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BE SPECIFIC - my two words of advice for writers

I feel like I have personally tried and broken every rule for writing that I have ever heard. The only constant I have found isĀ specificity. Anyone who has ever been a students of mine at NYU knows that I go on and on and on about specificity.

For example, instead of saying that the food in your school cafeteria is bad, think about how you can narrow that description to the most specific detail possible. Maybe you could write about the way the puddles of oil on top of the pizza they serve every Friday make each slice look like the teacher's parking lot after a rain storm. Maybe you could write about the time you caught a glimpse of the lunch lady in the back of the kitchen digging her gold hoop earring out of a jar of applesauce. (OK, I know these examples are disgusting but they are only here to prove a point.)
Each of the above examples narrow through either space or time. The first describes a few inches of space and the second describes a few moments of time.

I think one way writers work is to act like film directors. In a film, the director makes sure the camera catches the most precise action and the most precise location. (BTW, did you know I also teach filmmaking?)

If you are writing and you get stuck try to get unstuck by considering how you might make your writing moreĀ specific.

WHAT TO WRITE WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE - Things to Write About

It's almost impossible to just sit down and write. Writers need focus. They need something to write about. If you haven't read my page on specificity, check that out and you'll notice how these questions are geared towards writing with specificity.

  • Write about a present you once received.
  • Describe a good-bye you remember.
  • Write about an object of clothing you own that you feel really good in.
  • Describe a meal you prepared.
  • Write about a window you remember looking out of.
  • Describe your favorite teacher.