50
Write or Die Scott Berkun / @berkun scottberkun.com WordCamp Seattle, June 8 th , 2013

Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

  • Upload
    berkun

  • View
    1.551

  • Download
    1

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

A masterclass in writing well – author Berkun has had a popular blog since 2003. He’ll offer no-nonsense advice about the forgotten core of what makes a blog, and books, succeed: good writing. From picking great topics, to writing drafts, to steel-eyed editing, to discipline and motivation, you’ll get a pro authors best lessons on the craft of writing. With plenty of time for Q&A.

Citation preview

Page 1: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

Write or Die

Scott Berkun / @berkunscottberkun.com

WordCamp Seattle, June 8th, 2013

Page 2: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

YOU ARE HERE

GO HERE (LATER)

Page 3: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well
Page 4: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

Pre-order now On Amazon – On Sale Sept 2013

Page 5: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

1. Popular vs. Good2. Write or Die3. Insight vs. Style4. Pick an angle5. Sentences 6. Paragraphs7. How to write 1000 words

Page 6: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

Scottberkun.com By the Numbers

• Started 2003• ~1500 posts• 12k daily pageviews*• 16k RSS• 20k mailing list• 17k twitter

Page 7: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

Not all traffic is equal

Most traffic is drive-by trash

Page 8: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well
Page 9: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

2. Write or Die

Page 10: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

A blog post

Page 11: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

An essay

Page 12: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

A novel

Page 13: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

,

,

.

..

Page 14: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well
Page 15: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well
Page 16: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well
Page 17: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

If you can’t figure out how to write as often as you

want, stop trying

Page 18: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

Writers who wrote in Prison

• Ezra Pound• Oscar Wilde• O’Henry• Daniel Defoe• Marquis De Sade• Voltaire• Cervantes (Don Quixote)

• Machiavelli • Thoreau• Nelson Mandela• E.E. Cummings• Martin Luther King• Marco Polo

Page 19: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

betweenthebars.org

Page 20: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

1. Writing well Is hard2. There is no secret, only effort3. You must write often to write well4. Really, stop looking for secrets 5. Don’t be precious

Page 21: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well
Page 22: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

3. Insight

Style

Page 23: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

Story

Style

Page 24: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well
Page 25: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well
Page 26: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well
Page 27: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

4. PICK AN ANGLE

Page 28: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

MY THOUGHTS ON CHEESEBlah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah ANGLE STARTS HERE blah blah blah blah blah blah blah BUT GETS LOST HERE blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah TOUCHED ON BRIEFLY HERE BUT ABANDONED blah blah

Blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Page 29: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

THE SECRET OF CHEESEBlah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah ANGLE STARTS HERE blah blah blah blah blah blah blah BUT GETS LOST HERE blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah TOUCHED ON BRIEFLY HERE BUT ABANDONED blah blah

Blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Page 30: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

(SAME SHIT, BETTER HEADLINE)Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah ANGLE STARTS HERE blah blah blah blah blah blah blah BUT GETS LOST HERE blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah TOUCHED ON BRIEFLY HERE BUT ABANDONED blah blah

Blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Page 31: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE YOUR OWN CHEESE

ANGLE STARTS HERE blah blah blah blah blah blah blah EVERY SETENCE SUPPORTS THE ANGLE blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

OBVIOUS OBJECTIONS READERS WILL HAVE ARE ANSWERED NATURALLY blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah THE WRITER SHOWS RESPECT FOR THE READER BY BEING CONCISE blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahblah blah blah blah

Page 32: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

WHY I WILL NEVER EAT CHEESE AGAIN

ANGLE STARTS HERE blah blah blah blah blah blah blah EVERY SETENCE SUPPORTS THE ANGLE blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

OBVIOUS OBJECTIONS READERS WILL HAVE ARE ANSWERED NATURALLY blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah THE WRITER SHOWS RESPECT FOR THE READER BY BEING CONCISE blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahblah blah blah blah

Page 33: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

THE MAN WHO KILLED HIS EVIL UNCLE WITH VELVETTA

ANGLE STARTS HERE blah blah blah blah blah blah blah EVERY SETENCE SUPPORTS THE ANGLE blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

OBVIOUS OBJECTIONS READERS WILL HAVE ARE ANSWERED NATURALLY blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah THE WRITER SHOWS RESPECT FOR THE READER BY BEING CONCISE blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahblah blah blah blah

Page 34: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

5. Sentences

Page 35: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

The cheescake was mildly excited about being sort of unique and not unhappy.

Page 36: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

The cheescake was mildly excited about being sort of unique and not unhappy.

The cheescake was thrilled to realize she was special.

The cheesecake was special.

Cheesecake exists.

Page 37: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

7. Paragraphs

Page 38: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

You only write as well as what you read

Page 39: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well
Page 40: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

DRAFT 1 DRAFT 2

?

Page 41: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

DRAFT 1 DRAFT 2

?This is what separates good

writing from crap

Page 42: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

“The first draft of anything is shit” -Hemmingway

Page 43: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well
Page 44: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

7. How To Write 1000 words

Page 45: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well
Page 46: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

Video and final essay

http://bit.ly/1000wordslive

Page 47: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

Photo Credits

• Protractor: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisinplymouth/3240722779/

Page 48: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

YMMV

Page 49: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

Thanks.Questions?

Scott Berkun / @berkun

www.scottberkun.com

Page 50: Write or Die: A Masterclass In Writing Well

@berkunwww.scottberkun.com