Wordy stories vs. Funny stories

Anne of Green Gables is a phenomenal movie and most likely an incredible book if you can make it past Anne's musings. I’ve never gotten though the whole book, even though I generally do adore Anne’s character. She’s beyond descriptive and it has always disenchanted me. In Chapter 1 of How to write anything the author explores the power of setting a context and mood in a narrative. He points out the importance of giving readers a feel for the surroundings in your narrative while also holding back from lingering descriptions. How true is this? Before, I understood uncommonly wordy narratives would push me away yet didn’t realize this was because of the way the mood was set. I’m sure for some authors and readers loads of details are intriguing, but I have a difficult time with them.

Strong words are meant to be used. Words that are to the point and powerful. According to the book, it seems strong words tend to be less words, like excellent rather than really great. I think remembering to have descriptive and concise explanations will be a helpful.

My psychology teacher told us to be funny you have to be smart, which is why the first narrative in chapter 66 caught my attention. I actually laughed out loud while reading it. By the time I made it to chapter 66 my instinct was to absolutely not read all of the story, but I started and couldn’t stop. His humor made the serious subject of a teacher bulling her students bearable. The author had an upbeat attitude and kept me interested. His style of writing was enjoyable and one I hope to emulate in my narratives.

I definitely will be keeping our English book close while writing, it’s full of insightful and practical advice.