Category Archives: non-fiction writing
Let’s Return to Direct Lead Paragraphs
A Wandering Lead and Three Revisions Writers must compose direct lead paragraphs or risk losing readers. A wandering opening finds readers lost, wandering somewhere else. A direct opening can’t guarantee that a reader will continue but a clear, direct path … Continue reading
Rewriting and Forgetting History in Today’s Ever Present Moment
1984 is here. The Orwellian Era has officially begun in the United States. CNN reports (external link) that a large statute dedicated to Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia will be removed on Wednesday under orders by authorities of that … Continue reading
Revised Post on Revising
NB: I wrote this post last year and titled it “More on Revising.” (internal link) I noticed tonight that it needed more work so I have revised this post on revising. Argh. Editing never ends. More on Revising — Updated … Continue reading
Stupid Male Fantasies
Our society is losing the ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy. That misunderstands The Natural Order of Things and endangers free expression. It also contradicts the ongoing acceptance by society of images produced by famous photographers, film makers and … Continue reading
Posted in art, editing writing, non-fiction writing, Uncategorized
Tagged films Monroe, male fantasies, movies, seven year itch
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A. E. Housman Noting the Difference
Everybody thinks they are smarter than they are. You, me, everybody. Everybody thinks they are smarter than they are. Politicians also think they are smarter than they are. The difference between us and them is that they constantly seek to … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19, editing writing, fiction, non-fiction writing, Poetry, politically correct
Tagged Housman, Poetry, politics, the laws of god, the laws of man
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CBS Claims Unbiased Reporting
CBS claims in their latest advertising that they offer unbiased reporting. How stupid do they think we are? Everyone knows that reporting is biased to a greater or lesser degree. Every reporter and every editor and every network CEO has … Continue reading
Not Only
Not Only “Not only” is a phrase which brings negativity to a piece and prevents you from directly and quickly stating your position. Original: Not only is ice cream tastier than sherbet but it appeals to more people. Revised Ice … Continue reading
Learning to Listen
Do you have trouble listening? Really listening. I did for a long time. Instead of listening intently to someone I was mostly thinking about what I would say when it came my turn. My listening improved dramatically when I started … Continue reading
Posted in free speech, non-fiction writing, Uncategorized
Tagged KFA, Krishnamurti, philosophy, the art of listening
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Fighting Wordiness
I once revised copy for a painter’s home page. The original text was only 250 words or so. These changes were the most important. It’s not just about reducing word count but making text more direct and impactful. Fighting wordiness … Continue reading
Posted in editing writing, non-fiction writing, organizing writing, revising writing
Tagged copy, editing, text, writing
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What’s The Most Dangerous Point in Editing?
What’s The Most Dangerous Point in Editing? When your eyes glaze over. When you skip over writing because it is so dull or complicated. You can’t edit if you aren’t reading. I wrote and edited a great deal in the … Continue reading