Non-fiction writing exercises and techniques

Grammar is a cornerstone of communication, the skeleton of every sentence. Grammatical rules may be occasionally broken for poetic impact, but only when the writer understands the rule and why it may be effective to break it. Re-reading a grammar book two or three times a year reinforces the rules of grammar. Because bad grammar is commonplace, we can easily slip into bad writing habits.

Proofreading documents for spelling also prevents miscommunications. Having another person proofread is important because readers often notice what writers miss. Passive verb constructions often signal weak writing.

Punctuation is a drum set, creating rhythm in a piece of prose or poetry. Writers should not forget semicolons and colons; they can link together clauses in meaningful ways. Writing too many words is like talking too much; at some point the audience will stop listening. Superfluous words in a sentence are anathema to good writing. A good writer takes care crafting each sentence and choosing each word. Brevity makes pieces pleasurable to read.

A writer is like any other artist who communicates abstract concepts to an audience. The best way for a writer to remain mindful of the audience is to be the audience as much as possible. In other words, writers should read a lot. The higher the quality of the reading material, the better writing habits the reader will pick up. Readers glean tone, style, grammar, pacing, and vocabulary from writers. No matter what the genre of writing, research is crucial. Even a poet requires an in-depth understanding of an image or other subject matter. Research enables a multisensory, multifaceted, and multilayered piece of writing. Intimate knowledge of a subject matter allows a writer to connect with the reader's senses in ways a superficial writer could not do. For example, a piece of pizza is a triangular-shaped wedge of dough topped with bright red tomato sauce and rich mozzarella cheese. The aroma of garlic permeates the air as it bakes. A first bite yields a warm blend of sweet full-fat cheese complemented by the acidity of the tomato, carried by the neutral crunch of the stable crust.

Katy Jones and I are best friends. We spent every Christmas together at both her house and mine, because our families used to live right around the corner from each other in Elgin, Illinois. Her house was on St. Andrews Circle, and mine was on Wells Circle. When this picture was taken, Katy and I were in first grade and were an inseparable pair. She did nothing without me, and I did nothing without her. We laughed like one person, always in harmony with each other when we played with our toys or in the yard. Our bond remained strong until middle school.

Come middle school our friendship changed. I hung around in one clique, and Katy in another. We had arguments, and we went long times without speaking to one another. Scenes like the one depicted in this photo would have been a distant memory, and neither of us would have felt sentimental. We were adolescents, and silly. The bond between us seemed at times to break entirely. Her family moved to Rockford in 2005 and that could have been the end of our friendship.