How to Write Better is a popular online writing class taught by Emmy-nominated and New York Times-bestselling author Joshua Fields Millburn. On RU-vid, Joshua shares writing tips culled from his years of experience. Download our free ebook, "15 Ways to Write Better," at howtowritebetter.org.
Wow, somehow the tip you gave to read through the book and then come back when you need a specific piece of information seems appealing to me. Gotta try it out this school-year!
But when you only have a hammer sounds much more natural to American English speakers. When you have only a hammer, sounds like you're speaking in a textbook. Your analogy to I only walk the dog doesn't make any sense because that sounds totally bizarre. When you say if you only have a hammer literally everyone knows what you're talking about. It means the same to American speakers as if you have only a hammer.
@@shawnmihalik It is a good choice as well as it did get a laugh out of me since I wasn't expected to hear that lol. Thank you I needed a good laugh. :)
I love John Grisham novels. But have to say I was let down by his novel “The Broker”. It started out really good and drew me right in. But once it moves into act 2 it gets so boring and redundant. The novel goes on for like 45 pages about the main character walking to and from their Italian lessons. I kinda always wondered how it ended. I gave up on it midway through.
Interesting tips about good writing. I agree what you say the first sentence should be interesting, and should instantly grab your attention and want you to read it.
lol this dude thinks buying a corvette is following the societal conditioning more than having a child. it's also so kitchy. as if you could twist every sentence into a fantasy just to make yourself sound more interesting instaed of telling the truth that he never thought of buying a red corvette. So cheesy. This fakeness for the sake of sounding good is what's ruining everything you read. it's such a cheap trick. imaging lying to make things punchier. such nonsense.
I read about 1/2 of the Da Vinci Code when learning French because I got hold of 2nd-hand copies of the English original + French translation. French translator "improved" some French sentences included in the original English version. French was grammatically correct, I was told, just not normal, matching my view of the English and the plot.
I don't think they are such a thing as good or bad poetry. There is just the right way and a wrong way to do it. If you want to know how to do poetry well, read William Shakespeare, Phillip Larkin, Christina Rosetti, Emily Dickenson Thomas Hardy, Robert Frost, If you want an example of how not to do poetry read Rupi Kaur, Gabbie Hannah, Atticus and Lilli Reinhart all of these poets have potential but the problem is alot of the poems they have written are in just four, five lines and sometimes just random sentences filled with cliched imagery and just really half-baked ideas that need further fleshing out. Like most good writing in the making, good writing takes time, as nearly close to nine drafts - maybe more - I discovered this ritual early but Rupi Kaur and the rest weren't so lucky. Advice to all these poets that I have mentioned, the ones still writing verse and selling your books with half-baked ideas which still resonate: Don't give up. You're not bad poets you just need to give your readers more. Clumsy metaphors are what you can use when you're a teenager not when you an adult with experiences on your sleeves and questions with answers and answers, leading to bigger question which will come to light in the unraveling of your story If you have a question about meter, you have a digital encyclopedia at your fingertips with Google, want to learn about meter give it a google, if you want to know about different rhyming schemes, read the book The Ode Less travelled By Stephen Fry or even just learn from the masters of the poetry form. I would also recommend these poets check out the works of TS Eliot and Edgar Allan Poe's poem Alone, I read the latter's poem when I was thirteen and I was moved by his imagery and his words and the final line is a haunting piece of literature which made me want to give the poet a great big hug, even though he has been dead for centuries even at this point. Great video I'm sorry that this comment turned into a essay on the how tos and how not to's of poetry but I really want to share my thoughts I hope everyone is having a good day and all the best. 👍☺
My favourite opening line, I can't remember where I read it or even heard where it was from, but my favourite opening line is: 'The last man on earth is sitting alone in his room, when suddenly there is a knock at the door!' Its just so brilliant and it opens to literal door to any genre, anyone may wish to explore. It's amazing.
You wanted to keep rereading the book. You fell in love with the characters. If the story is well told. These are things you said about the novel and yet you claim you think this is not a well written book? This was a bad video. Your breakdown of the opening lines was just plain wrong. I don’t trust your advice on writing. And I am not even defending Dan brown. Just saying I don’t think you are making sense here.
"Lunged for the nearest painting (...), a Caravaggio" isn't insulting the reader's intelligence. Dan Brown knew the book wasn't for educated, cultured audiences. Saying "lunged for La Morte della Vergine" would possibly produce the opposite, undesired effect : the reader thinks "oh, it's a book for intellectuals. No thanks". Why do you think chapters are 5 pages long ? Maybe to make it easier for cinema scriptwriters to go through ? The measure of success of a novel is the quality of its readers. In my humble opinion.
What would you do different for the Grisham opening? You should Write up your version of a better Grisham opening and can compare it. Would be a good writing exercise.
This video started strong, but then you recommended Rupi Kaur. Really? Her work is total dogshit, barely even able to be classified as poetry. It is ugly, vapid, and banal. Just like all the other modern "free verse" dogshit.
@@brentblack2878 Not always, but usually, yes. Someone like Ezra Pound or TS Eliot could use it to great effect, because they were masters who could write poetry in a variety of styles. Most modern poets write free verse because they can't write anything else, and it shows.
I think you're intimidated by poetry and fear anything abstract because you're afraid of being revealed as something you're not-stupid, or not in touch with art, or whatever. You chose the most obvious poem.
What I’ve learned as I’ve got older is that there’s no such thing as good and bad art. For instance is Frank Zappa better than One Direction? The worlds biggest fans of both those artist are not going to change their mind. None of them are wrong or right, they just like what they like, and that’s fine!
I have read two Dan Brown to make me hate him: the dominance of info-dumps, the love-puzzle to counter the dangerous journey, the useless events that could be removed... I prefer classic literature over this.
Dan brown is at heart a teacher...he taught english...he unerstands peoples limitations he has to as part of being a teacher...it is no coincidence he made a book that is accessible to millions
Plus if you look at plot points...you have a puzzle and you are being accused of murder....good act 1 (a classic) mid point (christ had kids) intresting and unique climax to act 2...your companion is a child of christ (good climax to the third act)...its interesting to the average person...i think the fact that dan brown is being picked apart for his writing style speaks more about human nature and less about his writing style.
One thing that dan brown doesnt get enough praise for in the writing community is his structure...he is brilliant at it....thats why he sells so many books....love the way he introduces characters (to robert langdon) in this book....Robert is first met by the police officer (bad guy, at least to robert anyway) then sophie (friendly) then the banker who tries to kill him (bad guy) then lee (good guy) then the killer (bad guy.....that structure of bad good bad good bad....stops you questioning lees intentions as your inner mind acsepts the pattern
i disagree with a lot of this....just say how old they are...that two digit text will bring a perfectly formed image to every readers mind....dont bloody well show every single thing the book will be 1500 pages long....hate rules like this...john le carre did plenty of this kind of stuff so did agatha christie (top of the mystery and suspense genres) and noone is calling them out...
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This is one of the worst videos that I have ever watched on youtube. God, people loved the book and I looked up youtube for the book, what kind of critique is that, worse critique than the writing.
