Second Look
An Exact Number Can Make a Fictional Description More Interesting—or Less Honest
“There were seventeen cups” gives a scene a different voice from “cups covered the table.” Before choosing the exact number, ask whether the observing…
A place to follow a sentence
Notes for the writing life
Draft & Structure
Write the Scene Twice, Changing Only Who Arrives First
Two characters meet in a kitchen. One version begins with somebody already waiting; another begins with that person arriving second. The dialogue can remain…
Small Observations
Write a Scene as an Instruction Manual, Then Let the Instructions Fail
“Place the cup on the table” sounds straightforward until the table has been removed. Writing a scene as instructions can expose the habits a character…
Small Observations
Use an Inventory to Discover What Your Fictional Room Is Missing
You have described a fictional room in detail, yet the scene still feels empty. Instead of adding more furnishings, make a private inventory of what the…
Second Look
Three Versions of a Sentence with the Same Fact at Different Ends
A sentence can contain the same information while directing attention differently. Moving a detail toward the beginning or end lets you hear that change…
Second Look
A Footnote Can Hold a Detour Without Hiding Essential Information
A footnote gives a writer somewhere to place material that would interrupt a sentence or paragraph. It is less helpful when the reader must keep leaving the…
Small Observations
Write a Scene in Which the Important Object Is Never Named
For a short fiction exercise, choose an ordinary object and keep its name out of the scene. Let the reader discover it through what people do around it.
Draft & Structure
Let a Character Notice the Wrong Detail on Purpose
A character’s attention can reveal a concern that the narration never names directly. One way to explore this is to let them focus on a small detail while…