We call. We question

Share common experiences

Reveal humanity.

Where are you headed? What do you need? Why didn’t she wait? No, I don’t have the answers. More often than not, one question triggers more. We humans are an inquisitive lot. If we weren’t, books would not be the commodity that they are. Questions are often the start to great writings.

A member of one of my writing groups always asked, “What do you want the reader to come away with?” (He must have had some solid ties to Wisconsin to be using that stranded preposition. But that’s a different discussion.) Ideally, we have that focus throughout our writing.

In a written piece, we add hints and revelations like so many pixels. By the time the reader reaches the end – Voila! They find your message revealed. We build the reader’s interest with hints like foreshadowing or incomplete knowledge. As you tell your story, the reader needs help developing the scene (setting), the theme, the characters, and any relevant backstory.

When writing a poem, we trim back some of these elements or try to represent them with imagery. One still needs to consider storytelling elements to build a relatable piece.

As you roll along in your story development, keep that big take-away in mind. It will be a guiding light for your decisions in the piece. It is often recommended to include everything that you think of when writing the first draft. You can always remove things during your subsequent edits. That question will also help when you are wondering if something is necessary or excess.

Consider your audience. How much do they need to have told to them versus allowing them to develop understanding through their own ability to connect clues. Some folks will be insulted if you explain every detail. Some will miss the point without enough info. You will need to know where your audience will fall on that continuum.

In my upcoming workshop, we will have a fairly narrow audience. Writing from our own experience to future generations, the goal is to share our own love of [insert your joy here]. For myself, it will be cycling. What’s your favorite thing to do, eat, read… My goal is to ply your memories with some questions. The next step is to take that and make a writing to share with your children, grandchildren, and future generations.

The workshop will be on December 2 from 5-7 pm at Vintage & Modern Books.

Have other questions? Stop in Tuesdays between 12:30 and 2:30 at Vintage & Modern Books 415 6^th St, Racine. (Note that 11/18 I will be later due to another appointment). For the last Tuesday each month I will be at Trek Bicycle Store Racine.

—Christy Hoff, ArtRoot Writer-in-Residence