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Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024

11:25am EST

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Writing Blog Number 2

by S

Rated: 18+ · Book · Personal · #2311764

This is a continuation of my blogging here at WdC

This will be a blog for my writing, maybe with (too much) personal thrown in. I am hoping it will be a little more interactive, with me answering questions, helping out and whatnot. If it falls this year (2024), then I may stop the whole blogging thing, but that's all a "wait and see" scenario.

An index of topics can be found here: "Writing Blog No.2 Index"

Feel free to comment and interact.

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Kåre เลียม Enga

21 minutes ago
In response to "20241228 Messages In Writing"

It's the same with setting. There's no need to dump everything on the first page. Or describing the main character in minute details ad nauseum.

Is Narnia Christian? If it's a great story well told, does it matter?

Kåre เลียม Enga

Dec 21, 2024 at 12:34am
In response to "20241221 Kudzu Plotting"

IMO Anne McCaffrey does this well with the parallel Dragonriders of Pern and Harper Hall trilogies. Adults-with-dragons; youth with fire-dragons. Memorable world building. Wonderful characters.

Kudzu the plant... only a curse for those who don't know its uses: forage, food, fiber.

Dec 19, 2024 at 7:09pm
In response to "20241219 'Misogyny' In Writing"

🐕GeminiGem🎁 - I chose Grease because it is so egregious and goes against everything Sandy had demonstrated up to that point. Dirty Dancing was set a few years later (early 60s), and, though Baby changes, it is gradual and is more a change of growing up, being true to herself. So, I think the time period can be used effectively without being so demeaning. As I see it.

🐕GeminiGem🎁

Dec 19, 2024 at 6:58pm
In response to "20241219 'Misogyny' In Writing"

I agree that when a woman changes herself to attract a man shows misogyny and is annoying...but...using the movie Grease as an example it an interesting choice. Yes, the lead female changes her appearance to appeal to the male. I think it was more because of peer pressure, but the peer pressure happened because of the pervasive misogyny of the peers. Interestingly, the male character does the exact same thing for the same reasons.

The movie is set in the 1950's, a time where the misogyny we see now is even waaaay worse. So, here is a thought. If you are writing about a time period like that and are showing social interactions of the characters, something like the pervasive misogyny is going to be true to the time and place the story takes place. Does that excuse it? No, of course not, but having present-day sensibilities in an era like that would make the story seem really off.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Dec 19, 2024 at 3:57am
In response to "20241219 'Misogyny' In Writing"

In my travels I try to connect with most everyone. I wonder what my stats would be... but many contacts have names whether human or not, whether the boss or 'servant' or guest.

In my writings...

thinking.

I do have characters without names.

SAD Holiday Potato

Dec 18, 2024 at 3:54pm
In response to "20241218 Children Characters"

As someone who is an Aunt to two children who have an age difference of four years, I can definitely tell you that they act completely different. Even though one of them is neurodivergent, the older one definitely acts more mature than the younger one.(also the older one has never tried to lick my feet.)

With very few exceptions, I've never had to tell an adult "stop eating my dress," "please don't lick me" or "stop pulling my hair," to anyone over the age of six. Yet within the last year or so I've had to tell my five year old niece these things repeatedly. She thinks this is hilarious.

Anyways, thanks for pointing out that kids aren't just miniature adults! I'll try to keep that in mind while writing.

Dec 18, 2024 at 6:44am
In response to "20241218 Children Characters"

Elisa: Snowman Stik - Writing about those who are neurodivergent is not something I feel I can talk about comfortably. I am trained as a teacher of those on the spectrum, and so I would not write a character in that regard because I do not feel it is my story to tell. But, yes, that last point may not apply to a child with developmental issues.

1 Like

Elisa: Snowman Stik

Dec 18, 2024 at 6:28am
In response to "20241218 Children Characters"

I am curious if there is wiggle room for the last point for child characters with developmental disabilities. (I do recognize this kind of character presents its own set of development pitfalls in terms of depicting the disability without stereotyping. That said, I think this can be a reasonable exception to the rule when done with care.)

1 Like

Dave Ryan

Dec 16, 2024 at 1:26am
In response to "20241216 Poor Characterisation"

There was once a variation of "compressed vice" in an original episode of Star Trek ("Who Mourns for Adonais?"), where a landing party of the usual suspects + one random never-seen-before-or-since female crew member are captured by the god Apollo and they turn the usually gruff Scotty into a simpering, love-struck puppy to try to introduce some conflict when Apollo puts the moves on her. Why they didn't just have Kirk horndogging it as usual I do not know - at least then everybody would have remained consistently in character. It looks like Scotty, it sounds like Scotty, but WTF?

1 Like

SAD Holiday Potato

Dec 14, 2024 at 3:41pm
In response to "20241214 Punk Genres"

This is interesting yet confusing. So basically it's like world building but with the word "punk" in there to make it sound cooler.
Maybe I misunderstand.

February 22, 2024 at 2:45am

#1064657

20240222 How To Write An Essay (In General)

How To Write An Essay

So, a few people seem to want to know how to write a decent essay. While most of my experience has been academic essays, I have had 5 essays published in a more informal context.

However, the rules are still the same.

This also goes for opinion pieces, but does not cover memoir. Memoir is a beast all its own with no hard and fast rules. It’s too personal. Memoir is whatever you want it to be.

Back to the essay form. And this is very general. Make sure you know your audience before starting, I guess.

There are three parts to an essay – introduction, body, conclusion.

The introduction introduces the topic of the essay. It is either one or two paragraphs generally, where paragraph one tells the reader what idea, concept or opinion you are putting forth, and paragraph two (if needed) defines terms that may need clarification, either because the terms are technical or because general vernacular has made the actual meanings muddied.

This section is vital, as it hooks the reader and sets out the aims of your essay.

The body is the largest section. By far. Each new paragraph is a new idea to support the essay’s central theme, or a new idea that supports your opinion. The opening sentence is the “topic sentence,” telling the reader what you are going to be looking at, and then the rest gives support to this claim. In an academic essay, the support is all referenced (by whatever method you use); in other essays, it should be supported by facts, figures and quotes.

Quick note on quotes: if you have 2 quotes from 2 different people supporting one topic sentence, they stay in the same paragraph. The rules of new speaker, new paragraph do not follow here.

Next topic, or idea, whatever, is a new paragraph with its own support sentences. And so on. How many is too many? Depends. For a general opinion piece of essay, three is seen as about right, so pick your best three ideas you can write about. I know a few magazines put the number at 5. Our local paper asks for 4 to 7. So, again, there are no hard and fast rules, but if you want a reader to actually read it, then I would say 100 is too many.

Finally comes the conclusion. This should be a very brief summary of the facts you have put forward in the body. No new information is introduced in a conclusion. The conclusion is also where the writer puts their opinion, if doing so is warranted. In an opinion piece, the opinion is emphasized throughout the entire work, so the conclusion just reiterates this.

As for language, formal is necessary for an academic essay, otherwise, it depends entirely upon your audience or the publication you are aiming for. Check first, and then write how you feel comfortable.

So, that’s essay writing. In general.

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