the craft. challenging yourself.

I have been in the wonderful land of revision for the last few months trying to tie up two different manuscripts. And one thing that has been boggling my mind has been how to describe mundane things in new and exciting ways. I promise you, I have taken offense every time I wrote that someone smiled. It’s like enough with the smiling already. What is it that they’re feeling for real? I’ve also been struggling to describe people’s physical motions which are important to any story. Did they furrow their brows? Click their tongue? Lean their head into their hands? What are they doing with themselves while this scene is happening?

It is a lot to think about. But the more you write, the more you rely on some of your favorite devices. One of my all time favorite lines to say when something extremely disappointing happens is to say “there was a crack in their planet.” When I tell you, I saw that in my current work in progress and had to laugh. Girl, you used that already in another manuscript. My inner dialogue there. I had to sit long and hard with myself on that line. What was she feeling?

Maybe I’m not that great of a writer. I mean our job is literally to be able to say things. HA! Don’t worry, I don’t plan to stop or anything. It’s just I read other people’s work at times and think, how the hell did they think to describe that, like that? But really, we all can get there. For myself, it only requires me to slow down. I’ve talked a lot about how in my writing, I often have to slow myself down. See because my brain already moves extremely fast, it can be hard to allow myself the time to sit in what I’m actually trying to say. Okay, great, a crack in the planet. Such a good line. We get it. It’s like something totally disrupted their world. But what are other ways that we can dig into that emotion?

It’s going to sound whacky, but I will literally close my eyes and ask myself, how does this feel? It can certainly be clunky, but eventually the words begin to unfold for me. So, I don’t remember exactly what I revised it to, however, I would say that another way of saying this could be, “the new information was a riptide, desperately trying to pull her under.” Simple, to the point. Impactful. And not recycled. I’ve also learned to start writing random descriptions in my notes app when I have them. Literally, I have the ability to just whip out a great line where applicable which is always so satisfying.

Similar to the phrase about the planet, the word beautiful is also a red flag for me in my writing. You can have 20 beautiful women or men and they all would look completely different barring twins who also look slightly different, but I digress. So, how can we simply describe something as beautiful? When I’m editing others, I always ask, what was beautiful about it? Tell me more. See, I’ve realized in my writing that beautiful is really a place holder. If I write the word beautiful to describe something or someone, I don’t have to get stuck on describing the thing in the most eloquent way. I can call it beautiful, move on and in revision say, “okay, how do I say this better?”

I guess this is what I’m learning to love about the revision process. The possibilities are endless. You can keep improving the thing. And the key to not getting stuck in drafting is to put something there for the meantime.

When you are working with an editor, their queries will challenge you. I mean, take a read to the piece on Toni Morrison and Angela Davis. Morrison mentions that to be unafraid seems inhuman and the passage Angela Davis returns with is stunning.

I say often that I am a good writer, working to be great. That comes not only with being challenged by those who read my work and offer feedback, but finding those moments for myself. Learning my patterns and how to break them. This journey is a lot of fun. I mean, would I prefer to be the prodigious novelist who shook the world on the first go? Absolutely. However, in reality, it’s brick by brick. Story by story. Challenging myself to show up to the new work, better than the last.

Spend some time this week thinking about how you might describe something differently than you have before. Find the metaphor. Dig deeper. Level up.

Writing/Job Opportunities

Ryan Reed is looking for pitches. Essays, profiles, lists, oral histories — whatever. Music and/or culture. Angle just needs to be fresh and/or the subject matter is unique. Quirky is good, but it's obvious when people are forcing it. ryan.reed@spin.com.

Wilson Wong is editing NYT Styles and looking for pitches. Story ideas about fashion, internet culture, trends & patterns before they become trends & patterns, and everything in between. wilson.wong@nytimes.com.

Edith Honan is looking for pitches. In-depth reporting on health/wellness trends. Features rate is $1/w. ehonan@insider.com.

Stav Ziv is looking for pitches. Pieces that shed light, provide insight, reframe, and capture zeitgeist when it comes to careers, job searches, work, and work culture. In the form of: Advice, Personal essays, Opinion/takes, Features, Quizzes, "I tried..." pieces. stav.ziv@themuse.com.

Eve Sneider is editing for Wired Ideas, and looking for pitches. Send your grand designs, hot takes, and lyrical meditations to ideas@wired.com. https://www.wired.com/about/how-to-pitch-wired-ideas/

Elite Daily is hiring an Entertainment Editor.

The Feminist Press is hiring an Executive and Program Assistant. (Apply by Feb. 28).

Freedom of the Press is hiring a Deputy Editor. (80-90K).