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: 345 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 Rachel Joyce, author of the Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry…. […]
Neon bled pools of amber light… Read More »
Word count: 288 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 Salman Rushdie. I bought Salman Rushdie’s 1988 book The Satanic
Blackened, bloodied, bird-pecked eye sockets 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. Here is a sentence I read recently that I’d happily imitate. It shows how writers can have fun with numbers…. I’m pretty much allergic to
Playing with numbers Read More »
Word count: 194 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute A great way to improve your writing is to emulate the work of others. Here is a sentence I read recently that I’d happily imitate. This one offers a how-to lesson on dealing with cliches. I always enjoying seeing cliches
How to salvage a cliche Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. Here is a sentence by David Sedaris I read recently that I’d happily imitate. I used to host a book club and I’ll never forget the meeting about eight
The fine writing of David Sedaris Read More »
Word count: 329 words Reading time: About 1.5 minutes A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. Here is a sentence I read recently written by Gay Talese (pictured right.) I was unable to go to journalism school. My university, UBC, where in
The camera-like eye of Gay Talese Read More »
Word count: 234 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. Here is a paragraph I read recently that I’d happily imitate. The novel The Hand that First Held Mine, by Maggie O’Farrell, offers a refined
Particular attention to demonstrating surprise… Read More »
Word count: 238 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. Here is a sentence I read recently that I’d happily imitate. I received the marvellous book Swallowing the Sea, by Lee Upton, as a birthday
A dare that begins with a writing prompt… Read More »
Word count: 238 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. Here is a sentence I read recently that I’d happily imitate. Lee Upton is an American poet who also writes literary criticism and non-fiction. A
That astonishing thing: writing a novel… Read More »
Word count: 304 words Reading time: Just over 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. Here is a sentence I read recently that I’d happily imitate. I don’t know much about David Remnick, (pictured above) but I’m a big fan
Bruce Springsteen’s eyes narrow, as if in hard light Read More »
