world building – Aloisius and I

September 27, 2018November 25, 2018

Productive reading: analysis

Good teachers will always recommend that you “read and…” Which means that you read and look for solutions for problems you have in your own writing, build your vocabulary, discover what excites you as a reader, watch how the dialogue unfolds, etc. And one of the best ways to launch your analysis is to ask questions of the author. Ask questions Let’s say you’re writing non-fiction. In that case, the books you’re studying will give you the stakes up front. They will tell you what to expect, what question they intend to pose and answer, and, essentially, what they will conclude (although they might be coy about that last bit). Therefore, you can immediately ask the first question: Will this book center/expand/challenge my work? If so, keep reading and form new questions about pacing, approach, tone, organization, burden of proof, etc. If you think the book won’t help you…move on. I know that seems cutthroat, but if you tried to

Planning your writing day: the thematic

Set a central question Your work will likely have a big picture idea you’re thinking about as you go. You might not know exactly what this is immediately, but you must have some idea, or you wouldn’t be writing. Write down whatever you’ve got—a fully formed idea or a general concept—and then translate it into a question. For example, I spent a couple months scribbling down ideas for my dissertation, and then formed my central research question after I realized what united them all—“What does this have to do with normative masculinity?” The purpose of this question is two-fold. First, it needs to fit on a post-it, short and pithy, so it sharply focuses your thoughts as soon as you see it. I recommend posting it at your desk so you can refer to it at the start of your writing session or if your focus strays. Second, it needs to relate to every chapter, scene, or conversation you produce,