The Insecure Writer's Support Group. OK, shouldn't we all have a lifetime membership to this group? I touch base with them to get a boost of self-confidence, ideas and just a little encouragement. On the first Wednesday of each month they post a question to answer. September's is a great one:
Since it's back to school time, let's talk English class.
What's a writing rule you learned in school that messed you up as a writer?
Hmmm...I'm trying to remember my high school English teachers. Mr. R. who taught us about science fiction and jazz(yes, I'm aware that's not actually a writing genre) is one that comes to mind. I'd have to dig out the yearbooks to refresh my memories of everyone else. I vaguely remember Romeo and Juliet, summer reading lists, and vocabulary books (SAT test prep).
Floating around in my mind is Sister Someone telling us that you should have an intro, a body and then a conclusion that circles back to the intro. I followed that rule faithfully for years and it served me well when organizing research papers on the effect the Supreme Court had on Civil Rights, similarities between the presidential years of Abraham Lincoln and John Kennedy and the symbolism of the green light in The Great Gatsby.
Yes, I was a Political Science/Communications major so there were lots of history and English classes (and research papers) on my schedule. This rule served me well for those types of papers -- and for some of the articles I still write today. But they did not carry over to personal essays.
Because life events don't always circle back neatly. Sometimes life takes wild detours. Sometimes the ending has nothing to do with the beginning. Sometimes we purposely reject the beginning and fashion a new storyline. Life isn't a circle. It's more like a fireworks show. You never know what's happening next or where it will end up.
Any thoughts on the wisdom imparted by your English teachers?
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