The craft of writing
We learn from pain
Prepare as for fighting
Practice over and again
Acquire form as you train.
“One true sentence”
Is our goal
provides the entrance
Fills the whole
Pays the toll.
“Let prose be unadorned”
Easier said than done
Begin forewarned
Don’t expect fun
Until the battle’s won.
“Concentration”
To a fault
Abjure temptation
Enter the vault
Cause normality to halt.
“Write what you know”
Is the start
Let your words flow
From the heart
Simple is smart.
“Write with attitude”
Keep the edge
Perhaps schadenfreude
Provides a wedge
Step steady on the ledge.
“Maintain a perspective”
A basic rule
For writing effective
Not taught in school
Avoid being a fool.
“Every tale has an arc”
Exposition the sine qua non
Provides the spark
Climactic rapprochement
Revelatory denouement.
“Show don’t tell”
A vital rule
Move the narrative well
Don’t micromanage, fool
Writing is the painter’s tool
Perseverance the key
You must have spunk
Let your narrative be
Disciplined as a monk
Or end in a funk.
