Category Archives: Ideas for writing

Comments About Commas

Posted on June 2, 2023 by knlistman

Among literary devices, one of my favorites is polysyndeton. Despite its fancy name this is a plain device and easy to use. Simply repeat “and” after every word in a list. Polysyndeton provides quick and simple emphasis. “While driving through … Continue reading →

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Name Dropping

Posted on May 18, 2023 by knlistman

Hamlet is often portrayed as a man dressed in medieval finery with a skull cradled in his hand. Many people assume that Hamlet recited his fateful soliloquy “To be or not to be…” as he stared at the skull. That’s … Continue reading →

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Imitative Arts

Posted on March 2, 2023 by knlistman

When studying theories of creativity, I encountered R.J. Sternberg’s idea that “Creative individuals, by their nature, tend to defy the crowd. They resist merely thinking or doing what others are thinking or doing.” This idea resonated with me but often does … Continue reading →

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Are Writers Born or Made?

Posted on February 16, 2023 by knlistman

Start any discussions on the art of writing fiction and you will quickly find the group divided. On one side people claim it is an innate trait that people are either born with or without. But, when the authors that … Continue reading →

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False Starting Advice

Posted on January 26, 2023 by knlistman

Sometimes, the worst advice to give a new writer is that there are rules to writing and the new writer must master these. Especially before attempting to break any of them. Not all writers are created equally. And, even seasoned … Continue reading →

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Adventures in Forbidden POVs

Posted on January 5, 2023 by knlistman

Currently I am reading a novella by Virginia Woolf called To the Lighthouse. It intrigues me because it broaches the problem of flat female characters found in many early twentieth century novels. Woolf reveals what’s going on in their heads. … Continue reading →

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Distorted POVs

Posted on December 29, 2022 by knlistman

It amuses me when people ask which point of view is best. But, I probably chuckled more when a new writer asked if it was okay to describe what a character was thinking when writing in the third-person POV.   “Can’t … Continue reading →

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In My Head

Posted on December 15, 2022 by knlistman

As a child I made up stories in my head, mostly about people’s pets. The majority of them were entirely descriptions such as fur color, number of spots, eye color and size. When I bemoaned the fact that these just … Continue reading →

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The Real Adventure

Posted on December 8, 2022 by knlistman

My parents sometimes claimed that I spent my entire childhood with my nose in a book. But, I didn’t learn how to read until I was five. Before that time I chose books with intriguing pictures in them so that … Continue reading →

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