How to Describe Physical Appearance

How to Describe Physical Appearance

How many words do you have in your physical appearance vocabulary? You may not need too many details to describe characters in your story, but it’s imperative to convey their physical features enough that your readers or listeners can envision and engage them. A...
Pick Words that Enrich Your Story

Pick Words that Enrich Your Story

“Avoid using adjectives and adverbs in poems,” my friend said. Because economy of words is essential for poetry, she explained, we need to use descriptive verbs instead. For example, instead of saying “she walked quietly,” say “she...
Everything is Science. Even Humor!

Everything is Science. Even Humor!

I sort of knew that science was behind even humor. Every reaction has a reason – a reason why the audience laughs, the timing of the laugh, how long they laugh, how the laughing wave goes up and down, etc. Although I knew, I’ve been playing and adjusting it by ear....
How to Organize Your Thoughts Digitally

How to Organize Your Thoughts Digitally

What do you use for writing a story? Pen and paper or computers? All of my stories are catalogued digitally. Google Drive is my friend. It works fine as is, but when I work on a bigger project that requires lots of research, character building, and note taking, I...
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Editing

Don’t Underestimate the Power of Editing

Last month, I was talking with a storyteller after a show. His story was delightful and I really enjoyed it, yet something was missing, I felt. I wondered why. While we were chatting, I found out he didn’t edit his writing. Aha! That’s why! His presence and delivery...
Are All Stories Effective?

Are All Stories Effective?

Storytelling is a big thing nowadays. Companies are incorporating stories to promote their brands. Researchers use stories to tell us their findings. Activists tell stories to change people’s minds. But are all stories effective? A new Johns Hopkins University study...

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