Tag Archives: Writing

Color coding characters

Posted on December 7, 2020 by knlistman

Physical appearance descriptions are only superficial. Describing hair, eyes, skin or clothing colors tells the reader nothing about internal motives. However, assigning specific colors to important characters is a good shortcut for coding their personality. You can remember what major … Continue reading →

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Mentors and money

Posted on July 28, 2014 by knlistman

In the epic poem the Iliad, Telemachus father Odysseus was absent twenty years; first at war and then wandering on his long route home. Meanwhile his Telemachus grew to an adulthood without a father. Having pity on the youth, the … Continue reading →

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Creative wiring

Posted on May 6, 2014 by knlistman

When it comes to creativity, evidently women’s appearance is important, far more than it should be. You will the large percent of  singers, actors, dancers that are women. Their numbers continue to grow because their career is typically shorter than … Continue reading →

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The complexity conundrum

Posted on October 18, 2013 by knlistman

While working with the development of a secondary language arts and literature curriculum, I had a co-worker say “If you don’t live by the 6 + 1 trait writing model, we are not going to get along.” At the time … Continue reading →

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Vibrant verbs

Posted on October 9, 2013 by knlistman

Writers can throw around the terms used to describe interesting language – sensory images, unusual syntax, well-developed descriptions, and vibrant verbs. But incorporating these into writing and preserving the flow is a challenge. Recently I worked with some nascent writers trying to … Continue reading →

Posted in Style and voice, Teaching writing skills, Writer's resource | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Unhuman geography

Posted on October 3, 2013 by knlistman

Science Fiction and Fantasy do not describe the type of plot as much as the setting – a world in which imagination changes some of the rules. It is a world in which coming of age, adventure, mystery, romance, war … Continue reading →

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Tone of voice

Posted on September 11, 2013 by knlistman

Tone of voice… you have probably heard this phrase used frequently, such as in “I don’t like your tone of voice.” As a child I often assumed that phrase was the adults’ way of reprimanding someone whose statement was not … Continue reading →

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Voice, deconstructed

Posted on September 7, 2013 by knlistman

Voice in writing can be best defined by breaking it down into its components. But the problem remains that voice is comprised of different things, depending on who you ask. According to the Texas TAKS writing rubric, voice is demonstrated … Continue reading →

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The reason for writing

Posted on September 4, 2013 by knlistman

Because of the glaring short comings of multiple choice question as an indicator of  persons ability to evaluate or synthesize idea, the written essay has become a staple of state-mandated educational tests. Writing does take a lot more planning of … Continue reading →

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The writing game

Posted on August 22, 2013 by knlistman

I have yet to see an app that adequately teaches and assesses writing skills. However, the realm of computer games can help. The students don’t play a ‘writing’ game, but they write the scenarios of the game itself. The more … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction in education, Gaming in education, Writer's resource | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment