Want to be a "betterer" writer?
5 things worth sharing this week
Hey Crashers,
Are you a writer? For some of you reading this, you write books or a blog, or perhaps poetry. But for many reading this, you probably would answer, “No, I’m not a writer,” because you don’t think of the text message, emails, or messages that write to preach as writing.
There’s no getting away from it - we all write something. So this week’s Rapid 5 is dedicated to the art of writing. Here are 5 tips and tools to help you improve your writing no matter the form it takes.
5 things worth sharing this week.
A BACK-TO-THE-FUTURE STYLE TYPEWRITER
How cool is this? There’s something aspirational about writing on a good old-fashioned typewriter. If you want to feel like a “real” writer, this is for you. It is a little pricey, but this retro old-meets-new typewriter will give you the authentic feel of a mechanical keyboard but with the benefits of using your computer, tablet, or phone to capture the content. Transform your iPad into the writing machine of your dreams - and if you get one, let us know how you go. We both want one!!
SCRIVENER - WRITE WHEN INSPIRATION STRIKES
A few years back, we discovered Scrivener. It’s an app to help write when inspiration strikes, but then also be able to find and organize those pieces of writing later. Great writing is made easier with the right tools, and this app works across platforms and is designed to help you with short or long manuscripts. You can create outlines, chapters, or complete manuscripts. It’s perfect for anyone wanting to take their writing seriously.
ON WRITING (AND WRITERS) - C.S. LEWIS
As a family, we’ve loved reading the Chronicles of Narnia over and over. And we’ve been challenged and enriched by the Screwtape Letters. So what better person to learn the art of writing than from the wisdom of C.S. Lewis himself? It’s a collection of excerpts on a wide range of styles of writing and emphasizes the transformative power of the written word. If you are wondering if writing is something you should invest in or if it can change the world, this book is for you!
TIPS FROM A PROFESSIONAL WRITER
We have a great friend, Carmen Meyers, who writes majestically and shares this wisdom…
Two things a lecturer at university shared with me that have always stuck with me: (he worked for The NY Times during Apartheid and is a poet and author).
a. Read - Read everything from the news to poetry, fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, flyers, ads, opinion pieces and blogs. Expose yourself to different structures and types of writers.
b. Edit - Edit and then read it again and edit some more. Read your work in different moods and edit again. Find an editor - use their knowledge but don’t lose your art in the refining.
THE WRITER’S JOURNEY - VOGLER
A friend of ours who works in the film industry told us about this book. The Writers Journey is where all modern screenplay structure paradigms originally came from. It is super helpful for understanding the language of filmmaking and but also storytelling in general. It includes Vogler’s theory of story structure and character development which has apparently “changed the face of screenwriting worldwide over the last 25 years and continues to do so.”
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
What is it? The question to ask when trying to find God.
Grace and Peace,
Rich & Cass