The Nitty Gritty of the Gentle Art of Writing...by Mari Howard
The Amazon Kindle, possibly so named in the hope it would encourage ( kindle a lasting interest in) reading, is not the real subject of this piece. Words and language are a lead-in. Everyone who is a writer will recognise how familiar words and phrases can so easily become cliched or overused, oddly especially those used by (some) writers writing about writing! “As a writer”, someone states, kicking off an opinion paragraph. “I love words”, “she has a way with words”, two phrases which, well, make our relationship with our communication tools sound all too creepy. I am probably very picky, but those cliches, set in a blog about writing, can be really annoying. Like, “If you love words, then couldn’t you dress up that thought into more imaginative clothing?”. Words, are, after all, the bare bones, or basic bricks, of any piece of writing. It’s the choice, the use, the combination, which makes for a captivating piece. The new metaphor, the astounding simile. Think of Shake...