January Recap

What a joy to be with you last Tuesday! I hope our time together was helpful. Here is a recap in case you are still thinking about sentences.

Major Themes:

What kind of writing are you drawn to? What do you find beautiful?

By closely analyzing the parts that make up a sentence, what can we learn about how beautiful sentences are made?

The Exercises:

First we took ourselves back to elementary school and made a key to analyze the parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, pronoun, article and interjection. And because we are word nerds, we added the use of punctuation, too.

This allowed us to look at the "bricks" that form each sentence creating the author's voice, notice patterns that create cadence, and see clearly which parts of speech writers use as the engine of their writing.

Then we briefly discussed the function of sentences (declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory) and their purpose. Identifying the purpose of each sentence can provide clarity for how the author writes, but is also a tool for us as we think like the reader.

And finally, we wrote a small paragraph about our morning so that we could analyze the bricks in our own sentences. Do you rely on adjectives or adverbs? Do you have really descriptive nouns? Did your favorite punctuation show up even in this quick exercise? Noticing what is true about your "morning voice" or your "shitty first draft" in the words of Anne Lamott, can tell you a great deal about yourself as a writer (and hopefully serve to quell your panic when you read over what you've got and are tempted to throw it away!)

February Homework:

Our next workshop session will be held on Tuesday, February 24 from 6-7:30pm. For our time together, you'll bring:

1. a short passage (one paragraph) of someone else's work that you think is beautifully written. Make sure to bring two copies- either digital or paper because we are going to play with them again. I will also bring copies of some passages I love in case you forget or are too overwhelmed.
2. bring back the paragraph you wrote about your morning- unedited! Do not change a single thing before you arrive! Alternatively, you can bring a paragraph from a piece you are currently working on. Just make sure its a copy, and not your original as we might mark it up!

Booksweet should have the calendar event and registration form ready soon.