Here's what I learned from Finding Me by Viola Davis:
- Never write: "Words can't describe..." because that's what writing is. It's describing things.
- Show don't tell. Show the reader something is important with your words, not punctuation marks.
- If you have an amazing story to tell but you're not a very good writer, consider hiring a ghost writer.
Here's what I learned from Based On A True Story by Norm Macdonald
- It's okay to have a bad memory and still tell your story because ... no one has a perfect memory!
- The mirroring technique is powerful: when you write something in a very specific way and then repeat that phrase or sentence later to create impact.
- When you tell some stories that are true and some that are absurd, how is the reader supposed to know the difference?
Here's what I learned from The Santaland Diaries (essay) by David Sedaris
- Repeating something someone has said 3x can have a funny, sarcastic effect.
- Rather than respond to something with your thoughts/ideas, respond with a story or observation. This is more compelling and more credible.
- You don't need to end your story with your thoughts, feelings, values to impart, lessons learned. You can just end with the actual ending of the story!