In the month that I’ve officially been back in school, it’s amazing how it seems like I’ve been at this university for years. As strange as this may sound, I’m having a great time. I have one class where we do story writing - and sometimes poetry - exercises. Another, I spend discussing books (it’s like a more in-depth book club). And the last one, I get to learn about writing for film. The only exams I have to worry about are occasional reading quizzes (super easy).
I don’t want to bore you anymore about the details of my classes, but basically I just wanted to say that it’s not a bad set-up.
I’ve also learned a few things already when it comes to my writing. Like how I should remember to incorporate other senses in my fiction writing other than sight (and hearing, because I tend to lean heavily on this, too).
But mainly, I need to remind myself to be more specific.
In my creative writing class, I do a pretty good job of this. However, when it comes to essay writing in my other class, I’ve noticed a repeated theme in my critique footnotes. I have to stop being so vague and explain what I mean by certain phrases/quotes. I can’t expect readers to understand precisely what I write if I don’t properly clarify. Just like lack of details in stories lead to an incomplete picture, general explanations can lead to an incomplete comprehension. So I’m trying to wed my classes together with this idea of specificity.
Who knew that my Creative Writing class was going to help me with academic papers?
Anyway, get specific with your stories! Use all five senses (unless you have a sixth sense, then use that, too). Use names and numbers. Refine that word choice and add texture!
Textured details make life exciting. Just look at all the exclamations points I included in the paragraph above.
Because at the end of the day, an exciting story leads to satisfied readers.
