It’s hard to believe, but this is already the thirty-fifth piece we’re writing for Daily Themes. I’ve very much enjoyed the class so far (though, admittedly, I’m looking forward to the upcoming break) and I’ve found that writing every day has incredible value. It’s forced me to think about how I write: what’s successful, and what I can improve.
Something that I struggled with for the first few weeks of the semester was finding a comfortable voice in which to tell my stories. The preponderance of perhapses, seems, and mights from these early pieces indicate a lack of confidence that I am still working to overcome. I’ve found that I’m most effective (and have the most fun) when I vary sentence length, allow myself the occasional reference to literature or art, and use short, strong words to emphasize what I find important. I still don’t use these techniques all the time, but I’m at least gaining an awareness of when I ought to.
I’m also getting better at cutting out extraneous detail. It took me a while to realize that not every noun needs an adjective, and that most verbs I use should have enough force on their own not to require an adverb.
I found the week on lists especially helpful for increasing my confidence. When I’m having trouble figuring out what I want to say, I’ll sometimes start by examining an image and writing down everything about that image that I find striking. I’ve never been one to organize my thoughts before I start writing; starting with a list helps me to realize how to begin, continue, and conclude a piece most cogently.
One goal that I have for the rest of the semester is to be more adventurous with the topics that I choose. Mostly I have drawn from my own experiences in these pieces, but I’ve most enjoyed writing the few pieces that depart from this pattern. I’m looking forward to putting this goal into practice in the coming weeks!
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