Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Fri, Feb 05 2010
Story structure
There's a popular acronym that most of us have seen: KISS. It seems to have originally been intended by engineer Kelly Johnson to stand for "Keep it simple and stupid". Somewhere along the way it evolved to be known more often as "Keep it simple, stupid". Unfortunately, the latter phrase sounds like an insult. Some prefer KIS, which translates to "Keep it simple".
The original admonition is a good one, not only for engineers, but for writers. We may have to do plenty of research behind the scenes of our writing. But our goal should be to make it so easy for the reader to engage in a story that the underpinnings of our work fade into the background. There's always a leap of faith when one gets on an exciting carnival ride. We don't usually get to interview the people who designed or assembled the ride. And most of us don't ask to see the drawings or specifications. We trust that when we climb onto that contraption we're going to have the ride of our lives. A reader expects the same of a writer.
posted at: 10:55 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
There's a popular acronym that most of us have seen: KISS. It seems to have originally been intended by engineer Kelly Johnson to stand for "Keep it simple and stupid". Somewhere along the way it evolved to be known more often as "Keep it simple, stupid". Unfortunately, the latter phrase sounds like an insult. Some prefer KIS, which translates to "Keep it simple".
The original admonition is a good one, not only for engineers, but for writers. We may have to do plenty of research behind the scenes of our writing. But our goal should be to make it so easy for the reader to engage in a story that the underpinnings of our work fade into the background. There's always a leap of faith when one gets on an exciting carnival ride. We don't usually get to interview the people who designed or assembled the ride. And most of us don't ask to see the drawings or specifications. We trust that when we climb onto that contraption we're going to have the ride of our lives. A reader expects the same of a writer.
posted at: 10:55 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
