| Too many times I have heard authors tell me "I | | | | hanging in the misty clouds. |
| hate to read but I love to write." What is wrong | | | | I won't go into detail here, but I doubt many |
| with that statement? First of all, it is difficult to | | | | people will think this descriptive passage |
| know if your writing is successful if you have | | | | ineffective. Dickens' use of repetition provides a |
| nothing to measure it against. Reading other | | | | true description of fog that remains with the |
| authors-not just current and popular ones, or | | | | reader and also works as a metaphor for the |
| writing that is quickly written for blogs or journal | | | | foggy nature of the novel's story where many |
| articles, but truly great writers (classics and | | | | secrets are hidden in a "foggy" past, and the |
| modern recognized books)-can help a writer to | | | | brains of many of the characters, as well as the |
| learn more about writing than anything else. | | | | workings of social institutions, are "foggy." |
| It's a common misconception that to be a writer, | | | | Another fabulous passage from Dickens that |
| you need to take creative writing classes. While | | | | teaches writers much about style is toward the |
| writing classes have their value, first, I want to | | | | end of "Bleak House" when the main character |
| point out that Charles Dickens (or Jane Austen, | | | | Esther agrees to marry Mr. Jarndyce. |
| William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, etc.) never | | | | I put my two arms around his neck and kissed |
| took a creative writing class. Secondly, while there | | | | him; and he said was this the mistress of Bleak |
| are many fine writing instructors out there, most | | | | House; and I said yes; and it made no difference |
| writing classes are organized as writing workshops | | | | presently, and we all went out together, and I |
| where students trade and critique each other's | | | | said nothing to my precious pet [Ada] about it. |
| writing. While this method is somewhat effective, | | | | In this passage, Dickens uses what has become |
| I firmly believe you are less likely to learn from a | | | | known as the "And-And-And" device where he |
| student in the same class, who is equally trying to | | | | links the sentences together with "and" to build |
| learn how to write, as you will learn effectively | | | | emotion in the scene. This technique should be |
| from someone who already writes well. | | | | used sparingly, but at a climactic scene where |
| Especially among self-published authors, I see | | | | emotion needs to be conveyed, it can be |
| many badly written books that make it clear their | | | | incredibly powerful. |
| authors have read very few similar books in the | | | | "Bleak House" is just one of hundreds of novels |
| same genre they are writing. If you are going to | | | | that can teach a writer, through reading and |
| write a children's book, you need to know | | | | studying an author's style, how to write effective |
| something about children's books. The best way | | | | prose. Anyone interested in Dickens' style |
| to acquire that knowledge is to read about a | | | | specifically would do well to find a copy of "Bleak |
| hundred children's books in the same category | | | | House" that includes Vladimir Nabokov's marvelous |
| you are writing. | | | | introduction based on his Cornell lectures in which |
| For example, if you are going to write a children's | | | | he discusses Dickens style. |
| fantasy book, you will probably want to read "The | | | | I chose the "And-And-And" device as an example |
| Wizard of Oz," "Alice in Wonderland," "The | | | | precisely because it shows an effective use of |
| Chronicles of Narnia"-all classics, as well as popular | | | | the word "and." All too often, I read authors who |
| children's books today, including the "Harry Potter" | | | | do not know when to use and when not to use |
| series and many others. That way you can | | | | "and." That may sound ridiculous, but here are a |
| determine what about these books is magical and | | | | few examples. |
| makes them appealing. The same is true whether | | | | |
| you're writing self-help, romance, mystery, or | | | | 1. I went to the door to open it, and the bellboy |
| even serious non-fiction books such as history or | | | | entered the room. |
| science. No matter how good your information or | | | | 2. Mary had to go to a funeral, and she bought a |
| plot is, the presentation is what will make it | | | | new dress to wear. |
| effective and readable. Good writing is just as | | | | 3. He remembers she is looking at him, and he |
| important in non-fiction as fiction, just like the | | | | keeps a straight face. |
| presentation makes the difference between a | | | | The use of "and" is appropriate when two things |
| good and a bad documentary. | | | | are equal, such as "I like to eat at Joe's |
| When I was in elementary school and first being | | | | Restaurant, and I like to eat at Marie's Diner," |
| taught to read and write, the teacher often had | | | | although in this case, if Joe's Restaurant were |
| the students copy passages out of books or | | | | fancy and Marie's Diner were not, it might be |
| short paragraphs or stories she would write on | | | | more effective to say, "I like to eat at Joe's |
| the board. Part of the reason for this practice | | | | Restaurant, but I also like to eat at Marie's Diner." |
| was to help us to work on our penmanship, but it | | | | In the sentences above, more effective phrasing |
| also served to teach us style and sentence | | | | would read this way: |
| structure on a somewhat subconscious level. | | | | 1. When I went to the door to open it, the bellboy |
| Reading, and better yet, copying passages from | | | | entered the room. |
| great authors is a fundamental and extraordinarily | | | | 2. Mary had to go to a funeral, so she bought a |
| helpful way to learn style. As an example of good | | | | new dress to wear. |
| style, I'll use a couple of passages from one of | | | | Or: |
| Charles Dickens' best novels, "Bleak House." | | | | Because Mary had to go to a funeral, she bought |
| Depending on what kind of writing you want to | | | | a new dress to wear. |
| do, however, will depend which authors' style you | | | | 3. He remembers she is looking at him, so he |
| may want to model. If you want to write science | | | | keeps a straight face. |
| fiction, you might choose to copy passages from | | | | Or |
| Michael Crichton or Ray Bradbury, or if writing | | | | When he remembers she is looking at him, he |
| horror, from Bram Stoker or Stephen King. It | | | | keeps a straight face. |
| doesn't matter if everyone thinks these authors | | | | Virginia Woolf, in her famous essay, "A Room of |
| are great or not. If they are books you find | | | | One's Own" describes the purpose of sentences |
| appealing and that have a following, then they are | | | | as: "a book is not made of sentences laid end to |
| worth studying to determine what makes them | | | | end, but of sentences built, if an image helps, into |
| effective. That said, take what is best or usable | | | | arcades or domes." In the examples above, the |
| from other authors' styles, but create your own | | | | misuse of "and" is equivalent to laying phrases or |
| style as well. | | | | sentences next to each other, of showing the |
| A wonderful passage from "Bleak House" is the | | | | two phrases of the sentence are equal. Instead, |
| second paragraph of the first chapter: | | | | using "so," "because," or "when" builds those |
| Fog everywhere. Fog up the river, where it flows | | | | domes Woolf talks about by showing how one |
| among green aits and meadows; fog down the | | | | sentence leads to another, by showing cause and |
| river, where it rolls defiled among the tiers of | | | | effect, and by ultimately, moving the story or |
| shipping and the waterside pollutions of a great | | | | sentence and its meaning along. |
| (and dirty) city. Fog on the Essex marshes, fog | | | | I could say a great deal more about the value of |
| on the Kentish heights. Fog creeping into the | | | | reading the very best authors for style, plot, |
| cabooses of collier-brigs; fog lying out on the | | | | character development, and organization. I |
| yards, and hovering in the rigging of great ships; | | | | recommend reading constantly. Try to read a |
| fog drooping on the gunwales of barges and small | | | | book a week. Try to read every book you can |
| boats. Fog in the eyes and throats of ancient | | | | get your hands on that is similar to the book you |
| Greenwich pensioners, wheezing by the firesides | | | | are writing, and read a lot of books in different |
| of their wards; fog in the stem and bowl of the | | | | areas so you see diversity of style. If you find |
| afternoon pipe of the wrathful skipper, down in | | | | yourself reading bad books, ask yourself why |
| his close cabin; fog cruelly pinching the toes and | | | | they are bad and compare them to good books. |
| fingers of his shivering little 'prentice boy on deck. | | | | Analyze what is good and what is bad. Learn |
| Chance people on the bridges peeping over the | | | | from both good and bad writers on your way to |
| parapets into a nether sky of fog, with fog all | | | | becoming the best writer possible. |
| round them, as if they were up in a balloon, and | | | | |