Book Review of "How to Write Like a Pro" by Barry Tarshis 1982
pp 39 -- focus
pp 63 -- organize thoughts
pp 70 -- staging thoughts
pp 71 -- clarity and impact of thoughts
are most important
pp 72 -- umbrella thought = focus = topic
sentence. Big thoughts, little thoughts
pp 76 -- anchoring -- keep thoughts of
reader on your focus
pp 76 -- clarity first, variety next
pp 82 -- it isn't the # of words in a sentence
that determines clarity, or lack of it,
but the # of thoughts you give reader to
absorb
pp 86 -- priming the reader to make sure reader
pays attention
pp 91 -- reinforce details
pp 95 -- "staging" your thoughts
pp 100 -- to describe people -- combine factual
& impressionistic details
pp 149 -- summary of how to avoid "fat" writing
pp 160 -- 5 different "types" of leads
A reader is a person with an attention span of about 20 seconds
Here are the kinds of phrases which make sure the reader/writer are on the same wavelength:
1. I can guess what you're thinking
2. As odd as it may seem ...
3. Not surprisingly...
4.But that's another story & I'll get to it in
a moment
5. I digress
6. It's hard to believe, but ...
7.In other words ...
These let him know that you're looking out for his welfare. As a result, he's likely to work a little harder than he otherwise might to make the writer/reader relationship flourish.
Get into the habit of reading aloud what you've written.
A series of indirect quotes followed by a direct quote that reinforces or dramatizes the info conveyed in the indirect material, is the pattern favored by most professional writers.
Indirect quotes = paraphrase.
A shift from what people are saying to what they're doing WHEN they say it, is essentially a pacing device.
lead = the 1st paragraph or 2 you ask your reader to read.
