We Talk About “Strong Verbs”, But… We are often told to use strong verbs in our writing. It sounds straightforward enough, doesn’t it? But here’s the confusing bit: “strong verb” means two quite different things, depending on whether we’re talking about grammar or the craft of writing. And the distinction is rather interesting. Strong verbs… Continue reading “Strong Verbs”
Tag: Writing
Metaphor
Exploring Metaphor The brain is a tree. What is a metaphor? A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is described as another in order to reveal something they have in common.The word metaphor comes from the Greek idea of carrying or transferring something across. In writing, meaning is carried from one… Continue reading Metaphor
Podcast Episode: Poetry, Imagery And Voice
Pip: There is something quietly radical about the idea that swapping one verb can change the entire emotional weather of a poem — and that is exactly where Sam starts us off on Converging Lives. Sounds, Silence and Imagery. Mara: This episode moves through three territories: how word choice shapes a poem’s soul, how imagery… Continue reading Podcast Episode: Poetry, Imagery And Voice
Poetry deserves precision: Hunting for the Right Words
How do you choose the words that go into your poetry? What are the right words? As the poet, you must ultimately be the judge. But the “right words” shouldn’t just be the first ones you toss onto the paper when you feel the sudden rush to write. The critic Samuel Taylor Coleridge famously noted… Continue reading Poetry deserves precision: Hunting for the Right Words
The Bloodstream of Romantic Poetry: A guide to controlling imagery.
Images and imagery are the bloodstream of love poetry. They’re how emotion becomes sensory—how longing becomes something the reader can taste, touch, or see. When you control your images rather than letting them drift in randomly, you shape the reader’s emotional experience with precision. Below is a craft-focused guide to how imagery works in love… Continue reading The Bloodstream of Romantic Poetry: A guide to controlling imagery.
Sense writing. 1.
Do National quirks put readers off?
I have had reason of late to cogitate about the differences between American English and United Kingdom English. I am sure there are articles out there giving definitive views on the subject. I admit to not having done a search yet. A few incidents have set me wondering if the different word usages and terms… Continue reading Do National quirks put readers off?
What makes your writing boring?
What makes your writing boring Other than the obvious …you have no ideas What if your tale is magical but your prose is in arrears What makes your writing boring The tale just comes out flat People give up reading and settle for a nap The pundits say too many filter words can slow the… Continue reading What makes your writing boring?
Writing urges
Feeling the surges of urges untamed Thinking the thoughts a little deranged Warm waves of pleasure wash over my soul Wanting to surrender and lose control Allowing the feelings to take over me Ideas to flow, concepts to be free Bottling the surges of urges untamed Shaking them up, till they pop unrestrained Unleashing ideas… Continue reading Writing urges
Creating a different kind of beauty
Having not yet managed to finish one task and start the next I am today painting silk, writing poetry and planning my next moves in the second Converging Lives series. Smiling happily. Silk painting is such a relaxing thing to do. Its good for the soul because you have to learn to love your mistakes!… Continue reading Creating a different kind of beauty
