Author Archives: knlistman

What Exactly is Imagery?

Posted on December 8, 2025 by knlistman

What is the difference between describing details and creating imagery? Perhaps I should ask what is the difference in describing details that are exquisite and those full of boring minutia. The concept is difficult to explain because it does depend … Continue reading →

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The Writing Sampler

Posted on November 22, 2025 by knlistman

I recall a time when I could amble through a mall and be approached by marketing interviewers. If I fit the criteria, I could spend twenty minutes of time providing my opinion in exchange for a few dollars or coupons … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Ideas for writing, Literature, Teaching writing skills | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Classics Don’t Qualify as Comps

Posted on November 2, 2025 by knlistman

Before attending my first writer’s conference in Oklahoma, I poured over the biography of all the speakers. Each one was asked to disclose a classic novel in their want to read list. Despite the different books listed I was shocked … Continue reading →

Posted in Drama and movies, Literary devices, Psychology, Teaching writing skills, Trends in books | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Dealing with Painful Critiques

Posted on October 19, 2025 by knlistman

Educators often do not recognize their most creative students. I witnessed examples of this behavior as teachers described which poems they preferred in an anthology written by students. The cheerful rhyming poems were often considered better than those dealing with … Continue reading →

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The Power of Laughter

Posted on October 5, 2025 by knlistman

Evidently girls between the ages of 11 and 18 all over the world laugh more than any other group. They even laugh when nothing is particularly amusing. However, the very sound of an initial giggle seems to generate the impulse … Continue reading →

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Scoring Your Sense of Humor

Posted on September 21, 2025 by knlistman

My patience is often short with motivational speakers. They may tell interesting stories but often their techniques only work for themselves. I listen to one who was humorous enough to get a chuckle out of his audience. However, afterward in … Continue reading →

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Why Do We Read Emotions?

Posted on September 7, 2025 by knlistman

In the last blog I described the difference between real and faked laughter. Both are quite useful and will be heard in the feasts that mark the cooler seasons in the United States. We indulge in food and conversation at … Continue reading →

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Distinguishing types of laughter

Posted on August 26, 2025 by knlistman

The muffled giggle, the high pitch twitter, the polished chuckle, the wheezing chortle, and the deep belly laugh can all be taken differently depending on who is uttering the sound. Real involuntary laughter is often contagious in groups, one person … Continue reading →

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Why Not AI?

Posted on June 22, 2025 by knlistman

I write under a curse that requires me to experiment and revise as I create. Despite considering ideas, creating outlines to guide me and re-reading my initial work to improve it, the quality of my writing is not consistent. Unfortunately, … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, Creativity, Ideas for writing, Novels, Story structure, Teaching writing skills, Trends in books, Writing trends | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Price of Staying Connected

Posted on June 6, 2025 by knlistman

Before I entered grade school, I knew something about computers. That may be ordinary today but unusual for someone born in the 1950’s. However, my father worked for General Electric in Louisville, Kentucky which housed one of the first non-government … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental health, Social media, The information age | Tagged , | 1 Comment