Heavyweight Titles

It isn't really smart to judge a book by its cover. But...sometimes that can be a pretty good strategy for picking out books that you might be interested in. Because, when you think about it, what's the first bit of writing that you look at when you pick up a book? The title.

Titles are tricky, because there are a couple of very serious matters involved in creating them. First of all, they need to be catchy enough to get the reader's attention. Then, they have to be mysterious enough to make a reader wonder, so that they'll read the book. Humans are driven by curiosity. A good title also has to give the reader a hint about the subject matter, or plot, without giving too much away.

So, when writers are coming up with titles, they are under a lot of pressure. So they work hard, very very hard, and may spend hours, days, even weeks and months thinking over their titles. After all, when you write your awesome novel, you wouldn't want someone to pass over it just because the title isn't good enough.

When you guys did your profiles of each other, there were a few titles that really stuck out.

1. Perfect is as Perfect Does
This was great because it sort of hinted at the subject matter, how perfect this person is, and it also alluded to Forrest Gump, where his mother says, "Stupid is as stupid does." Allusions are good when you are trying to pack a lot of meaning into a small amount of writing.
2. The Runner
This one I liked because it was simple, but at the same time very powerful. And it all hinges on one word: "the." When you say someone is "The Runner," it's a very different story than it would be if it were called "A Runner." Think about that.
3. Diva in Disguise
This one is just cute, and also very well-suited to the person it was written about. See, it's true to its subject matter. Also, it's got that nice alliteration with the two "d" sounds.
4. Uniqueness in Hiding
Again, this one was good because of how well it matched the person it was about. Also, it has a great sort of feel to it, because I like the word "uniqueness." People own their uniqueness, and they can choose to show it or, in this case, hide it. That's very cool, to think about someone who's truly unique, but for whatever reason, they decide not to show it all of the time. Very interesting.
5. Monizzle
Ok, so this one was my favorite. It's just so...well...it's very unique. It sticks out. And it's funny. This one suited the writer very well I thought, and the rest of the profile was very well written and had that same kind of "Monizzle" feel to it. It's got a great, comfortable, humorous tone.

For this post, I want you to find a book or story title that you like, any title at all (school appropriate of course), and then do exactly what I just did: explain why you like it.

Bonus Post: Tis the Season

Now starts the time of the year when we all begin spending a great deal of time with loved ones. It's a time of celebration, for looking back at the year that was, and gathering together to wait for the year that is to come next.

It's a time for noticing little things...little...specific...detailed things.

Here's a definition that I found for gratitude that I really liked:
Gratitude is an awareness and appreciation for the significance, quality, value, and magnitude of people or things.

I think the "magnitude" part is my favorite.

Imagery is something that writers use to appeal to our five senses. And they do that, naturally, because the more real you can make something for a reader, the more they are going to engage with it, and feel it. For this Special Edition Bonus (A.K.A. EXTRA CREDIT) Post, I want you to complete the following poem for yourself, being as specific as possible, and using good strong imagery. You just need to retype it and fill it in with your own images. Think about the places, people, smells, sounds, and feelings that you associate with this time of the year, and with being thankful in general, and make them specific. For instance, I might put that "Gratitude smells like my grandfather's cigar, even though I hate smoke, because the only time I smell it is when I'm sitting next to him." See? This will be fun.

Gratitude is...
Gratitude smells like...
Gratitude looks like...
Gratitude sounds like...
Gratitude tastes like...
Gratitude feels like...
Gratitude is...

P.S. I'm thankful for many things in my life, like my family (obviously) and my friends (also, obviously). But sometimes, maybe most of all, I'm thankful for you guys, for my students. Some days, without even knowing it, you guys make me feel better and more complete than I was the day before. You make me better at what I do, and sometimes, you make me better at being who I am. So thanks.

Happy Holidays kids.

Conversation Station

Dialogue is a very important tool for writers, because it's what we use to allow our characters to speak. When used effectively, dialogue can reveal things about a character's personality more so than an actual description can. This is called indirect characterization, and we've talked about this before. For this post, I want you to find what you think is an example of good dialogue, dialogue that shows you something about a character. Some of the best written dialogue around can be found in movies and on television, because screenwriters have to tell their story almost entirely through character dialogue.

For example, on Sunday night's episode of Desperate Housewives, Bree, an infamously uptight housewife who has recently lost her husband, had this conversation with her therapist after agreeing to marry another man:

Therapist: So, you agreed to marry him to be polite?
Bree: Well, obviously, there's a downside to having good manners.

This short exchange really taps into the core of Bree's character. She's a woman who is concerned with appearances to the point that she'd answer "yes" to a marriage proposal just for the sake of not being viewed as mean, or cold.

You can find your example in a book, in a movie, on television, or maybe even from an interesting conversation that you've had with someone.

It's All In The Details

James Joyce said, "A writer should know the amount of change in his character's pocket." He was talking about details, and how details are what makes good writing...good. Details are what people remember; details are what last after the reading is done. One of my writing professors in college called them "specifics," and he'd always say things like, "Good specifics, Grooms," or "More specifics, Grooms," or "Specifics, specifics, specifics, GROOMS!"

Details, or specifics, when used correctly, can make even an ordinary thing seem extraordinary, or at the very least, more real.

Take for instance, this list:

Five Things that I Love:

1. Ephram on Everwood

2. Listening to the radio while I drive

3. Going to dinner

4. Small children

5. Talking on the phone

Ok, so that's not a bad list...I guess. But, look at how much better this one is:

Five Things that I Love:

1. On the show Everwood, I love the way Ephram looks when he is surprised.

2. I love when I'm driving down the road and I hear a song on the radio that's a few years old, but I still remember all of the words.

3. I love when I'm at work, and it's the end of the day, and I know that I'm going to go to dinner.

4. I love small children who are sort of overweight.

5. I love getting unexpected phone calls from people that I've been missing.

See, the second one is better, much better. It paints a more vivid picture. And the difference is all in the details. In my second list, I was more specific, because I wanted you to really understand what it was that made me love those things.

For this post, I want you to make your own "Five Things That I Love" list, and be specific.