When writers ask me how they can improve their writing skills I always ask them about their reading. They often look at me somewhat deflated – ‘Did she not hear what I was asking?’ I can see them wondering. But, truly, emulating the work of other writers is the best way to improve your own writing. When I read, I’m always looking for great sentences. And when I find them, I write them down. (I’ve learned to do this immediately, usually by entering them into my iPhone.) Each week, I share one with you, providing the sentence, the author and my description of why I figure the sentence worked so well.
Word count: 306 words Reading time: Just over 1 minute A great way to improve your writing is to emulate the work of others. That’s why, every week, I present a sentence that I’d happily imitate. Today, I’ve chosen one by Jess Walter. I know, I wrote yesterday about Jess […]
Like a single raindrop… Read More »
Word count: 263 words Reading time: About 1 minute A great way to improve your writing is to emulate the work of others. That’s why, every week, I present a sentence that I’d happily imitate.Today’s comes from Kate Southwood. As someone who lives in the Pacific Coast earthquake zone, who
A delicate blue that deepens quickly… Read More »
Word count: 271 words Reading time: About 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. That’s why, every week, I present a sentence that I’d happily imitate. Today’s comes from Herman Koch. The novel, The Dinner, by Herman Koch (pictured here)
You have voids and then you have voids… Read More »
Word count: 278 words Reading time: Just over 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. That’s why, every week, I present a sentence that I’d happily imitate. Today’s comes from Jill Lepore in a story about Robert Ripley. Somehow, the
He looked remarkably like a vampire… Read More »
Word count: 244 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. That’s why, every week, I present a sentence that I’d happily imitate. Today’s comes from Anthony Lane. Billed as an “unconventional coming of age story,”
Will have you praying for an early frost… Read More »
Word count: 282 words Reading time: About 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. That’s why, every week, I present a sentence that I’d happily imitate. Today’s comes from Emma Donoghue. The novel Room by Emma Donoghue, is the kind of
So much of motherhood is acting… Read More »
Word count: 212 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. That’s why, every week, I present a sentence that I’d happily imitate. Today’s comes from Sebastian Barry. I’ve gone on a bit of a splurge
A sort of dark, private crying… Read More »
Word count: 235 words Reading time: About 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. That’s why, every week, I present a sentence that I’d happily imitate. Today’s comes from Ian Parker. I hadn’t heard of the American writer, director and
He has a long, square-chinned face… Read More »
Word count: 217 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. That’s why, every week, I present a sentence that I’d happily imitate. Today’s comes from Anakana Schofield. It’s hard to believe that Malarky is a first
Under the rubble that’s himself… Read More »
Word count: 247 words Reading time: About 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. That’s why, every week, I present a sentence that I’d happily imitate. Today’s comes from Adam Gopnik. I’ve written before about Adam Gopnik. My admiration for
Before they were unmoored from their spines… Read More »
