Author Archives: sdgibson
Revision project II
In groups of three, peer review the texts below. Use the second draft guide to shape your review. Be sure you address each question thoroughly. The Mystery of Intimacy I keep all my memories in neat little envelopes. I keep … Continue reading
Revision project
In a group of three or four, practice revision by changing the text below. Make these changes with the questions I’ll ask as I evaluate you work in mind. In other words, the changes you make as a group should be … Continue reading
On extemporaneous composition
From Joe Fassler and Andre Dubus III in The Atlantic: “The Case for Writing a Story Before Knowing How it Ends.”
Collected writing tips
For your thoughtful consideration, first from Miller, Leonard, Atwood, Gaiman, and Orwell, and then from Hemingway.
The first sentence
An excellent book review, entitled “Plots,” largely about first sentence techniques.
Literature and empathy
From Pam Belluck and the New York Times: “For Better Social Skills, Scientists Recommend a Little Chekhov.”
7 June 2013 English 3420
By 3:00 on Friday, 7 June 2013, send me at email at stephen(dot)gibson(at)uvu(dot)edu. In the email, narrate your experience doing research in support of your next draft. Be specific; mention titles and authors. Don’t write more than 500 words. The … Continue reading
The Opposites of Everything
From Metro: Journeys in Writing Creatively, here is an exercise that encourages revision as a form of composition.
Characterization
Consider this excerpt from Robert Boswell’s essay “The Half-Known World” in his book The Half-Known World: On Writing Fiction. Boswell says “There can be no discovery in a world where everything is known. A crucial part of the writing endeavor is the … Continue reading
Flash fiction
From An Anthology of Really Short Stories, edited by Jerome Stern, some examples of sudden, flash, or micro fiction.
Metaphor by Metaphor 