Writing FAST - Jeff Bollow 2012

Spice and variety
Techniques that command attention
Tweak

If I was standing in front of you right now, I would extend my right arm. And between the tip of my index finger and the tip of my thumb, I would hold a ballpoint pen.

When you saw me extend my arm, you’d wonder what I was doing. It’s not really natural for me to hold my arm out like that.

I’d ask you to look at the pen. For a moment, you’d think maybe the pen was going to do a trick. Turn into a rabbit, perhaps?

But you’d realize, no, that’s not it. It must be something else.

Saying nothing, I’d continue to stand in front of you with my arm outstretched. The pen just sitting there. Quietly.

Gradually, you’d look me in the eye, growing tired of the game, and waiting for me to get on with it. Praying I’d do whatever I was about to do and just be done. You’d start to fidget.

I know this is true because I did it in my workshops.

I’d stand there, watching people’s reactions. It’s remarkable how quickly people grow impatient. Within minutes, the human mind is uncomfortable, and needs new stimulation.

And then, when you least expect it, I’d drop the pen.

Do you know what you’d do?

Guess. Take a guess before you read on. I’ll tell you exactly what you’d do.

You’d watch the pen fall to the ground. Even if your eyes had been locked on mine, your attention would instantly snap over to that pen, so you could watch it fall.

Know why?

Because the human eye is drawn to motion. It’s why action films are so popular, even if they’re vacuous. It’s why kids love video games, and don’t like reading books — nothing moves!

See, way back in Ooga and Booga’s day, we had to watch for predators and hunt for food. Our eye evolved, until it could detect the slightest motion almost instantly. Notice it sometime. Notice how keen your sense of motion really is.

Oddly enough, this also translates to the page.

And not just with word pictures and action. We can also create that sense of motion through variety and the unexpected.

And that’s what this chapter is about.

Commanding as much attention with your words as I did with a pen.

Spice and variety

We all know the old cliché that says “variety is the spice of life.” But when it comes to your writing, variety is life.

This book has over 60,000 words. Imagine if I’d used the same three types of sentences over and over and over again. Your brain would go numb. It would lose its mass — turn from solid to liquid, and start sloshing around in your head. Bo-ring!

Or worse! What if I only used one metaphor the whole way through? You’d go stir crazy. Imagine if every sentence — no, I mean every single sentence — used that “lightning bolt” metaphor. Oh man. You’d want to shoot me! And next time you were in an electrical storm, you’d curse my name!

(In fact, I recently read a book in a popular series that did exactly that. The author used a metaphor in his title, and then just beat it to death. By about page 30, you want to let a pack of wild dogs loose on the guy.)

The human brain needs repetition. Our most effective method of learning (aside from physical and emotive experience), is repetition.

But repetition is only effective in small doses (Get it? Get it?! Get it?!), or when you’ve added sufficient variety between those repeated instances.

An example would be something I’ve been repeating throughout this book: All writing is communication. It’s an idea that’s so central, I want to keep bringing your mind back to it. And each time I do, I add something new. That way, it builds.

As you look over the words you’ve written, start looking for variety. Hunt down and weed out any excessive repetition. When you start writing fast, repetition is unavoidable. And that’s okay. But now, just change your words. Add color and spice and variety and flavor. Give the reader enough mental and emotional stimulation to keep her eyes moving.

To do that, let’s tuck a few tricks up your sleeve.