A deceptively simple writing craft exercise
Yes, I'm encouraging you to copy another historian's work. Trust me.
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Try This: Copy a Passage
Feeling a little stuck or discouraged? Here's a surprisingly simple craft exercise to get you thinking about writing differently.
Grab a favorite history book, and look for an exceptionally well-written passage, the kind that makes you a little jealous (and, on bad days, makes you throw up your hands and wonder why you even bother). It should be 2-4 paragraphs long.
Pull up a blank document or sheet of paper, whatever you usually use to draft your own writing.
Copy the passage from the book, word for word.
Uh, that's it!
OK, that's not it, exactly. Spend a little time looking at what you just wrote. How did it feel to write it out? How do the passages look in draft form, instead of on the completed, printed book page?
Now look a little more closely. How did the author put these paragraphs together? How are the sentences organized? How do they transition from one thought to another? Do the sentence lengths and structures vary? How long are the paragraphs?
This is a very simple craft exercise. It won't magically change everything. But sometimes the simple act of copying out a passage can transform it from an unimpeachable, completed piece of writing to a model that another human once drafted in their notebook or Word document, just like you are doing now.
In Case You Missed It: Benjamin Park Stays Rooted (Episode 39)
For episode 39, I interviewed Benjamin Park about his new book, American Zion: A New History of Mormonism. If you've ever struggled to wrestle a massive project into a coherent narrative that is actually a pleasure to read, this is an excellent interview for you. And at the end, he even shares two pieces of writing advice that I had never heard on the podcast before. Listen here.
Another great interview is headed your way this week. Thanks for listening! And if you love the show, please leave it a review or share with a friend who might enjoy it.