Nick's picture
Nick from Toronto is reading Adjustment Day November 20, 2011 - 6:57pm

Which of Chuck P.'s 36 craft essays do you find most useful?

My favorites:

Submerging the "I" -- I find it's the most common type of edit for me, taking the I/me/my out of a sentence and re-wording. Great to bear this one in mind.

Using on-the-body physical sensation -- Something my writing really lacks. When a paragraph seems to be missing something, I will go over it and look to add to a description using textures, smells, etc.

Establishing authority -- I feel I almost knew this one intuitively prior to reading the essay. I like to make my characters know-it-alls.  But the "heart" vs "head" distinction is really insightful.

Beware the thesis statement -- Huge for me.  My characters have a tendency to get a bit too know-it-all-y, so I keep this one in mind. Unpack. Show, don't tell. So simple but so easy to miss if you don't know what to look for.

 

And one that doesn't really click with me no matter how hard I try....

Developing a theme --  I find it difficult to keep this in mind while writing fiction. Way too much other stuff to worry about.  Plus, I find that if I'm doing a good job of everything else, then a theme will sort of come about organically.

Thoughts?

.'s picture
. November 21, 2011 - 7:31am

They are very helpful but I think most of them are just reference points to use as workshop jargon in our reviews.  What is your favorite Clevenger Essay?

bryanhowie's picture
bryanhowie from FW, ID is reading East of Eden. Steinbeck is FUCKING AMAZING. November 21, 2011 - 12:52pm

Submerge the "I", On the Body, Establishing Authority, and "Thought" verbs (I think of them as: No "I", body, heart, head, and 'ego' verbs) are the 4 essays I reference most often in the critiques I do.

I'm also a big fan of the Body Language essay and one of the stocking stuffers "2) Your audience is smarter and harder to shock than you think.  Don't be afraid to try things."

 

As for Clevenger's, his "Going the Distance" essay where he gives the advice about writing two word summaries of each paragraph.  I think about it every time I rewrite, now.

wickedvoodoo's picture
wickedvoodoo from Mansfield, England is reading stuff. November 21, 2011 - 1:02pm

Going on the body - hands down. That one is pure gold.

As for Clevenger - all of them. That man is a loremaster.

aliensoul77's picture
aliensoul77 from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall. November 21, 2011 - 8:39pm

Apparently I use a lot of "shark music" like the theme from Jaws which is prewarning your reader ahead of time about something...

"Suddenly there was...."

"All of a sudden..."

 

Nick's picture
Nick from Toronto is reading Adjustment Day November 21, 2011 - 10:54pm

Hiding a gun is a good one, too.  I find it's an easier lesson to apply.   I'm working several hidden guns into a story I'm working on now.  Not difficult in terms of making adjustments.  Just one or two good ideas and it's done. 

Submerging the I -- fuck. I can re-write a paragraph three or four times, easily, trying to get rid of I/me/my/etc.

.'s picture
. November 22, 2011 - 12:17pm

Those dirty pronouns. I wonder if the essays on here are as helpful as an MFA. I mean strictly on the basis of skills. I think they are but I couldnt say because I'm not an MFA grad.

chickie's picture
chickie from Memphis, TN is reading subterranean kerouac November 23, 2011 - 10:59am

Have to agree with bryanhowie.  I keep going back to the same essays, but for myself, not reviews. 

I think those four essays alone took my writing up several notches.

Renfield's picture
Renfield from Hell is reading 20th Century Ghosts January 19, 2012 - 12:57am

Go fuck yourself, William.

postpomo's picture
postpomo from Canada is reading words words words January 19, 2012 - 1:46am

worst spam ever - Renfield was too polite.

Brandon's picture
Brandon from KCMO is reading Made to Break January 19, 2012 - 5:57am

I slept with your wife, William.  That's why she's been walking with a limp.

bryanhowie's picture
bryanhowie from FW, ID is reading East of Eden. Steinbeck is FUCKING AMAZING. January 19, 2012 - 11:45am

Yeah, you suck, invisible person whose post I cannot see.  I thumb my nose at you!

I said, "GOOD DAY, SIR!"

Nick's picture
Nick from Toronto is reading Adjustment Day January 19, 2012 - 11:59am

I don't know what's transpired here, bit since I started this thread...

Let's fight, me and you, after school. At the baseball diamond.

.'s picture
. January 19, 2012 - 12:22pm

No groin shots or weapons. This shits going on youtube.

Renfield's picture
Renfield from Hell is reading 20th Century Ghosts January 19, 2012 - 12:27pm

Now it just looks like I had a schizo break up there. Get out of my freaking head, William!