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How to improve your writing: Anton Chekhov and the glint of light on broken glass

By Tom Aaron

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 17Feb2009
Word count: 623
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Writers and potential writers can all learn from the many writing quotes we can find in writing books and through googling. To improve your writing, remember this quote from Anton Chekhov and follow it with all the conviction of a Jehovah's Witness going from door to door:

Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.

Before reading further, please reduce the size of your browser window so you cannot see any further than this sentence. Then scroll down, one line at a time. This article contains an exercise and possible answers. Read the exercise and write at least three possible answers before looking at our possible answers.

Rewrite the following sentence so it shows, not tells.

The little boy was sad.

Now stop and write at least three possible alternatives before scrolling down to look at our possible answers.

Alternative 1: The boy sat on the stoop, his head a foot below the metal rail, tears streaming down his face.

Alternative 2: The boy's frame, all two feet eight and three-quarter inches, shook as he sobbed and screamed out his brother's name: Gordie!

Alternative 3: The boy gazed down at the husky's tongue licking the chocolate chip ice cream off the ground. Then he saw the tail wagging in the air and the tears formed in his eyes and journeyed down his cheeks, one after another.

None of the three examples use the words little or sad. All three examples show us a sad little boy. How do your three examples look? If you are not happy with what you wrote, we would like to leave you with three suggestions for improving your writing:

1. Rewriting: Showing the glint of light on broken glass is a challenge. Although I am unable to approach the beauty of Anton Chekhov, each time I rewrite, I get a little closer. Writing is time consuming and hard work. We would like to suggest that you take out your examples once a day for a week and edit them every day. See how much closer you can get to Chekhov. Then, at the end of the week, put them away again. Let your writing sit for a week and then take it out once more and edit every day, for three days. See what you think after three days.

2. Feedback: Sometimes, we are unable to clearly see our writing. Ask a friend or colleague to look at your writing and provide feedback, specifically asking what they like best and what they would do to improve your writing. Don't argue with them. Don't explain what you were trying to do. The goal is not to defend your work, but to get feedback. The decision of whether to use each piece of feedback or not is yours. If you do not have a friend or colleague who can give you feedback, look for a writing group you can join in your virtual or physical community.

3. Reading: My last piece of advice is to read. Reading and writing are two sides of the same coin. Reading gives us the examples that sit in our subconscious until they are altered and come out in our own writing in a new format. Read examples of the kind of writing you would like to do, read authors who write about what you would like to write about and read authors who write about things that are completely different. To become a better writer, read.

Writing is not easy. Writing takes time, practice, and the input you receive from reading. Writing is one of the important keys to personal growth and success at both school and in the professional world. Put the time in and you will be glad you did.

Aaron Language Services (http://www.aaronlanguage.com/ ) provides translation, proofreading, and online English coaching to a primarily Japanese client base.

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