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The Writing Life

curiosity

How to Be a Better Writer: Cultivate Curiosity

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How to Be a Better Writer: Cultivate Curiosity — Write RightAn article at PBS explains how to raise curious kids, noting that curiosity can improve academic performance. A fair and good point, but kids aren’t the only ones who need “to be raised.” Adults do, too. They sometimes forget that curiosity is an excellent quality, in all fields of study and all stages of life. It creates excitement and allows a person to laugh with delight at the smallest of things. It causes people to try new things and to spend time learning about a subject.

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Always Ask Why

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…I recommend questioning everything: the media buy, the research, the whole reason the client is advertising – all of it. It’s likely you won’t be able to change anything one bit…But in the asking, in the challenging, whole new approaches may reveal themselves. Remember, the most important word a creative person can use is why. – Luke Sullivan [Read more…] about Always Ask Why

The Curiosity Gap

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Curiosity is insubordination in its purest form. - NabokovOne reason I recommend writers start en media res, that is, “in the middle of things,” is that it creates a curiosity gap. Readers want to know what led to the middle in which they find themselves. They want to know what happens next. It may be a ploy to capture attention, but it’s one that works without fail. I know; I’m the person caught in the aisle at Half Price Books reading the first chapter in a book because it piqued my curiosity.

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