Texture In Writing. What Is It?

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Hi from Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailmartin.com who has been traveling in Europe, but who is here through the magic of the Internet. I always enjoy sharing some writing tips with you. The question, “What is texture in writing” was asked in one of my writing groups, and many floundered to answer it. Texture is something desirous and yet it is one of those illusive craft details that most people can’t define. They just recognize it when they see it, but editors look for it and readers relate to it so texture is something to understand and develop in your…

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Poetry Basics: Organizing the Poem I

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      Hello. I'm Donn Taylor, here again to talk more about poetry writing and ways to achieve the "higher voltage" that distinguishes poetry from most prose. We've talked about putting strong words in emphatic places, use of images, and a little bit about figurative language. Reserving that last for further treatment later, today we'll begin looking at ways to organize a poem. Those ways are infinite, or course, so we'll confine ourselves to some of the most common. Today, only one.       First, some generalizations: In narrative poetry, the structure of the story becomes the structure of the poem. That…

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Roller Coaster Expectations

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Hi, Dan Walsh here, writing from Daytona Beach. As I look back on my “journey to publication” and the journey I’ve been on since, I’ve been reflecting lately on the topic of expectations. Specifically, their tendency to be out of sync with real life. It doesn’t just happen occasionally. I almost never get them right. And when life doesn’t line up, add up, or live up to my expectations, my heart falls into discouragement.

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