, see pages 248–251 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[8] = " " + month + "/09/" + year entryContent[8] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Does your writing sound like a list? Then remember to zero in on the moment. First, choose the most important moment in your writing, and then try index-card narrowing.
1. Summarize the story on index cards—one sentence per card.
2. Choose the best card.
3. Collapse the cards that fall before and after the best card.
4. Zero in on the best card.
For more on this tip, see pages 252–253 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[9] = " " + month + "/10/" + year entryContent[9] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Is your writing too wordy? Then remember these strategies.
1. Take out throwaway writing. Identify useless phrases that announce the writer’s intention, e.g., “Now I will tell you about....”
2. Use fewer words. Don’t say the same thing again, and take out extra words that clutter up your writing.
For more on this tip, see pages 254–259 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[10] = " " + month + "/11/" + year entryContent[10] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Are your sentences boring? Then vary them! Follow this recipe.
1. Prepare some longer sentences.
2. Mix with some shorter sentences.
3. For extra crunchiness, add a fragment or two.
For more on this tip, see pages 260–263 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[11] = " " + month + "/12/" + year entryContent[11] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Are your sentences boring? Then spice up your verbs, and pepper your writing with prepositional phrases.
1. Use action verbs, especially spicy ones. Instead of “eats,” try “munches” or “gulps” or “devours.”
2. Add prepositional phrases to give juicy details— who, what, when, where, and how.
For more on this tip, see pages 264–265 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[12] = " " + month + "/13/" + year entryContent[12] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Are your sentences boring? Then add adjectives and adverbs—in different places.
1. Add adjectives before a noun, after a noun, at the beginning of a sentence, and at the end of a sentence.
2. Add adverbs after a verb, before the verb at the beginning of a sentence, or all the way at the end of a sentence.
For more on this tip, see pages 266–267 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[13] = " " + month + "/14/" + year entryContent[13] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Are your sentences boring? Then elaborate with participles.
1. Ask an interesting question about a noun.
2. Answer with a participle or participial phrase.
For more on this tip, see pages 268–269 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[14] = " " + month + "/15/" + year entryContent[14] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Are your sentences boring? Then elaborate with clauses.
1. Add an adjective clause to tell about a person, place, or thing.
2. Add an adverb clause to tell when and why.
For more on this tip, see pages 270–271 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[15] = " " + month + "/16/" + year entryContent[15] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Are your sentences boring? Then elaborate with absolutes.
1. Combine sentences to create an absolute.
2. Or add an absolute to create a long, full-bodied sentence at the beginning, the middle, or at the end of a sentence.
For more on this tip, see pages 272–273 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[16] = " " + month + "/17/" + year entryContent[16] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Does your writing wander? Then remember to speak your truth.
1. Look at some photographs.
2. Think about what you believe is true about people or the world.
3. Explain your truth—map it out with an idea organizer.
4. Write a kernel sentence for each idea in your idea organizer.
For more on this tip, see pages 218–225 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[17] = " " + month + "/18/" + year entryContent[17] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Do you run out of things to say? Then remember to get into an argument.
1. Imagine that someone is challenging you to prove your ideas.
2. Reveal your sources to prove your ideas.
3. Figure out where to add details.
For more on this tip, see pages 226–231 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[18] = " " + month + "/19/" + year entryContent[18] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Do you run out of things to say? Then remember to add a Ba-Da-Bing. A Ba-Da-Bing answers these questions about an event:
1. Where were you? What physically were you doing?
2. What, exactly, were you seeing?
3. What words went through your head as it was happening?
For more on this tip, see pages 232–233 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[19] = " " + month + "/20/" + year entryContent[19] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Is your writing bumpy or disconnected? Then remember to add transitions.
1. Choose the right transitions between sentences.
2. Repeat key words.
3. Connect your paragraphs.
For more on this tip, see pages 234–239 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[20] = " " + month + "/21/" + year entryContent[20] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Is your writing, um, boring? Then remember to use the Intensity Scale.
1. Create a scale with the most boring, general, vague word on the left. Then add more precise words to the right until you get to the most specific word or phrase you can.
2. Replace general words and vague details in your writing with words and phrases from the right side of the Intensity Scale.
For more on this tip, see pages 240–243 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[21] = " " + month + "/22/" + year entryContent[21] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Is your writing too vague? Then remember to add snapshots and thoughtshots.
1. Pick one moment from your writing and visualize it. What do you see, hear, smell, and taste? Write down every detail.
2. Revisit this moment, but this time, write down everything you thought about at that moment.
For more on this tip, see pages 244–245 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[22] = " " + month + "/23/" + year entryContent[22] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Is your writing too vague? Then remember to use a target diagram to write in layers.
1. In the center of the target, write a memory.
2. In the next circle, write details about that memory.
3. In the next circle, write your feelings.
4. In the outer circle, write the life lesson that is dawning on you.
For more on this tip, see pages 246–247 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[23] = " " + month + "/24/" + year entryContent[23] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Does your writing sound like a list? Then remember to add meat to the bones.
1. Use dialogue.
2. Use sensory details—help your reader feel like he or she is there.
3. Use snapshots—give a complete description of the scene.
4. Use thoughtshots—tell what the narrator or the characters are thinking.
For more on this tip, see pages 248–251 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[24] = " " + month + "/25/" + year entryContent[24] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Does your writing sound like a list? Then remember to zero in on the moment. First, choose the most important moment in your writing, and then try index-card narrowing.
1. Summarize the story on index cards—one sentence per card.
2. Choose the best card.
3. Collapse the cards that fall before and after the best card.
4. Zero in on the best card.
For more on this tip, see pages 252–253 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[25] = " " + month + "/26/" + year entryContent[25] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Is your writing too wordy? Then remember these strategies.
1. Take out throwaway writing. Identify useless phrases that announce the writer’s intention, e.g., “Now I will tell you about....”
2. Use fewer words. Don’t say the same thing again, and take out extra words that clutter up your writing.
For more on this tip, see pages 254–259 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[26] = " " + month + "/27/" + year entryContent[26] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Are your sentences boring? Then vary them! Follow this recipe.
1. Prepare some longer sentences.
2. Mix with some shorter sentences.
3. For extra crunchiness, add a fragment or two.
For more on this tip, see pages 260–263 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[27] = " " + month + "/28/" + year entryContent[27] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Are your sentences boring? Then spice up your verbs, and pepper your writing with prepositional phrases.
1. Use action verbs, especially spicy ones. Instead of “eats,” try “munches” or “gulps” or “devours.”
2. Add prepositional phrases to give juicy details— who, what, when, where, and how.
For more on this tip, see pages 264–265 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[28] = " " + month + "/29/" + year entryContent[28] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Are your sentences boring? Then add adjectives and adverbs—in different places.
1. Add adjectives before a noun, after a noun, at the beginning of a sentence, and at the end of a sentence.
2. Add adverbs after a verb, before the verb at the beginning of a sentence, or all the way at the end of a sentence.
For more on this tip, see pages 266–267 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[29] = " " + month + "/30/" + year entryContent[29] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Are your sentences boring? Then elaborate with participles.
1. Ask an interesting question about a noun.
2. Answer with a participle or participial phrase.
For more on this tip, see pages 268–269 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
" entryDate[30] = " " + month + "/31/" + year entryContent[30] = "TIP OF THE DAY
Are your sentences boring? Then elaborate with clauses.
1. Add an adjective clause to tell about a person, place, or thing.
2. Add an adverb clause to tell when and why.
For more on this tip, see pages 270–271 in your Good Writer’s Guide.
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