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Writing
Tip
The Writer’s Toolbox
Tips, talk and techniques
for students and teachers of writing
brought to you by the geist
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Warm-up exercise: Eyes shut
Writing Exercises
Writer's Toolbox
Close your eyes and freewrite one page.
—MS
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In the toolbox
Trump and trumpery
Issues—the word
The order of things
Acronyms and otherwise
Morale exercise: Real writers
Lie, lay, laid, lain
Convince/persuade and other fake synonyms
Function shift
Trim those articles and prepositions
The handy dandy 5-W sentence
"And" or "but" at the start of a sentence
Name your agent
Beware of getting involved
Warm-up exercise: Eyes shut
Sentences: Simple, fragment, run-on
Narrative: Six principles and some examples
Sentences: A sentence is a thought, not a warehouse
Interview with Mary Schendlinger
Sentences: Long is beautiful
Sentence fragments
Narrative exercise: Birthday
Dialogue: Keep it simple
Warm-up exercise: Scar
Warm-up exercise: Television weeping
Find yourself, but don’t say so
Verbs: Avoid the quiet and the copulative
Phrases and clauses
How does narrative die?
Gerunds and participles: Avoid ING words
Living vs. being based
