example of a craft essay

Craft Essays

For most writers the task of writing is a question of content. What is this paper about? Who is the audience? Who are the experts? How do I use sources? What do I want my reader to remember? These are all good things. Important things. Essential things. But writing should be about more than just content, it should also be about the process. How do we do this thing called writing? What are the places where good writing happens? What environment helps me to become a better writer? Why am I writing? For many writers—especially students—writing loses something essential in the focus on content. It loses the element of play and experimentation that is essential to good writing and good thinking. There is a sudden absence in the process. A lack of curiosity; an edge of anticipation. The nudge that spurs a writer to create something unique and satisfying. Not just for a teacher, but for themselves. This is what all students of writing should strive for. The need to engage in the process of writing, not just once or twice, but again and again and again, until you have explored something important and holy and true about yourself and the world around you. So write. Write about writing, about what makes you want to take the leap onto the page. Write an essay; a short one, just a page or two about what makes you want to write, and how your students can engage with ideas and the world around them. Let us know what the practice of writing means to you. Give the reader advice on how to write. What has worked for you? Describe it in beautiful, fully rendered, poetic detail. Flesh out the world of writing that we want all of our students to see and engage in. People say that writing matters, that art nourishes, and that expression can feed the soul. Get busy, start cooking, and serve us up your very best meal.

Comments are closed.

January 2023
December 2021
February 2020
January 2020
August 2019
February 2019
January 2019
September 2018
February 2018
November 2017
August 2013
Search for: Search
Great Works
Personal Narrative/Essay

Assay: A Journal of Nonfiction Studies

In the classroom blog series, practical notes: writing a craft paper–karen babine.

Welcome to Practical Notes, a new series on In the Classroom, in which we address various practical aspects of the writing world.

[Side note: this is one of the avenues that led to Assay’s creation in the first place. I knew this work––which I came to consider very important––was being written, but the only place I really knew where to find it was the Writer’s Chronicle, which had sparse nonfiction offerings.]

What’s the purpose of a craft paper? Why do I need to write one? Its purpose is to participate in the larger conversation of nonfiction by contributing a work of new ideas to the community. Your thesis is your contribution of original creative work and thus serves a different purpose as an extension of what is expected in graduate level work. A craft paper is not a literary analysis–its purpose it to look at an element of craft and analyze it across several texts, or to take a single text and analyze it across several craft elements.

I include this description in my syllabus, adapted from the wonderful Matt Bell several years ago:

Literary analysis is different than craft analysis: they can overlap, but they are meant to be distinct. Craft analysis is designed to discover the specific ways a writer creates a certain literary element, such as tone or voice. One can study the way tone affects a story, but that is a literary analysis of tone. Studying the ways punctuation and sentencing create tone is a craft analysis. Remember that you are reading these pieces as writers. Throughout your responses, use specific examples, relate the reading to your work in progress or other work we’ve studied, and add to the subject your own experience and aesthetics . Please also feel free to ask a few questions at the end of your critical response, for possible discussion in class or on Moodle. Your assignment is never to have merely read the text. The most obvious quality that unites the best writers in all the classes I’ve ever taught is that the best writers consistently come out of everything we read saying “I’ve never thought of this before” or “I now realize I have a lot to learn about this technique” or “I’m going to try and work harder at doing X, Y, and Z well” or “this gave me new ideas to explore”—while almost every time the weaker writers write their responses about how they didn’t learn anything from this, that everything in it was something they already knew, barely worth saying again. If innate talent exists at all, I believe that in the writers where it seems most fully realized it is perpetually accompanied by a willingness to remain a student of the work of others, to not see yourself as already complete in your knowledge and skills. Fostering such an attitude in yourself will maximize what you get out of this course, the readings, and our discussions.

We, as writers, need to value the texts in front of us in this way. And, I would argue, equally important to value underrepresented writers and texts. Instructors have a finite amount of syllabus space for readings––and you come to class, whether it is a low-res program or residential––and you’re likely already pairing writers and ideas in your head. A craft paper is a good place to do this, aside from program requirements.

This is a waste of time. I want to be working on my thesis. The craft paper is also a place of discomfort, writing in a different register than we’re used to. When we spent so much of our energy creating our own work, it’s tough to want to spend time on other writers. But the truth is that craft work like this is essential to our own creative work. These are the finger scales and training runs. Very few people sightread a sonata or run a marathon without training. We need to study the work in front of us so that when we go to our own page, we can intentionally craft our own page, rather than arriving there by accident.

A personal example: my new book just came out and it’s light years away from my comfort zone in form and content. So I read all the flash nonfiction I could get my hands on––and flash fiction and prose poetry––to find out what made it tick. I studied the poetic volta and started paying attention to turns in nonfiction. I found Rebecca McClanahan’s “Selected List of Literary Gear Shift Moves” on Essay Daily. I started to call what I was doing a micro-essay. Then I started reading short nonfiction books as mine took shape, from Julija Sukys’ Siberian Exile and her terrific craft piece on short books, “In Praise of Slim Volumes: Big Book, Big Evil” to read through the conversation my book would eventually be participating in. The basis of this work will be my craft talk for Augsburg’s low-res MFA residency in the summer. Work like this should never go into the void, no matter who is doing it.

Where to start? I have my students start off with a substantial proposal in the first week of the semester.

Most recently one of my students chose to study warrant in nature writing, the “so what” factor; another student working on a travel narrative in search of her family’s roots wanted to study quest narratives, as an extension of travel writing. Each of these topics grew out of the student’s thesis work and was not separate from it. The work they did on their craft paper expanded their concepts that surrounded them and gave them a sense of the conversation already taking place.

That said, a craft paper should not simply be a personal exploration of a text because you’re working on something similar in your own thesis. This is a problem we often see in craft papers submitted to Assay : the engine for the craft paper is the writer him/herself struggling through how to write about *something* and that struggle is the point of the paper, not the analysis of craft. The personal link can be the stimulus, but it cannot be the entire spine of the paper. For myself, I want to see the writer’s brain on the page. Craft papers can be detached, or not, but as you can see in the following section, where I assign many different examples of craft papers, the personal exists at many different points on the spectrum of detached to entrenched. That said, the choice to use I or not will depend on what you’re doing, how you decide to do it, and the expectations of your particular instructor.

Next Steps: I assign several examples of craft papers to start a conversation about the many different ways there are to write craft papers. Yes, craft papers require different muscles, but there is no one right way to write them. This semester, I chose these:

Bruce Ballenger, “The Narrative Logic of the Personal Essay” ( Writer’s Chronicle )
Wendy Fontaine, “Where Memory Fails, Writing Prevails: Using Fallacies of Memory to Create Effective Memoir”
Kelly Harwood, “Then and Now: A Study of Time Control in Scott Russell Sanders’ “Under the Influence”
Diana Wilson, “Laces in the Corset: Structures of Poetry and Prose that Bind the Lyric Essay”
Emily W. Blacker, “Ending the Endless: The Art of Ending Personal Essays”
Jen Soriano, “Multiplicity from the Margins: The Expansive Truth of Intersectional Form”

Then we discuss:

What makes this a craft paper?
How does the author dig into the craft itself––and how does the author make clear what her/his purpose is?
How is the paper constructed? What is its structure?
Where do you see the author’s ideas driving the work––and where does the author use primary textual examples to illuminate his/her ideas?
Where do you see the author using secondary materials (other articles, other craft books, etc) to illuminate his/her ideas?

This isn’t a quiz––I don’t literally want them to point to where this is happening. I want them to engage with these readings so that we can determine the standards of a craft paper as they work towards putting together their own work. What can we learn about writing craft papers from these different examples?

Putting the Puzzle Together: The Research I require as part of the proposal process both a preliminary outline and a preliminary annotated bibliography, so I can see the direction the writer intends to take their craft paper and suggest ways to fill the cracks and holes I see. The main issues I have encountered include a lack of diversity among the primary texts and this is not acceptable to me in graduate level work, so if the reading list is primarily white or primarily male, I require revisions.

The secondary research is more difficult, simply because nonfiction as a whole remains undertheorized (one of the major reasons that I find craft papers and such so valuable). When I was doing my own PhD work, finding research on nonfiction texts was near to impossible. Students writing craft papers will also encounter this problem. I encourage students not only to dig through Assay and the Writer’s Chronicle , in addition to craft books. The introductions to various anthologies, as well as the introductions to Best American Essays , also are excellent places to look for secondary thinking. Project Muse has often been more successful a database than others. I also encourage looking for supplementary texts in the subgenres, whether it’s ISLE or New Hibernia Review .

The reality is that nonfiction writers who are writing craft papers must be creative in finding and extrapolating from secondary texts, because the work we have to draw on is thin. This also presents an excellent opportunity for our work beyond program requirements. You might do some research into race theory, or neurobiology, or cultural criticism to make your point.

Citations, etc. The Purdue OWL remains the best resource for MLA citations, both in text and Works Cited.

Final Thoughts: Where we often struggle with requirements like craft papers and comps is when we can’t see a value in it, except for the thing itself. Publication venues, like Assay and the Writer’s Chronicle, exist for craft work like this and it’s important to have this continuous influx of new ideas, new texts, and new applications. Nobody has put these ideas and texts together in this way before–and that makes it unique and valuable. Don’t lose sight of the fact that you are the particular expert on this subject. Writing analytical work, like a craft paper, doesn’t have to be boring–and it shouldn’t be–even if you never write another craft paper.

Karen Babine is Assay’s editor. She is the author of All the Wild Hungers: A Season of Cooking and Cancer (Milkweed Editions) and the award-winning Water and What We Know: Following the Roots of a Northern Life (University of Minnesota Press), winner of the 2016 Minnesota Book Award for memoir/creative nonfiction, finalist for the Midwest Book Award and the Northeastern Minnesota Book Award. Her work has appeared in such journals as Brevity, River Teeth, North American Review, Slag Glass City, Sweet , and her essays have twice been named Notables in Best American Essays . She lives in Minneapolis.

25 Essential Notes on Craft from Matthew Salesses

Rethinking popular assumptions of fiction writing.

1. Craft is a set of expectations.

2. Expectations are not universal; they are standardized. It is like what we say about wine or espresso: we acquire “taste.” With each story we read, we draw on and contribute to our knowledge of what a story is or should be. This is true of cultural standards as fundamental as whether to read from left to right or right to left, just as it is true of more complicated context such as how to appreciate a sentence like “She was absolutely sure she hated him,” which relies on our expectation that stating a person’s certainty casts doubt on that certainty as well as our expectation that fictional hatred often turns into attraction or love.

Our appreciation then relies on but also reinforces our expectations.

What expectations, however, are we really talking about here?

In her book Immigrant Acts , theorist Lisa Lowe argues that the novel regulates cultural ideas of identity, nationhood, gender, sexuality, race, and history. Lowe suggests that Western psychological realism, especially the bildungsroman /coming-of-age novel, has tended toward stories about an individual reincorporated into society—an outsider finds his place in the world, though not without loss. Other writers and scholars share Lowe’s reading. Examples abound: In Jane Eyre , Jane marries Rochester. In Pride and Prejudice , Elizabeth Bennet marries Mr. Darcy. In The Age of Innocence , Newland Archer, after some hesitation, marries May Welland. (There is a lot of marriage.) In The Great Gatsby , Nick Carraway returns to the Midwest and Daisy Buchanan returns to her husband.

Some of these protagonists end up happy and some unhappy, but all end up incorporated into society. A common craft axiom states that by the end of a story, a protagonist must either change or fail to change. These novels fulfill this expectation. In the end, it’s not only the characters who find themselves trapped by societal norms. It’s the novels.

3. But expectations are not a bad thing . In a viral craft talk on YouTube, author Kurt Vonnegut graphs several archetypal (Western) story structures, such as “Man in a Hole” (a protagonist gets in trouble and then gets out of it) and Cinderella (which Vonnegut jokes automatically earns an author a million dollars). The archetypes are recognizable to us the way that beats in a romantic comedy are recognizable to us—a meet-cute, mutual dislike, the realization of true feelings, consummation, a big fight, some growing up, and a reunion (often at the airport). The fulfillment of expectations is pleasurable. Part of the fun of Vonnegut’s talk is that he shows us how well we already know certain story types and how our familiarity with them doesn’t decrease, maybe only increases, our fondness for them. Any parent knows that a child’s favorite stories are the stories she has already heard. Children like to know what is coming. It reduces their anxiety, validates their predictions, and leaves them able to learn from other details. Research suggests that children learn more from a story they already know. What they do not learn is precisely: other stories.

Craft is also about omission. What rules and archetypes standardize are models that are easily generalizable to accepted cultural preferences. What doesn’t fit the model is othered. What is our responsibility to the other? In his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces , Joseph Campbell famously theorized a “monomyth” story shape common to all cultures. In reality, his theory is widely dismissed as reductionist—far more selective than universal and unjustly valuing similarity over difference. It has been especially criticized for the way its focus on the “hero’s journey” dismisses stories like the heroine’s journey or other stories in which people do not set off to conquer and return with booty (knowledge and/or spirituality and/or riches and/or love objects). It is important to recognize Campbell’s investment in masculinity as universal.

Craft is the history of which kind of stories have typically held power—and for whom—so it also is the history of which stories have typically been omitted. That we have certain expectations for what a story is or should include means we also have certain expectations for what a story isn’t or shouldn’t include. Any story relies on negative space, and a tradition relies on the negative space of history. The ability for a reader to fill in white space relies on that reader having seen what could be there. Some readers are asked to stay always, only, in the negative. To wield craft responsibly is to take responsibility for absence.

4. In “A Journey Into Speech,” Michelle Cliff writes about how she had to break from accepted craft in order to tell her story . Cliff grew up under colonial rule in Jamaica and was taught the “King’s English” in school. To write well was to write in one specific mode. She went to graduate school and even published her dissertation, but when she started to write directly about her experience, she found that it could not be represented by the kind of language and forms she had learned.

In order to include her own experience, Cliff says she had to reject a British “cold-blooded dependence on logical construction.” She mixed vernacular with the King’s English, mixed Caribbean stories and ways of storytelling with British. She wrote in fragments, to embody her fragmentation. She reclaimed the absences that formed the way she spoke and thought, that created the “split-consciousness” she lived with.

To own her writing—I am paraphrasing—was to own herself. This is craft.

5. Craft is both much more and much less than we’re taught it is.

6. In his book on post–World War II MFA programs, Eric Bennett documents how the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the first place to formalize the education of creative writing, fundraised on claims that it would spread American values of freedom, of creative writing and art in general as “the last refuge of the individual.” The Workshop popularized an idea of craft as non-ideological, but its claims should make clear that individualism is itself an ideology. (It shouldn’t surprise us that apolitical writing has long been a political stance.) If we can admit by now that history is about who has had the power to write history, we should be able to admit the same of craft. Craft is about who has the power to write stories, what stories are historicized and who historicizes them, who gets to write literature and who folklore, whose writing is important and to whom, in what context. This is the process of standardization. If craft is teachable, it is because standardization is teachable. These standards must be challenged and disempowered. Too often craft is taught only as what has already been taught before.

7. In the West, fiction is inseparable from the project of the individual. Craft as we know it from Aristotle to E. M. Forster to John Gardner rests on the premise that a work of creative writing represents an individual creator, who, as Ezra Pound famously put it, “makes it new.” Not on the premise that Thomas King describes in The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative : that any engagement with speaking is an engagement with listening, that to tell a story is always to retell it, and that no story has behind it an individual. Each “chapter” of King’s book, in fact, begins and ends almost the same way and includes a quote from another Native writer.

Audre Lorde puts it this way: “There are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt, of examining what our ideas really mean .” (My italics.)

It is clear in an oral tradition that individual creation is impossible—the authors of the Thousand and One Nights , the “Beowulf poet,” Homer, were all engaging with the expectations their stories had accrued over many tellings.

Individualism does not free one from cultural expectations; it is a cultural expectation. Fiction does not “make it new;” it makes it felt . Craft does not separate the author from the real world.

When I was in graduate school, a famous white writer defended Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (whose craft was famously criticized by author Chinua Achebe for the racist use of Africans as objects and setting rather than as characters) by claiming that the book should be read for craft, not race. Around the same time, another famous white writer gave a public talk in a sombrero about the freedom to appropriate. Thomas King, on the contrary, respects the shared responsibility of storytelling and warns us that to tell a story one way can “cure,” while to tell it another can injure.

Craft is never neutral. Craft is the cure or injury that can be done in our shared world when it isn’t acknowledged that there are different ways that world is felt.

8. Since craft is always about expectations, two questions to ask are: Whose expectations? and Who is free to break them?

Audre Lorde again: “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.”

Lorde presents a difficult problem for people who understand that freedom is never general but always freedom for someone : how to free oneself from oppression while using the language of one’s oppressors? This is a problem Lorde perhaps never fully “solved.” Maybe it has no solution, but it can’t be dismissed. When we are first handed craft, we are handed the master’s tools. We are told we must learn the rules before we can dismantle them. We build the master’s house, and then we look to build houses of our own, but we are given no new tools. We must find them or we must work around the tools we have.

To wield craft is always to wield a tool that already exists. Author Trinh Minh-ha writes that even the expectation of “clarity” is an expectation of what is “correct” and/or “official” language. Clear to whom? Take round and flat characters. In Toward the Decolonization of African Literature , authors Chinweizu, Onwuchekwa Jemie, and Ihechukwu Madubuike complain that African literature is unfairly criticized by Western critics as lacking round characters. E. M. Forster’s original definition of roundness is “capable of surprising in a convincing way.” Chinweizu et al. point out that this definition is clear evidence that roundness comes not from the author’s words but from the audience’s reading. One reader from one background might be convincingly surprised while another reader from another background might be unsurprised and/or unconvinced by the same character.

Whom are we writing for?

9. Expectations belong to an audience. To use craft is to engage with an audience’s bias. Like freedom, craft is always craft for someone . Whose expectations does a writer prioritize? Craft says something about who deserves their story told. Who has agency and who does not. What is worthy of action and what description. Whose bodies are on display. Who changes and who stays the same. Who controls time. Whose world it is. Who holds meaning and who gives it.

Nobel Prize–winning author Toni Morrison suggests in Playing in the Dark that the craft of American fiction is to use Black people and images and culture as symbols, as tools. In other words, the craft of American fiction is the tool that names who the master is. To signify light as good, as we are taught to do from our first children’s stories, is to signify darkness as bad—and in this country lightness and darkness will always be tied to a racialized history of which people are people and which people are tools. To engage in craft is always to engage in a hierarchy of symbolization (and to not recognize a hierarchy is to hide it). Who can use that hierarchy, those tools? Not I, says Morrison. And so she sets off to find other craft.

10. In his book The Art of the Novel , Czech author Milan Kundera rejects psychological realism as the tradition of the European novel. He offers an alternate history that begins with Don Quixote and goes through Franz Kafka. He offers this history in order to make a claim about craft, because he knows that craft must come from somewhere. Contrary to psychological realism’s focus on individual agency, Kundera’s alternate craft says that the main cause of action in a novel is the world’s “naked” force.

Kundera wants to decenter internal causation (character-driven plot) and (re)center external causation (such as an earthquake or fascism or God). He insists that psychological realism is no “realer” than the bureaucratic world Kafka presents in which individuals have little or no agency and everything is a function of the system. (This is also a claim about how to read history.) Only our expectations of what realism is/should be make us classify one type of fiction (which by definition is not “real”) as realer than another. Any novel, for Kundera, is about a possible way of “being in the world,” and Kafka’s bureaucracy came true in the Czech Republic in a way that individual agency did not.

Another advocate of Kafka’s brand of “realism” is the author Julio Cortázar. Cortázar is usually considered a fabulist or magical realist. Yet in a series of lectures collected in Literature Class , he categorizes his own and other “fantastic” stories as simply more inclusive realities. He uses his story “The Island at Noon” as an example, in which a character dives into the ocean to save a drowning man, only to find that the man is himself. The story ends with a fisherman walking onto the beach we have just seen, alone “as always.” The swimmer and the drowner were never there. Cortázar says this story represents a real experience of time in which, like a daydream, it becomes impossible to tell what is real and what is not. Time, fate, magic—these are forces beyond human agency that to Cortázar allow literature to “make reality more real.”

In Toward the Decolonization of African Literature , Chinweizu et al. encourage African writers to remember African traditions of storytelling. They identify four conventions from a tradition of incoporating the fantastic into everyday life: (1) spirit beings have a non-human trait that gives them away, such as floating; (2) if a human visits the spiritland, it involves a dangerous border-crossing; (3) spirits have agency and can possess humans; and (4) spirits are not subject to human concepts of time and space.

Craft tells us how to see the world.

11. The Iowa Writers’ Workshop established craft’s current focus on style and form, writes Eric Bennett, a focus which also conveniently served four related agendas: (1) it overthrew the domination of totalitarian manipulation (if Soviet) or commercial manipulation (if American) by being irreducibly individualistic; (2) it facilitated the creation of an ideologically informed canon [of dead white men] on ostensibly apolitical grounds; (3) it provided a modernist means to make literature feel transcendent for the ages [rather than tied to time and place]; and (4) it gave reading and writing a new semblance of difficulty, a pitch of rigor appropriate for the college or graduate school classroom.

In other words, it made literature easy to fundraise for, and easy to teach.

12. We have come to teach plot as a string of causation in which the protagonist’s desires move the action forward. The craft of fiction has come to adopt the terms of Freytag’s triangle, which were meant to apply to drama, and of Aristotle’s poetics, which were meant to apply to Greek tragedy. Exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, denouement. But to think of plot and story shape in this way is cultural and represents the dominance of a specific cultural tradition.

In contrast, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese stories have developed from a four-act, rather than a three- or five-act structure: in Japanese it is called kishotenketsu (ki: introduction; sho: development; ten: twist; ketsu: reconciliation). Western fiction can often be boiled down to A wants B and C gets in the way of it. I draw this shape for my students

Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses

This kind of story shape is inherently conflict-based, perhaps also inherently male (as author Jane Alison puts it: “Something that swells and tautens until climax, then collapses? Bit masculo-sexual, no?”). In East Asian fiction, the twist (ten) is not confrontation but surprise, something that reconfigures what its audience thinks the story is “about.” For example, a man puts up a flyer of a missing dog, he hands out flyers to everyone on the street, a woman appears and asks whether her dog has been found, they look for the dog together. The change in this kind of story is in the audience’s understanding or attention rather than what happens. Like African storytellers, Asian storytellers are often criticized for what basically amounts to addressing a different audience’s different expectations—Asian fiction gets labeled “undramatic” or “plotless” by Western critics.

The Greek tragedians were likewise criticized by Aristotle. In his Poetics , Aristotle does not just put forward an early version of Western craft (one closely tied to his philosophical project of the individual) but also puts down many of his contemporaries, tragedians for whom action is driven by the interference of the gods (in the form of coincidence) rather than from a character’s internal struggle. It is from Aristotle that Westerners get the cultural distaste for deus ex machina , which was more like the fashion of his time. Aristotle’s dissent went forward as the norm.

13. Craft, like the self, is made by culture and reflects culture, and can develop to resist and reshape culture if it is sufficiently examined and enough work is done to unmake expectations and replace them with new ones. (As Aristotle did by writing the first craft book.)

We are constantly telling stories—about who we are, about every person we see, hear, hear about—and when we don’t know something, we fill in the gaps with parts of stories we’ve told or heard before. Stories are always only representations. To tell a story about a person based on her clothes, or the color of her skin, or the way she talks, or her body—is to subject her to a set of cultural expectations. In the same way, to tell a story based on a character-driven plot or a moment of epiphany or a three-act structure leading to a character’s change is to subject story to cultural expectations. To wield craft morally is not to pretend that those expectations can be met innocently or artfully without ideology, but to engage with the problems ideology presents and creates.

In my research for this book, I found various authors (mostly foreign) asking how it is that we have forgotten that character is made up, that it isn’t real or universal. Kundera points out that we have bought unreflexively into conventions that say (a) that a writer should give the maximum information about a character’s looks and speech, (b) that backstory contains motivation, and (c) that writers somehow do not have control over their characters. Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, in The Naive and Sentimental Novelist , complains that creative writing programs make it seem as if characters are autonomous beings who have their own voices, when in fact character is a “historical construct . . . we choose to believe in.” To Pamuk, a character isn’t even formed by an individual personality but by the particular situation and context the author needs her for. When it’s all made up, he suggests, character is more nurture than nature. If fiction encourages a certain way that a character should be understood or read, then of course this way must influence and be influenced by the way we understand and read each other.

14. To really engage with craft is to engage with how we know each other. Craft is inseparable from identity. Craft does not exist outside of society, outside of culture, outside of power. In the world we live in, and write in, craft must reckon with the implications of our expectations for what stories should be—with, as Lorde says, what our ideas really mean.

15. Consider the example of the Chinese literary tradition, which we will get to later in the book. Western critics have generally called traditional Chinese fiction formless. Yet Chinese critic Zheng Zhenduo, who studies the Chinese novel’s historical trajectory, says one characteristic of Chinese fiction is that it is “water-tight,” by which he means that it is structurally sound. They are describing the same fiction but different expectations.

While Western narrative comes from romantic and epic tradition, Chinese narrative comes from a tradition of gossip and street talk. Chinese fiction has always challenged historical record and accepted versions of “reality.” Western storytelling developed from a tradition of oral performances meant to recount heroic deeds for an audience of the ruling class. Like Thomas King, author Ming Dong Gu, in his book Chinese Theories of Fiction , describes writing as something more like “transmission” than like “creation.” More collective and less individual.

16. Chinese American author Gish Jen claims in Tiger Writing that her fiction combines Western and Eastern craft. She makes a case for an Asian American storytelling that mixes the “independent” and “interdependent” self: the individual speaker vs. the collective speaker, internal agency vs. external agency.

The difficulty for Jen in her fiction was not in finding it a Western audience but in representing her Chinese values. As Jen writes, “existing schema are powerful.” Growing up with American and European fiction, she struggled to represent her culture and self. The kind of agency a Western protagonist has was compelling to her—she describes it almost as a seduction—being so different from her family life. Tiger Writing actually begins with Jen analyzing her father’s memoir, which is mostly family history and only gets around to himself in the final third. The suggestion is that family history, the ancestral home, their immigration to America, is exactly what defines her father, rather than any individual characteristic. Jen compares the memoir to a Chinese teapot, which unlike an American teapot is worth much more used than new, prized for how many teas have already been made in it, so that the flavor of a new tea mixes with the flavors before it.

17. “Know your audience” is craft. Language has meaning because it has meaning for someone . Meaning and audience do not exist without one another. A word spoken to no one, not even the self, has no meaning because it has no one to hear it. It has no purpose.

Chinweizu, Jemie, and Madubuike employ the metaphor of an artist’s sketch. Responding to Western critics who claim African fiction has too little description and weak characterization, they compare the relationship between craft and expectation to the relationship between a sketch and its evocation of a picture. “It perhaps needs to be stressed that the adequacy of a sketch depends upon its purpose, its context, and also upon what its beholders accept as normal or proper.” In other words, “the writer’s primary audience” may find the sketch enough to evoke the picture even if the European audience cannot. It shouldn’t be the writer’s concern to satisfy an audience who is not hers.

African fiction is written for Africans—what is easier to understand than that? Not that other people can’t read it, but, as Chinweizu et al. tell us, it might take “time and effort and a sloughing off of their racist superiority complexes and imperialist arrogance” to appreciate it.

When the Thousand and One Nights is translated into English, translators often cut stories. The Nights is a story about storytelling, full of framed narratives, stories within stories within stories. Like Chinese fiction, it is often accused of the opposite sins of African fiction—of having too many digressions and extraneous parts. Part of the necessity of abridgment is that the Nights is extremely long, and part is that different versions of the Nights include different groups of stories—it might be impossible to include every story or to know what a complete version of the Nights would even look like, as every telling is a retelling—but stories that get cut out as extraneous are never actually pointless. Author Ulrich Marzolph argues convincingly that repetition of similar stories and themes and motifs is not a failure of craft but “a highly effective narrative technique for linking new and unknown tales to a web of tradition the audience shares.” Children learn the most from stories they already know.

Similar abridgments occur in translations of traditional Chinese fiction. Again, these are often cases of translators misrepresenting the audience. In Chinese fiction, repetitions and digressions like those in the Nights are called “Casual Touches” and are a sign of mastery. According to author Jianan Qian, it takes a very good writer to be able to add “seemingly unrelated details . . . here and there effortlessly to stretch and strengthen a story’s meanings.” What is considered “good writing” is a matter of who is reading it.

18. There are many crafts, and one way the teaching of craft fails is to teach craft as if it is one.

19. Author Jennifer Riddle Harding writes about what she calls “masked narrative” in African American fiction, in which Black authors wrote to two audiences at the same time : a white audience they needed in order to have a career and a Black audience who would be able to understand a second, “hidden” meaning through context clues that rely on cultural knowledge. As an example, Harding analyzes a story by Charles W. Chesnutt about a white-presenting woman who wants to know who her mother is, and a Black caretaker who allows the woman to think her mother was white—though a Black audience would realize that the caretaker is the actual mother.

Different expectations guide different readings. “The black story had to look like a white story,” writes the author Raymond Hedin, while also speaking to a Black audience via the same words.

In other words, the plot of external causation that Kundera would like to return to never disappeared; it was simply underground. In America, coincidence and fate have long been the domain of storytellers of color, for whom the “naked” force of the world is an everyday experience. In the tradition of African American fiction, for example, coincidence plots and reunion plots are normal. People of color often need coincidence in order to reunite with their kin.

20. Adoptee stories also frequently feature coincidence and reunion. Maybe that is why I am drawn to external causation, to alternative traditions, to non-Western story shapes. Like Jen, I grew up with fiction that wasn’t written for me. My desire to write was probably a desire to give myself the agency I didn’t have in life. To give my desires the power of plot.

Cortázar calls plot, that string of causation, an inherent danger to the realistic story. “Reality is multiple and infinite,” he writes, and to organize it by cause and effect is to reduce it to a “slice.” Plot is always a departure from reality, a symbol of reality. But the power of stories is that we can mistake the symbolic for the real.

21. In Maps of the Imagination , author Peter Turchi writes about invisible conventions such as organizing prose in paragraphs, capitalizing the first letter of a sentence, assuming that the fictional narrator is not the author. These conventions become visible when they are broken. To identify them (these are tools: whose tools are these?) is the first step toward making craft conscious. Craft that pretends it does not exist is the craft of conformity or, worse, complicity.

22. Here is a convention up for debate, one in the process of becoming visible : in an essay on the pathetic fallacy, author Charles Baxter argues that setting in literary realist fiction should less often reflect the protagonist’s inner state. Baxter has seen too much rain when the hero is sad, too many sad barns when the hero has lost a child (as in the famous John Gardner prompt). In reality, rain is not contingent on emotion and objects do not change their appearances to fit people’s moods. (The Gardner prompt, to describe a barn from the perspective of a grieving father, is more about what a person in a certain mood would notice —but the point holds.) Baxter thinks realism should do more to resist story conventions and accurately represent reality.

Yet on screen, the pathetic fallacy seems widely accepted (especially if there is no voiceover to provide a character’s thoughts), and student fiction seems more and more influenced by film expectations than prose expectations.

For a few months, I read almost exclusively fiction by a trio of Japanese writers, Haruki Murakami, Yoko Ogawa, and Banana Yoshimoto. Each seems to offer a world that is very shaped by the interiority of the protagonist. In Murakami’s work, it’s a fair critique to complain that female characters seem to be who they are because the male protagonists want them to be so. In Yoshimoto’s work, characters often seem created solely for their effect on the protagonist: a psychic gives the protagonist a crucial warning, or a dying character shows the protagonist how to live. In Ogawa’s work, settings and even mathematical equations represent emotion. There are foils and mirrors and examples of how to act and how not to act and sexual fantasies and supernatural guides and exactly the right wrong partner. In truth, these worlds that seem half the protagonist’s imagination give great pleasure. There is a kind of structural pleasure that comes from seeing the pathetic fallacy played out on a grand scale. It’s not the pleasure of reality, but of what we sometimes feel reality to be, a way of being in the world.

23. Why, when the protagonist faces the world, does she need to win, lose, or draw? This is a Western idea of conflict. What if she understands herself as a part of that world, that world as a part of herself? What if she simply continues to live?

24. In Tiger Writing , Gish Jen cites a study in which whites and Asians are asked to identify how many separate events there are in a specific passage of text. Whites identify more events, because they see each individual action, such as “come back upstairs” and “take a shower,” which appear in the same sentence, as separate events—while Asians do not. Jen writes that the American novel tends to separate time into events and to see those events as progression, as development—a phenomenon she calls “episodic specificity.” At first, she believed herself to be culturally disadvantaged, as a writer, but then she found Kundera and his idea of the novel as existential rather than a vehicle for plot.

In “Characteristics of Negro Expression,” author Zora Neale Hurston identifies characteristics of African American storytelling, such as adornment, double descriptions, angularity and asymmetry, and dialect. All are things often edited out of workshop stories in the name of craft. Hurston identifies them in order to legitimize them. Craft is in the habit of making and maintaining taboos.

25. The considerations here are not only aesthetic. To consider what forces have shaped what we think of as psychological realism is to consider what forces have shaped what we think of as reality, and to consider what forces have shaped what we think of as pleasurable, as entertaining, as enlightening, in life.

Realism insists on one representation of what is real. Not only through what is narrated on the page, but through the shape that narration takes.

Craft is support for a certain worldview.

If it is true that drafts become more and more conscious, more and more based on decisions and less and less on “intuition,” then revision is where we can take heart. Revision is the craft through which a writer is able to say and shape who they are and what kind of world they live in. Revision must also be the revision of craft. To be a writer is to wield and to be wielded by culture. There is no story separate from that. To better understand one’s culture and audience is to better understand how to write.

__________________________________

Matthew Salesses

Previous article, next article.

RSS - Posts

Literary Hub

Created by Grove Atlantic and Electric Literature

How to Pitch Lit Hub

Advertisers: Contact Us

Support Lit Hub - Become A Member

Become a Lit Hub Supporting Member : Because Books Matter

For the past decade, Literary Hub has brought you the best of the book world for free—no paywall. But our future relies on you. In return for a donation, you’ll get an ad-free reading experience , exclusive editors’ picks, book giveaways, and our coveted Joan Didion Lit Hub tote bag . Most importantly, you’ll keep independent book coverage alive and thriving on the internet.

Become a member for as low as $5/month

The Essay as Bouquet

"Hermit crab" essays can take many forms, both natural and not

Ambrose Bierce, the American editorialist and journalist, wrote in his 1909 craft book, Write It Right , that “good writing” is “clear thinking made visible,” an idea that has been repeated and adapted by countless writers over the past century. My own addition would be to add that the act of lyric essay writing not only makes thoughts visible but also institutes order and layers meaning when it is not always immediately apparent. And although ideas may begin free-form or as stream of consciousness, on the page or screen, we make the jump from internal to external. We craft them into a form, whether chronological or otherwise. One such approach to form is the “hermit crab” essay, so named by Brenda Miller and Suzanne Paola in their craft book Tell It Slant . Miller later defined it in an article for Brevity as “adopt[ing] already existing forms as the container for the writing at hand, such as the essay in the form of a ‘to-do’ list, or a field guide, or a recipe.” This approach creates meaning by juxtaposing the personal story with its imposed “container,” allowing the more traditional narrative to be in conversation with our personal, cultural, and/or scientific assumptions and understandings of the chosen form.

“Hermit crabs,” Miller explains, “are creatures born without their own shells to protect them; they need to find empty shells to inhabit (or sometimes not so empty; in the years since I’ve begun using the hermit crab as my metaphor, I’ve learned they can be quite vicious, evicting the shell’s rightful inhabitant by force).” Ironically, however, most containers that writers find are of the nonorganic variety: a shopping list, a course syllabus—not unlike the hermit crab who makes its home inside a bottle cap. Here, we will look at a few examples that do employ natural forms as a container, encouraging a conversation between the human-made and the natural world.

Chelsea Biondolillo’s “On Shells” from Essay Daily is, at first glance, a fragmented essay that alternates between the narratives of the author learning to beachcomb as a child, the author becoming a writer and teacher, and the background on shell collectors. At first, it appears the essay resists form when our author implies she didn’t initially embrace the imposed form of a hermit crab essay because it felt contrived. But as we move through the essay, the fragments take on their own form: that of shell collecting and of nature itself. Biondolillo tells us at the end that she has learned that writing “practice is inefficient by design. Collect as many tools and forms and voices and structures as you can so that you are as well-equipped as possible when you sit down to work.” So is beachcombing a practice of collecting the best of random bits, your own practice of creating order. She says she has learned not to be as “worried about the prize at the end of the page” as she once was; every essay we read and write will have a literal end, but there will also never be an end. The essay is about the journey, the collection of random bits, and what the resulting collection means when the pieces are looked at as a whole. And so Biondolillo’s imposed form as an act of shell collecting, reinforced by the small pictures of shells on the page between each fragment, helps illustrate that while nature can be random, as we find meaning in nature, so we also find that this randomness can—and does—forge its own form.

Yet one may also rightfully argue that nature is not entirely random, but has developed clear and consistent taxonomies, cycles, and behaviors. In Jennifer Lunden’s “The Butterfly Effect” (first published in this magazine), we learn about the life cycle of butterflies in a series of encyclopedia-like entries that also serve as the form to tell the story of the author’s own connection to butterflies, beginning in adolescence. Yet, in the early sections, like “Metamorphosis,” “Migration,” and “Habitat,” we learn as much about how these terms apply to our author’s own life as to the butterflies she is traveling, in this essay, to see.

And then our narrative—and our encyclopedic structure—spins outward. We learn about “The Butterfly Lady,” who found healing amongst the butterflies in California. The threads of these three parallel stories—the author’s, the Butterfly Lady’s, and that of the butterflies themselves—woven together form a single whole, a container. Is the container the form of the scientific encyclopedia entry? If so, we can reflect on what this says about humans imposing form on nature; after all, it is we who insist on categorization, on creating a narrative out of the sometimes disparate layers of a natural phenomenon. Or is our container the cocoon that is spun outward, protecting the chrysalis as it transforms? I would argue it is both: our encyclopedia headers look outward to “Monsanto” and “Global Warming,” and how these affect the environment not only of the butterfly but also of the author, and, in fact, of all humans. This form—or, one might argue, this dual form—reflects human imposition on nature as well as the inverse: how we define nature, yes, but also how our decisions affect it. The repetition of the headers “Migration” and “Habitat” also creates a cyclical movement often at odds with human written narration, though it is frequently seen in nature: in seasons, metamorphosis, life and death. As these threads diverge and converge, we also see wildness and humanity doing the same, ending with our word for a natural occurrence—susurrus—which would exist whether humans witnessed and named it or not.

Finally, Julie Marie Wade’s “Bouquet,” originally published in Third Coast and reprinted in her book Wishbone: A Memoir in Fractures , is itself a bouquet that pairs the name, horticultural descriptions, growing tendencies, and cultural relevance of different kinds of flowers with scenes or reflections. The personal reflects the natural, both through the flowers’ innate tendencies and the symbolism culture imposes on them. For example, a brief explanation of why the long-lasting cornflower is known as “bachelor’s button” is paired with the story of a relationship as well as Wade’s struggle to accept her own sexual identity. What makes the bouquet an appropriate container is the interplay of the natural characteristics of each flower—those that humans cannot control—with the cultural import we have given many of these flowers, as well as the symbolism of the bouquet as an object. The bouquet is a human form made of nature—a collection of (in this case) disparate flowers, cut and contained and most often given as a gesture of love. A bouquet, too, is a sum of its parts. Each flower can and does exist on its own in the wild, but in relation to others in our human-made form, each plays a particular role. Here is the author’s literary bouquet: a collection of the personal blooms that make up the story she is telling—a bouquet the reader believes, by the end of reading, to be a gift to her beloved. As in both Biondolillo’s and Lunden’s essays, there is always the tension of seeing a natural form in its native habitat—a shell, a butterfly, a flower—and the human manipulation of it.

Can we ever not see nature through the lens of our humanness?

As I began my own investigation into nature-influenced hermit crab essays, I thought I would find numerous essays that used the infinite unblemished forms found in our natural world as a perfect metaphor and container for our very human and imperfect stories. But I found it challenging to unearth many examples of nature-as-form, and those I did find built upon the interplay of the natural world and human influence. Perhaps this only makes sense: can we ever not see nature through the lens of our humanness, especially as we strive to use it as a container to help make sense of our own stories and experiences?

Perhaps Biondolillo best expresses the essence of what a hermit crab essay is: “Acuity to see the unbroken curve of aperture against all of the chips and shards the sea has thrown up, to see the unblemished whorl, the striations in deep relief among the smooth nubs of wood, the distracting pebbles of glass, the wet strings and sheets of seaweed, already rotting in the first light of morning.” At first reading, I interpreted this to be an appreciation of nature and an effort to emulate its “unbroken curve” and “unblemished whorl” in one’s writing. But maybe that’s not the whole story. The hermit crab essay as inspired by nature can be formed from the broken “chips and shards” and the “distracting pebbles of glass.” Are these imperfect bits manmade or from nature? And does it matter? They are all part of the world in which we live: nature influenced by humans and humans inspired by nature—and all of us if not rotting, then certainly evolving in each new morning’s light.

JAVASCRIPT IS DISABLED. Please enable JavaScript on your browser to best view this site.

Issue 45 March 2024
Issue 44 December 2023
Issue 43 September 2023
Issue 42 June 2023
Issue 41 March 2023
UPCOMING CLASSES
Cleaver Clinics
Writing Tips
Book Reviews
Craft Essays
Emerging Artists
Philadelphia Artists
Opportunities
Submittable Portal
How to Submit or Suggest Book Reviews
How to Submit Craft Essays

Cleaver Magazine

Fresh-cut lit & art.

HARNESSING WILDNESS: THE PRACTICE OF POETIC LEAPS , a Craft Essay by Kari Ann Ebert

Kari ann ebert harnessing wildness: the practice of poetic leaps.

To avoid stagnation and cliché, one of the tools in a poet’s arsenal is to conjure associations that bring energy to the poem and add complex layers. These associations can show themselves as metaphors, changes of perspective, or wild unfettered leaps. Carl Phillips identifies associative poetry as, “poetry that works almost entirely by means of association— no connecting narrative pieces, often no syntactical connection, poetry that is characterized by leaps not just from stanza to stanza, but from one image to the next in ways that do not immediately make sense…”

Robert Frost’s adage, “No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader” is so familiar that we often lose its urgency, but without something fresh and new, why even read poetry? If we’re regurgitating the same form, the same imagery, the same metaphors, why even attempt to write a poem? A disruption is needed to engage the reader (and the writer) when we find ourselves falling into a familiar or even formulaic pattern. Christopher Salerno challenges us to startle and be startled: “I really want to read (and write) poetry that has the ability to startle—startle by getting beyond the automatism of commercial and habitual and unconscious language.” One of the ways we can accomplish this is through associative leaps, and often these leaps are wildly unexpected.

Take, for example, the first eight lines of Salerno’s poem “ Wild Lemons ”:

We wake like bees and peel a lemon. Then there is a glowing. Do you want to eat it wedge by wedge? Pull the pith off, keep the seeds. Lift a blue crayon, ring each other’s mouths in blue. We all live under a rule— a lemon law for what’s beyond repair:

Right away in the first line, there’s a small jump: “We wake like bees and peel a lemon.” We don’t associate bees with lemons, but a link exists perhaps in the yellow of the honey/lemon or the singularity of honey/lemon tastes. Another link exists between “wedge by wedge” and the segmented honeycombs made by bees. Those two associations work to store up a bit of kinetic energy leading to a larger, wilder leap. In the lines “Lift a blue crayon, ring / each other’s mouths in blue” the reader is propelled into the speaker’s / lover’s bodies and emotions. We’re startled by the blue crayon, drawn into a closeup of their mouths. Up until this moment, we had no hint of a blue crayon popping up in this bee and lemon poem. Perhaps we could make a connection because crayons are made from wax, and honeybees produce wax. But that’s just in retrospect. This leap is highly unexpected. Its appearance is unsettling almost wild, but it sets the emotional tone. Blue connotes sadness, and the lovers are coloring each other’s mouths blue. They are together in (perhaps) despair. I can’t help but think of what blue mouths could mean: freezing, oxygen-deprived. The image feels deadly, but the action of ringing “each other’s mouths in blue” vibrates sexual energy. Salerno then makes another leap to this idea of “a lemon law for what’s beyond repair.” This seems to be the crux of the poem, a statement of what is at stake for the lovers and their world. Is there some sort of restitution when things are doomed from the start? From there the poem leaps from wallet pictures to Reader’s Digest to dreams of dead souls to a hunger developing. Finally, the poem ends focused on the lover’s body, and we’re left to wonder if the lemon law will be revoked or if it will be upheld.

Another example, Kaveh Akbar’s poem “Portrait of the Alcoholic Floating in Space with Severed Umbilicus” , builds up the energy of leaps even in the title. Three seemingly unrelated images are presented. Akbar woos us with our own curiosity. How could we not read on? He continues the leaping as the poem weaves in and out of sensory moments, childhood memories, observations of the natural world, and the speaker’s perspective from space. It’s a dizzying mélange of moments propelling the poem more and more feverishly toward the ending lines referring to the speaker’s brother “I wish / he were here now / he could be here this cave / is big enough for everyone / look at all the diamonds.” The wild leaps leading up to it make the ending sing as it circles back to the title. The energy generated gives this poem a distinctive sense of movement and also pulls it away from the ordinary and banal.

We could look at so many examples of this in poems that excite and intrigue us, but how can we infuse our own poetry with leaping energy? Robert Bly gives us a hint where it originates: “a leap from the known part of the mind to the unknown part and back to the known.” ( Leaping Poetry: an Idea with Poems and Translations) . But how do we initiate our own mind-leaping? In his essay “ Leaps of Faith ,” Gerry LaFemina gives this advice, “when writing we have to return to a sense of play, to a sense of possibility, to a sense of exploration.” It seems we must strip away our rigid idea of how a poem acts and somehow ignite the hidden parts of ourselves.

One way to fire up the subconscious is by adding variety and surprise to your poetry practice. Carolyn Forché compiles notebooks full of lists, images, and notes. She calls these “gleanings from the world” that may ultimately become “repositories” housing parts of a future poem inside. Mary Ruefle has transformed over 92 18th century books into full volumes of erasure poetry. Even though she doesn’t have a writing ritual or practice before she sits down to write, these books are her artistic fuel. In an interview with Lauren Mallett she said: “So I do have a daily ritual, that is my life as an artist, and it’s making these erasures” ( Sycamore Review ). Surely this practice infiltrates her consciousness and brews up surprising associations and ideas when she sits down to write. In my own poetic practice, I make myself write without stopping for at least 15 minutes. Sometimes it’s lists, sometimes stream of consciousness nonsense, sometimes I pick a rhythm and write phrases with rhyming words that fit that rhythm. In this case, it doesn’t matter if I produce anything with meaning. It’s all about the rhythm and sound of the words. I may never use any of this writing, but in these ways, I prime the pump of my subconscious.

A wilder approach comes from poet C.A. Conrad who developed a ritual-based practice called (soma)tic writing which is a fully immersive experience of the present, whereby the poet investigates and applies sustained concentration on any “thing” and the sensations of the body while taking detailed notes. The poems are brought to fruition through these very specific rituals. For example, one of Conrad’s exercises they have given to students is as follows: “The possibilities of the fridge and freezer are endless. You could hold an empty drinking glass against the side of it and study the sound of its motor. Use a magnifying glass to examine the exterior and interior in ways you had never done before. Use binoculars to sit across the room to look at it very carefully while far away. Close your eyes and smell the inside. With your eyes closed feel the contents, taste them. Take notes throughout the process of a daily exploration of the refrigerator.” More of their (soma)tic poetry exercises can be found here: http://writing.upenn.edu/~taransky/somatic-exercises.pdf

Finally, revision presents ample opportunity to look for moments that lack energy. This is the very ground upon which we can propel the poem through a startling leap. In a Dodge Poetry Festival craft talk, Carolyn Forché advised poets to “Read every word, every line. Interrogate them.” She says that every line, stanza, and final ending should lift off into “implication not explanation.” Two revision techniques she uses are to cut apart the poem into strips of each line, then rearrange them and try to rewrite a “finished” poem from memory. Tyehimba Jess reads his poems backwards to see if he should rearrange the flow.

Whatever the approach, the craft of creating startling poetry through wild leaps is really a practice in experimentation. With a little imagination and willingness to reject stiff formulaic patterns, we can write poems that bring our readers (and ourselves) great joy. In the words of Robert Bly, “The real joy of poetry is to experience this leaping inside a poem.”

Read more from Cleaver Magazine’s Craft Essays .

Comments are closed.

Craft Essays
Teaching Resources

The Shared Space Between Reader and Writer: A Case Study

Brenda Miller

I often teach classes on the form of the “hermit crab” essay, a term Suzanne Paola and I used in our textbook Tell It Slant . Hermit crab essays adopt already existing forms as the container for the writing at hand, such as the essay in the form of a “to-do” list, or a field guide, or a recipe. Hermit crabs are creatures born without their own shells to protect them; they need to find empty shells to inhabit (or sometimes not so empty; in the years since I’ve begun using the hermit crab as my metaphor, I’ve learned that they can be quite vicious, evicting the shell’s rightful inhabitant by force).

When I teach the hermit crab essay class, we begin by brainstorming the many different forms that exist for us to plunder for our own purposes. Once we have such a list scribbled on the board, I ask the students to choose one form at random and see what kind of content that form suggests. This is the essential move: allowing form to dictate content. By doing so, we get out of our own way; we bypass what our intellectual minds have already determined as “our story” and instead become open and available to unexpected images, themes and memories. Also, following the dictates of form gives us creative nonfiction writers a chance to practice using our imaginations, filling in details, and playing with the content to see what kind of effects we can create.

I’ve taught the hermit crab class many, many times over the years, in many different venues. So, often it’s tempting for me to sit out the exercise; after all, what else could I possibly learn? But after just a minute, it becomes too boring to watch other people write, so I dive in myself, with no expectation that I’ll write anything “good.” In one class, I glanced at the board we had filled with dozens of forms. And my eye landed on “rejection notes.” So that is where I began:

April 12, 1970

Dear Young Artist:

Thank you for your attempt to draw a tree. We appreciate your efforts, especially the way you sat patiently on the sidewalk, gazing at that tree for an hour before setting pen to paper, the many quick strokes of charcoal executed with enthusiasm. But your drawing looks nothing like a tree. In fact, the smudges look like nothing at all, and your own pleasure and pride in said drawing are not enough to redeem it. We are pleased to offer you remedial training in the arts, but we cannot accept your “drawing” for display.

With regret and best wishes,

The Art Class

Andasol Avenue Elementary School

Well, once one gets on the subject of rejection, you can imagine how the material simply flows through one’s fingertips. And I’m not really thinking about the content at all; I’m engaged in honing the voice of the rejection note, creating a persona on the page that can “speak back” to me, in a humorous way, all that had gone unspoken in real life. I’m having an immensely good time.

Here’s one that comes early on in the essay:

October 13, 1975

Dear 10 th Grader:

Thank you for your application to be a girlfriend to one of the star players on the championship basketball team. As you can imagine, we have received hundreds of similar requests and so cannot possibly respond personally to every one. We regret to inform you that you have not been chosen for one of the coveted positions, but we do invite you to continue hanging around the lockers, acting as if you belong there. This selfless act serves the team members as they practice the art of ignoring lovesick girls.

The Granada Hills Highlanders

P.S: Though your brother is one of the star players, we could not take this familial relationship into account. Sorry to say no! Please do try out for one of the rebound girlfriend positions in the future.

So I’m going along chronologically, calling up (and enhancing, exaggerating, manipulating) all the slights and hurts of an ordinary life. I’m having a marvelous time, because this voice is so detached it can say whatever it wants. I’m submitting to the voice of the essay, allowing the form to lead me where it will go.

And as I follow that voice, the notes begin to demand more room, wanting to break free of the concise form and allow for more in-depth story. Now that I’ve established the voice of the form, I can expand on that voice to create more variety and narrative. I can also broaden the concept of the rejection note in order to create sections that work for the subject matter. For example:

December 10, 1978

Dear College Dropout:

Thank you for the short time you spent with us. We understand that you have decided to terminate your stay, a decision that seems completely reasonable given the circumstances. After all, who knew that the semester you decided to come to UC Berkeley would be so tumultuous: that unsavory business with Jim Jones and his bay area followers, the mass suicide, an event that left us all reeling. After all, who among us has not mistakenly followed the wrong person, come close to swallowing poison?

And then Harvey Milk was shot. A blast reverberating across the bay. It truly did feel like the world was falling apart, we know that. We understand how you took refuge in the music of the Grateful Dead, dancing until you felt yourself leave your body behind, caught up in their brand of enlightenment. But you understand that’s only an illusion, right?

And given that you were a drama major, struggling on a campus well known for histrionics and unrest: well, it’s only understandable that you’d need some time to “find yourself.” You’re really too young to be in such a city on your own. When you had your exit interview with the Dean of Students, you were completely inarticulate about your reasons for leaving, perhaps because you really have no idea. You know there is a boy you might love, living in Santa Cruz. You fed him peanuts at a Dead Show. You imagine playing house with him, growing up there in the shadows of large trees.

But of course you couldn’t say that to the Dean, as he swiveled in his chair, so official in his gray suit. He clasped his hands on the oak desk and waited for you to explain yourself. His office looked out on the quad where you’d heard the Talking Heads playing just a week earlier. And just beyond that, the dorm where the gentleman you know as “pink cloud” provided you with LSD in order to experience more fully the secrets the Dead whispered in your ear. You told the Dean none of this, simply shrugged your shoulders and began to cry. At which point the Dean cleared his throat and wished you luck.

We regret to inform you that it will take quite a while before you grow up, and it will take some cataclysmic events of your own before you really begin to find the role that suits you. In any case, we wish you the best in all your future educational endeavors.

UC Berkeley Registrar

And then, as the years from my past go by, I find that the essay is leading me somewhere I didn’t expect. I actually pause and say to the essay, “we’re really going there?” and the essay says, of course we are! So, I find myself here:

October 26, 1979

Dear Potential Mom,

Thank you for providing a host home for us for the few weeks we stayed in residence. It was lovely but, in the end, didn’t quite work for us. While we tried to be unobtrusive in our exit, the narrowness of your fallopian tubes required some damage. Sorry about that. You were too young to have children anyway, you know that, right? And you know it wasn’t your fault, not really…Still, we enjoyed our brief stay in your body and wish you the best of luck in conceiving children in the future.

With gratitude,

Ira and Isabelle

So, as you can tell, the essay takes a turn there, or maybe “turn” is not the right word; it slows down and peers below the surface. It tells me this is where we were going all along. I’ve written about this material so many times in the past, that I didn’t feel I would ever return to it. But the essay demanded it, and who am I to question the ferocity of an essay in progress?

And this time I feel a kind of transformation happening, a new perspective, a moment of forgiveness. It’s odd to feel this in one’s writing, to feel so concretely that the essay is, indeed, in charge: speaking to you, telling you things you didn’t already know. And this happened solely because of the form. The form of the rejection note—though it began as a technical exercise—created an entirely new universe in which one’s personal narrative does not really belong to you. And because it doesn’t belong to you, it can create meanings—perhaps better meanings—than any you might have thought up on your own.

The essay, now titled “We Regret to Inform You” (what else could it be?), moves, as it must, as life does, quickly through this time period. It has created its own momentum and can’t stop now! The essay has also now provided me with a theme that can echo through the rest of the sections. For example:

June 30, 1999

Dear Applicant:

Thank you for your query about assuming the role of stepmother to two young girls. While we found much to admire in your résumé, we regret to inform you that we have decided not to fund the position this year. You did ask for feedback on your application, so we have the following to suggest:

You do not yet understand the delicate emotional dynamic that rules a divorced father’s relationship with his children. The children will always, always, come first, trumping any needs you, yourself, may have at the time. You will understand this in a few years, but for now you still require some apprenticeship training.
Though you have sacrificed time and energy to support this family, it’s become clear that your desire to stepmother stems from some deep-seated wound in yourself, a wound you are trying to heal by using these children. Children are intuitive, though they may not understand what they intuit. They have enough to deal with–an absent mother, a frazzled father–they don’t need your traumas entering the mix.
Seeing the movie “Stepmom” is not an actual tutorial on step-parenting.
On Mother’s Day, you should not expect flowers, gifts, or a thank you. You are not their mother.
You are still a little delusional about the true potential here for a long-term relationship. The father is not yet ready to commit, so soon after the rather messy divorce. (This should have been obvious to you when he refused to hold your hand, citing that it made him “claustrophobic.” Can you not take a hint?)

As we said, funding is the main criteria that led to our rejection of your offer. We hope this feedback is helpful, and we wish you the best in your future parenting endeavors.

Through several revisions of the draft—which included nearly twice as many letters as represented in the final version (as I said, once you get on the subject of rejection, you can really go on and on and on)—I honed the themes I saw rising in the essay through, or perhaps in spite of, the harsh voice of the rejection note. There was the ostensible theme of children or lack thereof, but more insistently there was the theme of how we find the roles one is suited to play in one’s life. So I kept the letters that had echoes of that theme and deleted the rest. I highlighted the theme through key words and phrases to create a fragmented piece that felt coherent and satisfying.

Throughout the process—both drafting and revising—I did not feel the emotional weight of any of the material. In fact, I was laughing most of the time, inordinately pleased with my cleverness. Humor naturally arises when we couple a detached voice with intimate stories, and since audiences are also usually laughing throughout the essay, the weight of that turn in the middle almost has more impact than if I had started with this material as the destination. And we get through it quickly. It’s one moment in a series of moments that accumulate to a greater end.

So, the essay gets published in The Sun, and I receive lots of responses, more than I’ve ever received for any essay in my life. I’ve written about a lot of personal material over the years, but this essay seems to have struck a deeper chord. And I think people are touched by “We Regret to Inform You” not because of the revelation of my personal “rejections,” but because I’ve used a form that invites readers into both my experience and their own. By being ensconced in a more objective form, the essay provides what I’ll call a “shared space” between reader and writer. We often wonder how to make our personal stories universal; well, perhaps it’s not a question of making our stories do anything. Maybe, instead, we simply need to provide common ground in the form of an object we use together. We sit down at the same table and the stories pass between us.

Brenda Miller directs the MFA in Creative Writing and the MA in English Studies at Western Washington University . She is the author of four essay collections, including Listening Against the Stone , Blessing of the Animals , and Season of the Body . She also co-authored Tell It Slant: Creating, Refining and Publishing Creative Nonfiction and The Pen and The Bell: Mindful Writing in a Busy World . Her work has received six Pushcart Prizes.

Miller’s Brevity craft essay is adapted from an August 2014 craft talk she presented at the Rainier Writing Workshop .

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

Click here to cancel reply.

Numéro Cinq

Character emotion in the short story: craft essay — walker griffy.

A clear representation of character emotion does not necessarily mean writing things like “Bob is sad.” Actually, “Bob is sad” can work just fine as a starting point. But we generally expect a text to go further, to let the reader know not only that Bob is sad, but how sad Bob is, why Bob is sad, and how that affects Bob and his place in that particular story. The examples I’ll be using in this essay will provide a better understanding of what techniques can be used to accomplish all of these tasks simultaneously.

Before looking at those examples, I want to clarify exactly what it is I’m talking about when I say “character emotion.” I’ll start with the most concrete definition of emotion from Merriam-Webster : “the affective state of consciousness.” When that is applied to the writing of character emotion in fiction, it means placing the reader within the character’s consciousness and explaining how a character’s emotional state affects his behavior. This allows a character to act in a rational or irrational way without confusing the reader; the motivation is not just coming from a place of logic and reason, but rather from a well-defined emotional state.

Techniques and Definitions

First, there is direct reporting. With the direct reporting technique, a narrator (first or third person) describes the way a character is feeling, or a character identifies his or her own emotions. Characters report their emotions in dialogue. Of course, dialogue reports are only as trustworthy as that character may be. When direct reports come from a narrator, the reader is left with a concrete understanding of what the described character is feeling. The example I used earlier of “Bob is sad” is a simple example of direct reporting. The reader knows what the character is feeling and applies that knowledge to any actions that follow.

In her story “Nettles,” Alice Munro employs a first-person narrator to explore the feelings and thoughts of a woman struggling with her definition of love. The story begins with a flashback to the narrator’s childhood and her first encounter with love as a young girl, which unwittingly set the standard for love that would last her whole life. The story then moves ahead to the narrator’s divorce and her finding her first love again after many years. The narrator uses the direct reporting technique to describe both her emotions as an innocent child experiencing love for the first time as well as an adult searching for a fulfilling relationship following a failed marriage.

Recalling the first love she felt for a traveling well-digger’s son, the narrator describes the relationship in adult terms, but makes clear how the emotions felt as a little girl: “We were like sturdy and accustomed sweethearts, whose bond needs not much outward expression. And for me at least that was solemn and thrilling.” Although she is looking back on her time with this boy, the narrator is directly telling the reader how she felt thrilled by the relationship, which then, in the following narrative, serves as a contrast to what she experiences with her husband as an adult. It is a powerful emotion because it is one she longs for long after she has grown up. The technique of direct reporting tells the reader exactly what the narrator’s motivation is.

The story goes on to describe her adult life after she’s left her first husband, and the narrator uses direct reporting to describe the emotions she feels for a lover in this passage:

We exchanged news—I made sure I had news—and we laughed, and went for walks in the ravine, but all I really wanted was to entice him to have sex with me, because I thought the high enthusiasm of sex fused people’s best selves. I was stupid about these matters, in a way that was very risky, particularly for a woman of my age. There were times when I would be so happy, after our encounters—dazzled and secure—and there were other times when I would lie stone-heavy with misgiving.

First, she describes scenes that took place with her lover and the conflicting experience of casual discussion while wanting sexual gratification. By the time the narrator gives a direct report of the emotions “happy” and “stone-heavy with misgiving,” the reader is already caught up in a well-defined, conflicted situation, so the clear statement of the narrator’s feelings helps to anchor the reader in that emotional state.

The second technique I’d like to discuss is the indirect reporting of character emotion. Indirect reporting is the technique of having the narrator or a character guess, judge, or intuit the emotion of another character based on an interpretation of actions or statements. The difference between direct and indirect reporting is that the emotion being expressed is interpreted; it is not presented as a factual emotional state, but rather a perceived one. With this technique, the narrator, or more commonly, another character comments on a character’s possible emotional state or motivation. This allows the reader to simultaneously see that emotion from an outside perspective and gain further insight into how the commenting character is seeing and processing those around him or her.

A good example of this technique is found in Andre Dubus’ story “The Winter Father,” where the protagonist is a divorced man learning to be a part-time father to his children who live with their mother. The story begins with the couple’s divorce and then follows the first few months of their separation, focusing on the father’s relationship with his own children with whom he no longer lives. The first time the man goes to pick up his children after moving out, he sees his ex-wife and makes the following observation: “Her eyes held him: the nest of pain was there, the shyness, the coiled anger; but there was another shimmer: she was taking a new marriage vow: This is the way we shall love our children now, watch how well I can do it.” This excerpt contains both indirect reporting of character emotion and thought. The third-person limited narrator is observing, interpreting, and reporting both emotion and thought that the father deduces from the expression on his wife’s face.

A third technique is character emotion depicted via physical manifestations. A writer represents a character’s emotion, say, sadness, in action, say, crying. When I first began studying this technique, I was looking for physical manifestations of emotion that stood on their own. And while those certainly do exist, I came to the conclusion that the most effective examples are often used in conjunction with direct reporting. This discovery had a particularly strong impact on me because I have found through personal experience as a learning writer that the emotion I believe I am clearly depicting with only physical manifestations is almost never clear to the reader. These exclusively physical manifestations, I’ve found, are almost always lacking in terms of revealing character emotion because they are just too subtle. The benefit of using the physical manifestation technique coupled with direct reporting is that it creates a visual to go along with the emotion being expressed.

I found a good example of this technique in Carson McCullers’ story “Sucker,” which is told from a teenage boy’s first-person perspective. The narrator tells the story of how his relationship with his younger brother Sucker blossoms and is then destroyed in tune with the narrator’s blossoming and then failing first romance. The story ends with the narrator lamenting the loss of a relationship with his brother following a frustrated outburst one night. This example uses direct reporting with a great amount of physical manifestation to show the younger brother’s reaction to an angry outburst from the narrator: “He sat in the middle of the bed, his eyes blinking and scared.” Here, the physical manifestation is given with a single-word of direct reporting: scared. However, that single word is enough to establish the young boy’s emotions and place the following passage into context for the reader, allowing the narrator to use exclusively physical language without sacrificing information:

Sucker’s mouth was part way open and he looked as though he’d knocked his funny bone. His face was white and sweat came out on his forehead. He wiped it away with the back of his hand and for a minute his arm stayed raised that way as though he was holding something away from him.

I’ve given these few short examples just to illustrate the techniques in practice. These were all stories I read early in my time as a graduate student at Vermont College of Fine Arts, and they stuck with me as some of my favorites. It was only in going back in my reading in preparation for this essay that I began to notice things that I had skimmed over while focusing on other craft aspects the first time around. Now I want to look at two more short stories that utilize all three techniques and set a great example for all writers to follow.

The first of the two stories I’d like to examine is “The Dead” by James Joyce. In this story, Joyce uses a third-person limited narrative in Gabriel Conroy’s point of view. The story follows the protagonist through a night of encounters at an annual celebration. Throughout the story, Gabriel has three different encounters with women that affect his mood and cause him to grow self-conscious before he can assert himself and move past it. As the story moves forward, each encounter grows in its respective influence on Gabriel’s mood. As the story progresses, so does the insight into Gabriel’s emotional state.

“The Dead” focuses on Gabriel’s relationship with women in his life, moving from the rather inconsequential (a maid at the party) to a female journalist, Miss Ivors, a colleague whom he respects, before ending with his wife. During the party, Gabriel’s conventional patriarchal social assumptions are exposed through successive conflicts with the three women. Most of the story action takes place during the party, but the significant action with his wife takes place after the couple returns to a hotel room for the night. Gabriel mistakes his wife’s moodiness for sexual passion then becomes angry when she doesn’t react to him. Suddenly, she begins telling him about a lover, Michael Furey, who died many years before, died of love, and Gabriel is left mourning the fact that he had never loved anyone, even his wife, the way this ex-lover had loved her.

After each plot event (with the maid, with the journalist), the narrative always returns to Gabriel’s internal state, and as such, his emotions are paramount to the tone and meaning of the entire piece. Each encounter makes him gloomy and self-conscious until he engages in various ritual behaviors such as focusing on his speech or making condescending jokes that help to discount the women and make him feel better. Only when he has the plot conflict scene with his wife does Gabriel find that his habitual practices do not work; he is unable to render the encounter insignificant. Finally he has to see himself and his wife as they really are.

I’d like to now look at some examples of the techniques I’ve already discussed asthey are used to represent the emotional aspect of “The Dead.” In the first scene, Gabriel makes a slightly off-color remark to one of the maids working at the party. To show Gabriel’s response to the maid’s retort, Joyce uses direct reporting of emotion:

He was still discomposed by the girl’s bitter and sudden retort. It had cast a gloom over him which he tried to dispel by arranging his cuffs and the bows of his tie. He then took from his waistcoat pocket a little paper and glanced at the heading he had made for his speech. He was undecided about the lines from Robert Browning, for he feared they would be above the heads of his hearers. Some quotation that they would recognize from Shakespeare or from the Melodies would be better. The indelicate clacking of the men’s heels and the shuffling of their soles reminded him that their grade of culture differed from his. He would only make himself ridiculous by quoting poetry to them which they could not understand. They would think that he was airing his superior education. He would fail with them just as he had failed with the girl in the pantry. He had taken up a wrong tone. His whole speech was a mistake from first to last, an utter failure.

This passage contains a great amount of information about Gabriel, and most of it is emotional. It begins with the direct reporting of his emotional state following the conflict with the maid: “He was still discomposed by the girl’s bitter and sudden retort.” The paragraph continues with another example of direct reporting: “It had cast a gloom over him which he tried to dispel.” This continuation of direct reporting by the narrator gives another emotion to Gabriel’s reaction to the incident. His thoughts, affected by the gloom cast over him, then turn to his upcoming speech, and the narrator continues to employ the direct reporting technique: “He was undecided about the lines from Robert Browning, for he feared they would be above the heads of his hearers.” Although the language in the passage then changes to express more character thought than emotion, the entire paragraph serves as a perfect example of direct reporting and clearly establishes the internal condition of Gabriel.

Later, Gabriel has a social conflict with Miss Ivors, a woman who is essentially his equal and a friend. The conflict begins when Miss Ivors needles Gabriel for writing a column for a paper not as pro-Irish as she would like, a charge that confuses Gabriel: “When their turn to cross had come he was still perplexed and inattentive.” The scene continues with more chiding from Miss Ivors as Gabriel grows more flustered: “Gabriel tried to cover his agitation by taking part in the dance with great energy.” The scene also contains outbursts from Gabriel, a brief example of direct reporting in dialogue, such as proclaiming, “I’m sick of my own country, sick of it!” in response to Miss Ivors’ accusing him of being a West Briton (an Irish insult something like an African-American being called an Oreo). However, following this more rattling conflict, we again see the other side of Gabriel.

Once Miss Ivors has left the party, before dinner is served, Gabriel is able to forget all about the encounter: “He felt quite at ease now for he was an expert carver and liked nothing better than to find himself at the head of a well-laden table.” This example contains two different descriptions of Gabriel’s emotional state. The first describes him as “quite at ease” and the word “now” following that description adds the element of a change in emotional state, so it is clear to the reader that he has overcome the previous emotional struggle that was causing him to feel agitated. This is not only a good example of the technique, but it is also very important to the momentum of the narrative; this scene repeats the conflict of the earlier scene with the maid with increased dramatic intensity. More is at stake in this encounter for Gabriel than with the maid.

Near the end of this story, Gabriel’s emotions swing again when, instead of making love to his wife as he desires to do, he listens to her talk about a former lover. Joyce uses the direct reporting technique to show how, in an instant, Gabriel’s rush of giddiness comes to a halt: “The smile passed away from Gabriel’s face. A dull anger began to gather again at the back of his mind and the dull fires of his lust began to grow angrily in his veins.” As far as emotional language is concerned, this is perhaps the strongest description in the entire story. Both the mental and bodily representations of this sudden anger are first described as dull before growing almost uncontrollable. The scene continues with Gabriel’s wife telling him the story of her relationship with Michael Furey, including how he had died for her. The tale of Furey’s death inspires this last example of direct reporting, which shows, I think, perfectly the intensity of Gabriel’s internal struggles and the realization that he has failed to love his wife as much as his wife’s dead lover once did:

A vague terror seized Gabriel at this answer, as if, at that hour when he had hoped to triumph, some impalpable and vindictive being was coming against him, gathering forces against him in its vague world. But he shook himself free of it with an effort of reason and continued to caress her hand. He did not question her again, for he felt that she would tell him of herself.”

Joyce doesn’t use indirect reporting as much direct reporting in “The Dead,” but there are still some fine examples. Joyce’s focus on Gabriel’s internal state leaves little room for indirect emotional commentary, but he uses the technique increasingly near the end of the story where, instead of primarily reacting, Gabriel begins looking at his wife and trying to interpret her mood.

First, here is an example from earlier in the story when in the second act, so to speak, after his conflicted exchange with the journalist, Miss Ivors, on the dance floor, Gabriel becomes self-conscious and tries to figure out why she suddenly wants to leave the party: “Gabriel asked himself was he the cause of her abrupt departure. But she did not seem to be in ill humour: she had gone away laughing.” In this description, Gabriel is attempting to exonerate himself from blame, but he is attempting to do so by indirectly reporting the emotional state of the woman just before she leaves. I’ve found that indirect reporting can also contain information about the character commenting on the emotion, and here is a good example. Although he is providing emotional information about this woman, the narrator is also showing the reader Gabriel’s frame of mind and how that affects his interpretation of the woman’s emotional state.

But to return to the end of the story — once Gabriel and his wife have gone to their hotel room, he feels a sudden afflatus of love and sexual attraction for his wife and he thinks she is feeling attracted to him. Gabriel’s emotions in this scene swing wildly as I’ve already shown in my discussion of direct reporting, but here, Gabriel also attempts to read his wife’s emotions. When she has not reacted to his affection the way Gabriel hoped she would, he asks himself why. “Why did she seem so abstracted? He did not know how he could begin. Was she annoyed, too, about something? If she would only turn to him or come to him of her own accord!” Although he is not making a clear statement about what he believes is bothering his wife, the questions Gabriel poses internally do provide commentary on the woman’s emotional state. From those questions, the reader knows she is distant, perhaps hesitant, and emotionally unresponsive to the love Gabriel is attempting to display. Like the first example of indirect reporting, this commentary also supports the emotional representation of Gabriel himself. He poses these questions internally, as well as hoping that she will do something differently, without ever speaking directly to her.

Joyce’s story provides many examples of how the third technique of physical manifestation is almost always informed or aided by direct reporting. Going back to my first example of direct reporting, in the passage which shows the gloominess that Gabriel experiences early on in the narrative, the narrator expands on how Gabriel attempts to dispel the gloom by “arranging his cuffs and the bows of his tie.” This example provides a strong outward manifestation of Gabriel’s emotions, but the action of rearranging his cuffs and bow-tie would not be as effective without the clear purpose behind the action: dispelling the gloom that comes over him. Tying such clear emotions with a character’s natural physical reaction to those emotions creates an extremely successful bit of characterization in only a few words.

Finally, I’d like to return again to the end of the story where the narrator gives an intimate view of Gabriel’s relationship with his wife. After an agonizing back-and-forth inside his own mind about wanting to be affectionate with his wife and alternately wanting to possess her violently, Gabriel finally reacts to a kiss she gives him: “Gabriel, trembling with delight at her sudden kiss and at the quaintness of her phrase, put his hands on her hair and began smoothing it.” This is really a good example of how a strongly physical scene, or sentence really, is aided so much by the inclusion of a small example of direct reporting.

When I first selected this text, I was attempting to use it as an example of pure physical manifestation, primarily because so much of the description is physical. But it was also this example that informed my decision to focus on how physical manifestations are informed by directly stated emotions. If the directly stated emotion of delight were removed, the reader would be left with Gabriel trembling at his wife’s kiss and smoothing her hair. Although it would remain a touching moment, with all of Gabriel’s emotional conflict, the reader might be left wondering if he was in fact nervous or overwhelmed or even feeling guilty. But much like the previous scene where Gabriel was about to carve the goose, this is a brief moment of reprieve, and the inclusion of that delight tells the reader that Gabriel believes his wife has felt his adoration and that all is well. The act of smoothing her hair is the continuation of that adoration and, in light of the story’s ending, perhaps Gabriel’s most admirable attempt at loving his wife as well as dead lover had before.

This final excerpt stands on its own as an example of this third technique, but in reading the story as a whole with a focus on the emotional elements, I really began to see how the constant, consistent inclusion of clear emotional language and motivation builds a foundation and then an entire structure that manifests in a character who is wholly understandable, regardless of how irrational his behavior or thoughts may seem on their own. And as a writer, that certainly sounds like an achievement I would welcome in my own work.

Good Country People

The second story I would like to discuss is Flannery O’Connor’s “Good Country People.” In this story, O’Connor uses a shifting third-person limited narrator and a healthy dose of irony to show how false perceptions and assumptions can have unforeseen consequences. The story is about an unassuming mother, Mrs. Hopewell, who seems to find the best in people, and her cynical daughter Hulga who is handicapped by a childhood accident that left her using a prosthetic leg. The action of the story really begins when a naïve, seemingly simple-minded boy visits the house selling Bibles. After being invited to dinner, Hulga agrees to meet him the following day for a picnic with plans to take advantage of the young man, who she assumes is a dumb, backwoods Christian. As their date progresses, Hulga is tricked by the boy into removing her prosthetic leg, which he steals, leaving Hulga helpless in a barn loft. In this story, character emotion is especially important because it sets up the dark humor and irony that are trademarks of O’Connor’s work.

One of the first examples of direct reporting in the story does not describe either of the two primary characters, but rather the nosy and stubborn Mrs. Freeman whose husband works for Mrs. Hopewell. The description of Mrs. Freeman comes from the third-person narrator, but it is given from the daughter’s point of view:

Mrs. Freeman would take on strange resentments and for days together she would be sullen but the source of her displeasure was always obscure.”

This example of direct reporting clearly describes the emotion Mrs. Freeman would take on, that of being sullen, but also adds a bit of emotional characterization; not only does she exhibit her sullen mood in her behavior, but it can come from unexpected sources and even last for days. At the beginning of the essay, I used “Bob is sad” as a simple example of emotional reporting, and O’Connor’s line here a perfect example of how an author can say exactly that: “Mrs. Freeman is sullen,” but also how sullen — “for days” — and why (in this case, she directly states that the reason for the sullen mood is not always clear).

After the young Bible salesman has been introduced, the narrator provides the first bit of information that suggests some contradiction to Hulga’s cynical demeanor. After the young man stays for dinner, she agrees to meet him the following day for a picnic, which is a surprising turn in itself since the young salesman seems like a person Hulga would normally avoid or spurn. Her agreeing to meet him is surprising enough, but the larger surprise comes when the narrator introduces the reader to a vulnerable side of the young woman by directly reporting her emotions when she believes she has been stood up:

She looked up and down the empty highway and had the furious feeling that she had been tricked, that he had only meant to make her walk to the gate after the idea of him.

Here, we get the direct use of the noun “feeling” to accompany the emotion of fury. She is not only upset or angry that the boy she agreed to meet with, a boy she would normally mock, has stood her up, but she is furious . The passage has the added bonus of expressing her insecurity with the accompanying exposition and shows the reader that Hulga may actually be more defensive than gruff and impatient.

Although O’Connor shifts her third-person point of view throughout the story, the reader gets very little information about the young salesman aside from what is given by other characters. In one example of indirect reporting, the emotional impact of Hulga’s statement of atheism on the young man is described: “At this he stopped and whistled. ‘No!’ he exclaimed as if he were too astonished to say anything else.” Hulga’s perspective here provides what she imagines the young man’s emotional reaction would be.

O’Connor uses direct reporting quite a bit, but very often she combines it with physical manifestation. In my first example, Mrs. Hopewell is reacting to the young Bible salesman’s pitch. He presents himself as simple, doing the only thing he’s capable of to help provide for his family. He mentions that he has a physical defect that prevents him from other opportunities, which has a strong effect on the mother.

He and Joy had the same condition! She knew that her eyes were filling with tears but she collected herself quickly and murmured, “Won’t you stay for dinner? We’d love to have you!” and was sorry the instant she heard herself say it.

There is a great deal of emotional information in this example. First, the thought that the boy has a similar physical condition to her daughter is informed by multiple direct reports of the mother’s emotions toward her daughter’s ailment earlier in the story. The physical manifestation of this emotion comes in her eyes filling up with tears. The reader understands that her tears are coming from both her sadness about her own daughter and sympathy for this young man and possibly tears of joy because her daughter has found a co-sufferer. However, there is more direct reporting that follows this to better depict the woman’s exact emotional state. The fact that she collects herself, asks the young man to dinner, and then is instantly sorry she extended the invitation shows her struggle with her own emotions.

Now, finally, I’d like to show how O’Connor uses physical description to represent emotion in a complicated and calculating character like Hulga. Unlike her mother, Hulga is the type of character who does not express her emotions in a direct or (connected) physical way; however, it is still important for an author to be able to describe both the internal and external simultaneously for effect, and that is exactly what O’Connor does in this example:

She sat staring at him. There was nothing about her face or her round freezing-blue eyes to indicate that this had moved her; but she felt as if her heart had stopped and left her mind to pump her blood.

“She sat staring at him” is the kind of line I used to use in my own work. But O’Connor goes further. Whereas I would leave that line alone and beg the audience to make an intuitive leap, O’Connor’s narrator gives a deeper physical description (stoic face, freezing-blue eyes), as well as the emotional reason behind this description because there was nothing in her stare or her eyes or her face that suggested she was moved. Then we get the key word but , and we know there is a shift. Then the narrator gives us a direct report of Hulga’s contradictory, but powerful, emotional response. Although the description is of her heart stopping and her brain pumping her blood, the narrator uses the verb feel — “felt as if”, telling the reader immediately that this is not a physical reality, but rather an emotional reaction to the young man’s words. This emotional information supports the final scene of the story when the young Bible salesman, who has moved Hulga to trust and vulnerability, removes her artificial leg and steals it, revealing himself as a fraud and a rather twisted individual.

— Walker Griffy

Walker Griffy received his MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. He lives in Los Angeles, where he teaches composition and literature at Santa Monica College.

Add comments
2013 , Craft & Technique , NC Magazine , Nonfiction , Vol. V, No. 1, January 2014

One Response to “Character Emotion in the Short Story: Craft Essay — Walker Griffy”

Excellent. Something I am working on…will keep these lessons in mind! Thanks.

The Craft of Crafting: Understanding the Essence of an Essay

This essay about the essence of an essay, exploring its characteristics, adaptability, and significance across academic and societal realms. It discusses how essays serve as structured vehicles for presenting arguments, recounting experiences, or examining topics. The essay highlights the flexibility of essays in catering to different purposes and audiences, ranging from informative expositions to persuasive discourse. Moreover, it emphasizes the role of essays in fostering intellectual exploration, critical inquiry, and personal growth. Ultimately, the essay underscores the enduring importance of essays as artifacts of human thought, shaping public discourse and inspiring collective action beyond academia.

How it works

In the realm of academia and beyond, the essay stands as a versatile and ubiquitous form of expression. It is a literary vehicle that transcends disciplines, allowing writers to articulate ideas, analyze concepts, and engage with diverse audiences. Yet, what precisely defines an essay? To unravel its essence, we delve into its fundamental characteristics, explore its various types, and appreciate its enduring significance in the intellectual landscape.

At its core, an essay is a structured piece of writing that presents an argument, recounts an experience, or examines a topic in a coherent and cohesive manner.

Unlike other forms of prose, such as fiction or poetry, essays adhere to a distinct set of conventions, including clarity of thought, logical organization, and adherence to a central thesis. This hallmark feature distinguishes essays from mere ramblings or stream-of-consciousness narratives, imbuing them with intellectual rigor and analytical depth.

One of the defining features of the essay is its flexibility and adaptability to different purposes and audiences. From the expository essay, which aims to inform and educate, to the persuasive essay, which seeks to sway opinions and incite action, the genre encompasses a spectrum of styles and approaches. Moreover, essays can vary in length, from brief reflections to extensive treatises, allowing writers to tailor their expression to the demands of the subject matter and the intended readership.

Furthermore, essays serve as vehicles for intellectual exploration and critical inquiry. They provide a platform for writers to engage with complex ideas, grapple with ambiguity, and interrogate assumptions. Through the process of crafting an essay, individuals hone their analytical skills, refine their argumentative techniques, and cultivate their unique voice. Thus, essays not only contribute to the body of knowledge within a particular field but also foster intellectual growth and development on a personal level.

In addition to their academic utility, essays play a vital role in broader cultural and societal contexts. They serve as artifacts of human thought and expression, capturing the zeitgeist of a given era and reflecting the values, concerns, and aspirations of society. From the political manifesto to the literary critique, essays shape public discourse, challenge prevailing narratives, and inspire collective action. In this way, essays transcend the confines of academia, permeating the fabric of our social and intellectual landscape.

In conclusion, the essay represents a quintessential form of human expression, characterized by its structure, versatility, and intellectual depth. As a vehicle for argumentation, reflection, and exploration, it serves as a cornerstone of academic inquiry and a catalyst for intellectual exchange. Whether dissecting a philosophical quandary or advocating for social change, the essay endures as a testament to the power of language to illuminate, provoke, and inspire.

Cite this page

The Craft of Crafting: Understanding the Essence of an Essay. (2024, May 21). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/the-craft-of-crafting-understanding-the-essence-of-an-essay/

"The Craft of Crafting: Understanding the Essence of an Essay." PapersOwl.com , 21 May 2024, https://papersowl.com/examples/the-craft-of-crafting-understanding-the-essence-of-an-essay/

PapersOwl.com. (2024). The Craft of Crafting: Understanding the Essence of an Essay . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/the-craft-of-crafting-understanding-the-essence-of-an-essay/ [Accessed: 30 May. 2024]

"The Craft of Crafting: Understanding the Essence of an Essay." PapersOwl.com, May 21, 2024. Accessed May 30, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/the-craft-of-crafting-understanding-the-essence-of-an-essay/

"The Craft of Crafting: Understanding the Essence of an Essay," PapersOwl.com , 21-May-2024. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/the-craft-of-crafting-understanding-the-essence-of-an-essay/. [Accessed: 30-May-2024]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

Crafts and Fine Arts. Essay

Introduction, works cited.

Nowadays the majority of people are totally unable to explain the difference between the so called crafts and fine arts. Therefore, in order to be able to do this one may provide with examples of works and their comparative analysis that might be assigned to the categories of the interest. Moreover, to explain the vaguely difference between them, one may give the example of the art work that may be assigned to the both categories: either to the crafts or to the fine art.

It is really hard to define what kind of art should be described as a craft and a fine art; as such definitions can not satisfy everyone and might even injure some artist’s feelings. It is even possible to spend hours on the debate over this issue and not to achieve any particular results. But, what might be noted here is that there exist some elements and rules associated with certain classical idea about the fine arts, like painting or sculpture, that are actually determining them.

There were made a couple attempts to distinguish and define those two terms. One may refer to the academic and the utilitarian way of the explanation. Those students, who graduate from the universities with a fine arts degree are not likely to study the crafts discipline, therefore they do not consider the crafts work as a fine, high level art. There is also a scholar point of view which expresses the Elliot W. Eisner’s and Michael D. Day’s idea that “art is not made to sale, you do not create art for money. Art is at a higher level, it makes a statement, and it has feeling and emotion; crafts are more functional and less academic in theories.”

Any useful or decorative hand made object might be considered as a craft work, for example a mug, teapot or vase, embellished by the artist with his or her own hands. It should be pointed out that the “craft work is skilled work: any kind of craft must involve the application of a technique … [it] implies the application of human intelligence…” (Eisner, Day, 2004).

And here, one is drawn to the point, when the difference between the crafts and the fine arts can be explained. The craftsman’s work, like the mug, teapot or vase must be capable of holding tea, any liquid or flowers. But the fine arts’ work does not usually have any utilitarian function. It might be also a tea cup, but, for example of the Chinese dynasty Min period, thus it would be guarded and of course, no one would be aloud to drink tea from it.

As for the crafts objects, they “tend to exhibit their prettiness around a purpose external to the object itself. To this extent, the crafts aren’t arts… (Sayre, 2003). If refer to the famous English philosopher Emanuel Kant in the definition of the fine arts, then it appears that “they appeal purely at the level of the imagination and aren’t good for any practical utility, except the cultivation of the human spirit” (Kant, cited from Eisner, Day, 2004).

If one would like to represent the example of the art object that would feat the definition of both: the crafts and the fine arts, then the hand made glass flowers would perform this role quite well. They can be considered the fine arts work as they create the aesthetic and admiration feeling. Nevertheless, they might be regarded as the crafts work as they are frequently used in everyday life for the decoration of common people’s houses.

Eisner, Elliot W., and Michael D. Day, eds. Handbook of Research and Policy in Art Education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004.

Sayre, Henry M. A World of Art. Revised 4th ed. New York, NY: Prentice – Hall, 2003.

The Claims of Reason: Stanley Cavell’s Experiment
Michael Eisner's Strategic Management at Disney
Chinese ware: Vase with Peony Scroll
Illustrators Artists and Designers
Contribution of Modernity to Photography and Film Movements
3D Animation: Main Inspirations and Personal Experience
The Pregnant Form as Art Form
The Pregnant Form as Modern Art Form
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, September 26). Crafts and Fine Arts. https://ivypanda.com/essays/crafts-and-fine-arts/

"Crafts and Fine Arts." IvyPanda , 26 Sept. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/crafts-and-fine-arts/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Crafts and Fine Arts'. 26 September.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Crafts and Fine Arts." September 26, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/crafts-and-fine-arts/.

1. IvyPanda . "Crafts and Fine Arts." September 26, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/crafts-and-fine-arts/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Crafts and Fine Arts." September 26, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/crafts-and-fine-arts/.

Academic Essay Writing Made Simple: 4 types and tips

The pen is mightier than the sword, they say, and nowhere is this more evident than in academia. From the quick scribbles of eager students to the inquisitive thoughts of renowned scholars, academic essays depict the power of the written word. These well-crafted writings propel ideas forward and expand the existing boundaries of human intellect.

What is an Academic Essay

An academic essay is a nonfictional piece of writing that analyzes and evaluates an argument around a specific topic or research question. It serves as a medium to share the author’s views and is also used by institutions to assess the critical thinking, research skills, and writing abilities of a students and researchers.

Importance of Academic Essays

4 main types of academic essays.

While academic essays may vary in length, style, and purpose, they generally fall into four main categories. Despite their differences, these essay types share a common goal: to convey information, insights, and perspectives effectively.

1. Expository Essay

2. Descriptive Essay

3. Narrative Essay

4. Argumentative Essay

Expository and persuasive essays mainly deal with facts to explain ideas clearly. Narrative and descriptive essays are informal and have a creative edge. Despite their differences, these essay types share a common goal ― to convey information, insights, and perspectives effectively.

Expository Essays: Illuminating ideas

An expository essay is a type of academic writing that explains, illustrates, or clarifies a particular subject or idea. Its primary purpose is to inform the reader by presenting a comprehensive and objective analysis of a topic.

By breaking down complex topics into digestible pieces and providing relevant examples and explanations, expository essays allow writers to share their knowledge.

What are the Key Features of an Expository Essay

Provides factual information without bias

Presents multiple viewpoints while maintaining objectivity

Uses direct and concise language to ensure clarity for the reader

Composed of a logical structure with an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion

When is an expository essay written.

1. For academic assignments to evaluate the understanding of research skills.

2. As instructional content to provide step-by-step guidance for tasks or problem-solving.

3. In journalism for objective reporting in news or investigative pieces.

4. As a form of communication in the professional field to convey factual information in business or healthcare.

How to Write an Expository Essay

Expository essays are typically structured in a logical and organized manner.

1. Topic Selection and Research

Choose a topic that can be explored objectively
Gather relevant facts and information from credible sources
Develop a clear thesis statement

2. Outline and Structure

Create an outline with an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion
Introduce the topic and state the thesis in the introduction
Dedicate each body paragraph to a specific point supporting the thesis
Use transitions to maintain a logical flow

3. Objective and Informative Writing

Maintain an impartial and informative tone
Avoid personal opinions or biases
Support points with factual evidence, examples, and explanations

4. Conclusion

Summarize the key points
Reinforce the significance of the thesis

Descriptive Essays: Painting with words

Descriptive essays transport readers into vivid scenes, allowing them to experience the world through the writer ‘s lens. These essays use rich sensory details, metaphors, and figurative language to create a vivid and immersive experience . Its primary purpose is to engage readers’ senses and imagination.

It allows writers to demonstrate their ability to observe and describe subjects with precision and creativity.

What are the Key Features of Descriptive Essay

Employs figurative language and imagery to paint a vivid picture for the reader

Demonstrates creativity and expressiveness in narration

Includes close attention to detail, engaging the reader’s senses

Engages the reader’s imagination and emotions through immersive storytelling using analogies, metaphors, similes, etc.

When is a descriptive essay written.

1. Personal narratives or memoirs that describe significant events, people, or places.

2. Travel writing to capture the essence of a destination or experience.

3. Character sketches in fiction writing to introduce and describe characters.

4. Poetry or literary analyses to explore the use of descriptive language and imagery.

How to Write a Descriptive Essay

The descriptive essay lacks a defined structural requirement but typically includes: an introduction introducing the subject, a thorough description, and a concluding summary with insightful reflection.

1. Subject Selection and Observation

Choose a subject (person, place, object, or experience) to describe
Gather sensory details and observations

2. Engaging Introduction

Set the scene and provide the context
Use of descriptive language and figurative techniques

3. Descriptive Body Paragraphs

Focus on specific aspects or details of the subject
Engage the reader ’s senses with vivid imagery and descriptions
Maintain a consistent tone and viewpoint

4. Impactful Conclusion

Provide a final impression or insight
Leave a lasting impact on the reader

Narrative Essays: Storytelling in Action

Narrative essays are personal accounts that tell a story, often drawing from the writer’s own experiences or observations. These essays rely on a well-structured plot, character development, and vivid descriptions to engage readers and convey a deeper meaning or lesson.

What are the Key features of Narrative Essays

Written from a first-person perspective and hence subjective

Based on real personal experiences

Uses an informal and expressive tone

Presents events and characters in sequential order

When is a narrative essay written.

It is commonly assigned in high school and college writing courses to assess a student’s ability to convey a meaningful message or lesson through a personal narrative. They are written in situations where a personal experience or story needs to be recounted, such as:

1. Reflective essays on significant life events or personal growth.

2. Autobiographical writing to share one’s life story or experiences.

3. Creative writing exercises to practice narrative techniques and character development.

4. College application essays to showcase personal qualities and experiences.

How to Write a Narrative Essay

Narrative essays typically follow a chronological structure, with an introduction that sets the scene, a body that develops the plot and characters, and a conclusion that provides a sense of resolution or lesson learned.

1. Experience Selection and Reflection

Choose a significant personal experience or event
Reflect on the impact and deeper meaning

2. Immersive Introduction

Introduce characters and establish the tone and point of view

3. Plotline and Character Development

Advance the plot and character development through body paragraphs
Incorporate dialog , conflict, and resolution
Maintain a logical and chronological flow

4. Insightful Conclusion

Reflect on lessons learned or insights gained
Leave the reader with a lasting impression

Argumentative Essays: Persuasion and Critical Thinking

Argumentative essays are the quintessential form of academic writing in which writers present a clear thesis and support it with well-researched evidence and logical reasoning. These essays require a deep understanding of the topic, critical analysis of multiple perspectives, and the ability to construct a compelling argument.

What are the Key Features of an Argumentative Essay?

Logical and well-structured arguments

Credible and relevant evidence from reputable sources

Consideration and refutation of counterarguments

Critical analysis and evaluation of the issue

When is an argumentative essay written.

Argumentative essays are written to present a clear argument or stance on a particular issue or topic. In academic settings they are used to develop critical thinking, research, and persuasive writing skills. However, argumentative essays can also be written in various other contexts, such as:

1. Opinion pieces or editorials in newspapers, magazines, or online publications.

2. Policy proposals or position papers in government, nonprofit, or advocacy settings.

3. Persuasive speeches or debates in academic, professional, or competitive environments.

4. Marketing or advertising materials to promote a product, service, or idea.

How to write an Argumentative Essay

Argumentative essays begin with an introduction that states the thesis and provides context. The body paragraphs develop the argument with evidence, address counterarguments, and use logical reasoning. The conclusion restates the main argument and makes a final persuasive appeal.

Choose a debatable and controversial issue
Conduct thorough research and gather evidence and counterarguments

2. Thesis and Introduction

Craft a clear and concise thesis statement
Provide background information and establish importance

3. Structured Body Paragraphs

Focus each paragraph on a specific aspect of the argument
Support with logical reasoning, factual evidence, and refutation

4. Persuasive Techniques

Adopt a formal and objective tone
Use persuasive techniques (rhetorical questions, analogies, appeals)

5. Impactful Conclusion

Summarize the main points
Leave the reader with a strong final impression and call to action

To learn more about argumentative essay, check out this article .

5 Quick Tips for Researchers to Improve Academic Essay Writing Skills

Use clear and concise language to convey ideas effectively without unnecessary words

Use well-researched, credible sources to substantiate your arguments with data, expert opinions, and scholarly references

Ensure a coherent structure with effective transitions, clear topic sentences, and a logical flow to enhance readability

To elevate your academic essay, consider submitting your draft to a community-based platform like Open Platform for editorial review

Review your work multiple times for clarity, coherence, and adherence to academic guidelines to ensure a polished final product

By mastering the art of academic essay writing, researchers and scholars can effectively communicate their ideas, contribute to the advancement of knowledge, and engage in meaningful scholarly discourse.

Rate this article Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Enago Academy's Most Popular Articles

What is Academic Integrity and How to Uphold it [FREE CHECKLIST]

Ensuring Academic Integrity and Transparency in Academic Research: A comprehensive checklist for researchers

Academic integrity is the foundation upon which the credibility and value of scientific findings are…

AI vs. AI: Can we outsmart image manipulation in research?

AI in Academia

AI vs. AI: How to detect image manipulation and avoid academic misconduct

The scientific community is facing a new frontier of controversy as artificial intelligence (AI) is…

AI in Academia: The need for unified guidelines in research and writing

Industry News
Publishing News

Unified AI Guidelines Crucial as Academic Writing Embraces Generative Tools

As generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT are advancing at an accelerating pace, their…

Diversify Your Learning: Why inclusive academic curricula matter

Diversity and Inclusion

Need for Diversifying Academic Curricula: Embracing missing voices and marginalized perspectives

In classrooms worldwide, a single narrative often dominates, leaving many students feeling lost. These stories,…

PDF Citation Guide for APA, MLA, AMA and Chicago Style

Reporting Research

How to Effectively Cite a PDF (APA, MLA, AMA, and Chicago Style)

The pressure to “publish or perish” is a well-known reality for academics, striking fear into…

How to Optimize Your Research Process: A step-by-step guide

How to Improve Lab Report Writing: Best practices to follow with and without…

Digital Citations: A comprehensive guide to citing of websites in APA, MLA, and CMOS…

Sign-up to read more

Subscribe for free to get unrestricted access to all our resources on research writing and academic publishing including:

2000+ blog articles
50+ Webinars
10+ Expert podcasts
50+ Infographics
10+ Checklists
Research Guides

We hate spam too. We promise to protect your privacy and never spam you.

I am looking for Editing/ Proofreading services for my manuscript Tentative date of next journal submission:

As a researcher, what do you consider most when choosing an image manipulation detector?

Showing 52 Essays

One Word Leads To The Next: Unconventional Conjunctive Devices

August 17th, 2015

The other day a friend was doing a crossword puzzle and asked me, “What song begins ‘It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday…’.” Without missing a beat I added, “…the regular crowd shuffles in. There’s an old man sitting next to me, making love to his tonic and gin.”

The Haunting: How To Conquer The Shame Of Being A Writer

May 19th, 2015

The question is where to begin. One option is last autumn, when I was walking the dog past a construction site where a half dozen masons were third-floor-high, standing on scaffolding, laying bricks. A single hod carrier was mixing mortar on the ground and running it up a ladder, along the scaffolds, to each of the masons. His looked like the job you give the newbie: an apprenticeship where you learn the value of fresh, perfectly mixed mortar. The hod carrier never stopped moving, always lugging something heavy. While I watched, one of the masons shouted to him.

Consider This: Undecidability

March 21st, 2014

Whether you’re making music or films or painting pictures… play to the strengths of your medium. One of the aspects of written narrative I appreciate most is the ambiguity that’s possible and sustainable before the true nature of a fictional situation is confirmed. Like the roadster in The Great Gatsby which is green or yellow, depending on the moment, I love to keep the details of a story in flux. One thing morphs into becoming another, sometimes even a third thing.

Consider This: Coping

February 13th, 2014

Let’s start with a secret about Suzy Vitello. In her own mind, she’s really three people. One person is Suzy who exists in the present moment. Another is the Suzy who existed three days earlier. The last person is the Suzy who will exist three days in the future.

Preparing for Company: Writing 'The Least of My Scars'

February 7th, 2014

Photo via Wikipedia Commons All my The Least of My Scars drafts and notes have, until a few months ago, been in a directory called “doors.” All the early drafts are that: “doors,” “doors2,” “doors21,” “doors21b,” and on and on, a whole stack of versions and tries and misfires.

Nuts and Bolts: Saying It Wrong

January 24th, 2014

You have to know the rules before you can break them. In any writing workshop, you should be ready to defend every choice you make. Every word and comma and line break, if anyone asks why you used it, you should have a strong reason. What were you trying to accomplish?

Talking Heads, Hearing Voices and the Disappearing Narrator

September 20th, 2013

Photo by Craig Clevenger I have two major pet peeves when it comes to dialogue. First, it bugs me when all the characters sound alike. Sure, with regional diction, accents, socioeconomic class, blah blah blah, it may be tough to distinguish between the Valley Dude speak of two high school kids, but not between those kids and their teachers or parents. Secondly, when characters speak with the same eloquence, or at very least the same style, as the narrator, i.e., the author, it rings false for me.

Nuts and Bolts: “Thought” Verbs

August 12th, 2013

In six seconds, you’ll hate me. But in six months, you’ll be a better writer. From this point forward – at least for the next half year – you may not use “thought” verbs. These include: Thinks, Knows, Understands, Realizes, Believes, Wants, Remembers, Imagines, Desires, and a hundred others you love to use. The list should also include: Loves and Hates. And it should include: Is and Has, but we’ll get to those, later.

The Safety of Transgression versus the Risk of Honesty

March 7th, 2013

Photo by Craig Clevenger transgress |transˈgres, tranz-| verb infringe or go beyond the bounds of (a moral principle or other established standard of behavior) “You think you know pain?… You’re just a tourist with a typewriter... I live here.” —Charlie Meadows, from Barton Fink (1991)

May 9th, 2012

Photo via Free Images The biggest lie I tell myself about revising is that I do it as I go. You've heard this, right? I don't think I'm coming up with anything new here, anyway. And, it's a seductive thing to believe- to want to believe, at least. And the finished products even tend to support it.

Learning | Free Lesson — LitReactor | 2024-05

Try Reedsy's novel writing masterclass — 100% free

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Everyday Use — Author’s Craft on “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker

Author's Craft on "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker

Categories: Alice Walker Everyday Use

About this sample

Words: 678 |

Published: Dec 3, 2020

Words: 678 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Introduction

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

Expert in: Literature

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

1 pages / 549 words

3 pages / 1353 words

4 pages / 1725 words

3.5 pages / 2123 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Author's Craft on "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker Essay

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Everyday Use

In Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," the author explores the changing perspectives of African-Americans on their history and the conflicts that arise from these differences. Through the three main characters, Mama, Dee, and Maggie, [...]

In Alice Walker’s famous short story “Everyday Use,” Dee is perceived as an unsympathetic character. It is difficult for the reader to feel compassion for Dee since she possesses repelling characteristics; she is as [...]

In Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use," the characters of Maggie and Dee serve as illustrations of how individuals from the same background can develop different identities and worldviews. Through Walker's portrayal of [...]

In Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use," the theme of heritage plays a central role in exploring the complexities of family relationships and cultural identity. Through the characters of Mama, Dee, and Maggie, Walker delves [...]

In Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use," the author explores the complex theme of cultural heritage through the contrasting perspectives of two sisters, Dee and Maggie. Through the examination of their divergent [...]

Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use" is a tightly woven tale that brings together many disparate elements of the story to reinforce the thesis put forward by W.E.B. DuBois that black Americans are trapped in a double [...]

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

Instructions Followed To The Letter
Deadlines Met At Every Stage
Unique And Plagiarism Free

How to Write an Explanatory Essay

Smodin Editorial Team
Published: May 24, 2024

A study from the English Language Teaching Educational Journal found that students encounter difficulty in organizing thoughts, generating ideas, and understanding writing processes when writing essays [1]. These are all key components of putting together a good explanatory essay. If this sounds like you, then don’t worry.

With the right approach, you can seamlessly combine all these components. This guide will give you a simple step-by-step strategy for writing an explanatory essay. It’ll also give you handy writing tips and tool suggestions, like utilizing artificial intelligence.

With this guide, you’ll be able to write an explanatory essay with confidence.

1. Develop a strong thesis statement

Crafting a strong thesis statement is the cornerstone of any well-written explanatory essay. It sets the stage for what your essay will cover and clarifies the main point you’re going to explain. Here’s how to create a thesis:

Find the main idea : Start by pinpointing the key concept or question you want to explain. Develop a clear purpose for the essay. This will guide your research and writing process for your explanatory paper. Use other reputable explanatory essay examples to guide your ideas. This may involve exploring other explanatory essay topics within the same field.
Be specific : A vague thesis can confuse readers. So, make sure your statement is clear. If you’re explaining a complex process, break it down to its key points. After that, break it into a clear, concise statement that’s easy to understand.
Reflect objectivity : Explanatory essays educate and inform. They do not argue a point. So, your thesis should take an unbiased stance on the topic. It should present the facts as they are, not as you interpret them.
Use tools like the Smodin Writer : Smodin Writer does all the heavy lifting by leveraging the power of artificial intelligence. With it, you can generate an essay with a thesis statement. How, you ask? Through its dedicated thesis generator . It can create a statement that’s both strong and relevant. Plus, it can pull in all the most interesting information based on your topic to further enrich your thesis statement.

Make your thesis clear, informative, and neutral. This sets a strong foundation for an effective explanatory essay. Next, let’s look at how to gather the information you’ll need to support this thesis effectively.

2. Research and gather information

You need to conduct thorough research that will back your thesis with credible sources and relevant evidence. This will make your explanatory essay both informative and persuasive. Here’s a step-by-step guide to conducting effective research:

Start with a plan: Put together an explanatory essay outline that includes the information you need to support your thesis. The plan should list the best sources, like academic journals, books, reputable websites, or scholarly articles.
Use credible sources: They ensure the accuracy of your essay. Libraries, academic databases, and certified websites are excellent places to find trustworthy information.
Seek detailed information: Look for the most current sources that explain your topic well and provide unique insights related to or opposing your thesis statement. This depth is crucial for explaining complex ideas clearly and thoroughly in your explanatory papers. Pay attention to the explanatory essay structure to guide your topic of choice (more on this later).
Gather relevant evidence: Collect data, stats, and examples. They should directly support your main points. Make sure this evidence is directly related to your topic and enhances your narrative.
Employ digital tools: Tools like Smodin’s Research Assistant can accelerate your research process. Smodin’s tools can help you find detailed information quickly, ensuring that the data you use is up-to-date and relevant.
Document your sources: As you conduct research, keep a meticulous record of where your information comes from. This practice will help you make an accurate bibliography. It can save you time when you need to refer back to details or verify facts. Again, this is something that’s covered thanks to Smodin’s Citation Machine.
Evaluate your findings: Critically assess the information you collect. Ensure it provides a balanced view and covers the necessary aspects of your topic to give a comprehensive overview of your essay.

By following these steps, you can gather a rich pool of information that provides a strong backbone for your explanatory essay. Now, you can start structuring your findings into well-organized body paragraphs.

3. Structure body paragraphs

Once you’ve gathered relevant evidence through thorough research, it’s time to organize it. You should put it into well-structured body paragraphs that follow a logical flow. Here’s how to structure each body paragraph for a strong explanatory essay:

Decide how many paragraphs to use : It will depend on your topic’s complexity and the needed detail. Typically, three to five paragraphs are suitable, but longer essays may require more. An explanatory essay example on your topic of choice will be helpful.
Start with a topic sentence : Each body paragraph should begin with a clear topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph. This sentence will act as a roadmap for the paragraph, giving the reader a sense of what to expect.
Provide supporting evidence : After the topic sentence, share the evidence from your research. Ensure the evidence is relevant and directly supports the paragraph’s topic sentence.
Give a detailed explanation : Follow the evidence with an analysis or explanation that ties it back to the thesis statement. This step is crucial for maintaining logical flow throughout your body paragraphs.
Use linking words : They connect body paragraphs smoothly, ensuring the reader can follow your argument.
End each body paragraph with a closing sentence : It should sum up the point and move to the next idea.

Following this structure will help your body paragraphs support your thesis. These paragraphs will also offer a clear, detailed explanation of your essay topic. Strong body paragraphs are essential to maintain objectivity in your writing.

4. Maintain objectivity

An explanatory essay aims to inform and educate, which makes maintaining objectivity crucial. Staying neutral lets readers form their own opinions based on facts. This ensures the writing is both reliable and informative. Here’s how to maintain objectivity:

Avoid personal opinions: Your goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Refrain from injecting your personal opinion or biases. Instead, stick to presenting factual information that supports the thesis.
Use relevant evidence: As mentioned, ground your arguments with relevant evidence from credible sources. Back up your main points with data and use research findings and verified details. This will make the explanatory article trustworthy.
Provide a balanced view: In cases with multiple perspectives, offer a balanced view. Cover each side fairly. Even if one view prevails in consensus, acknowledging others gives readers a broader understanding.
Adopt neutral language: Be careful with word choice and tone. Neutral language implies words that don’t encourage or illustrate bias. This helps avoid emotionally charged phrases and keeps the writing objective.
Cite sources accurately: Proper citation of sources provides accountability for the evidence presented. This transparency builds credibility and shows you’ve conducted research thoroughly. It’s also worth noting that different intuitions have different citation styles like APA and Chicago, which is important to note before starting your essay.
Review for biases: After drafting your essay, review it with an eye for biases. Ensure no part leans too much on one viewpoint. And, don’t dismiss an opposing perspective without cause.

Maintaining objectivity enhances the clarity and reliability of explanatory writing. Let’s now focus on crafting an introduction and conclusion that bookend your work effectively.

5. Craft an effective introduction and conclusion

A good introduction and a strong conclusion frame your explanatory essay. They give context at the start and reinforce the main points at the end. Here’s how to craft an effective introduction and conclusion.

In the introduction:

Hook your reader in the introduction : Use an interesting fact, a compelling quote, or a surprising statistic.
Provide background information : Be brief and offer only the essential context the reader needs to fully understand the topic. This should give the audience a foundational understanding before diving deeper into your main points.
Include the thesis statement : Clearly state your thesis near the end of the introduction. This statement will outline the essay’s direction and give readers a preview of the body paragraphs.

In the conclusion:

Summarize the key points : Start your explanatory essay conclusion with a summary. It should cover the main points from the body paragraphs. This summary should help readers recall and reinforce the information they’ve just read.
Restate the thesis : Repeat your thesis again but in a new way. Explain how the evidence from the body paragraphs supported or clarified it.
Provide a conclusion : End the essay with a statement that wraps up the argument. This statement should resonate with the reader. It should leave them with an impression that stresses the topic’s importance.

An effective introduction and conclusion give the essay structure and coherence. They guide readers from start to finish. The next step is revising and editing your entire essay for clarity and precision.

6. Revise and check clarity

Revising and editing are key in writing. They make sure your essay is clear, joined, and polished. Here’s how to refine your writing using an explanatory essay checklist and proven academic writing techniques:

Take a break: Before diving into revisions, step away from your essay for a few hours or even a day. This break will help you return with fresh eyes, making it easier to spot errors or inconsistencies.
Follow an essay checklist: Create or use a checklist to ensure your essay has all the needed parts. It needs a strong intro with a clear thesis, well-structured body paragraphs, good sources, and a short conclusion. Check that your arguments follow a logical flow and that all relevant evidence is directly linked to your thesis statement.
Check for clarity and conciseness: Academic writing needs clarity. So, make sure each paragraph and sentence conveys your point. Don’t use unnecessary jargon or overly complex language. Keep sentences concise while maintaining detailed explanations of your main points.
Verify facts and citations: Make sure all facts, data, and quotes in the essay are accurate. Also, check that they are cited in the required academic style (e.g. MLA, APA). Improper citations can undermine the credibility of your writing.
Review the grammar and style: Look for common grammar mistakes, punctuation errors, and awkward phrasing. Reading the essay aloud can help catch odd sentence structures or confusing wording.
Seek feedback: Share your essay with a peer or use online tools to get constructive criticism. A second perspective can highlight issues you might have missed.

These editing steps will help you produce a polished essay that clearly explains your main points and holds up to academic scrutiny.

Explanatory Essay Format

Understanding the explanatory essay format is key to a well-structured and logical paper. Here’s a basic breakdown of the format for an explanatory essay:

Introduction paragraph

Begin with an interesting sentence to capture the reader’s attention.
Give a short intro. It should set the topic and outline the essay’s purpose.
Present a clear thesis statement summarizing the main idea of the entire essay.

Body paragraphs

Organize the body paragraphs around logical subtopics related to the essay topic.
Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence that aligns with the thesis.
Show evidence from good sources. Also, give key details for each main point.
Incorporate a robust concluding statement per paragraph that drives home your point and links to the ideas in the next paragraph/section.
Summarize the key points.
Provide a final statement that reinforces the main idea without introducing new information.
Craft a concluding statement that leaves your teacher or professor with a lasting impression.

Following this essay outline ensures that your paper has a clear flow. This makes it easy for readers to understand and follow your argument.

Write Better Explanatory Essays With Smodin

Explanatory essays can be overwhelming. Presenting a solid argument, keeping your professor or teacher interested, and remembering conventions like citations can be a real headache.

But, a strong thesis and thorough research make them easier. Well-structured body paragraphs also help deliver a clear, insightful essay that maintains objectivity. Just remember to revise and check for accuracy!

AI-powered platforms like Smodin simplify and enhance the process of writing explanatory essays.

Smodin’s tools help craft clear and well-structured essays that meet any of your academic standards. With Smodin’s advanced research capabilities, you can gather detailed and relevant information quickly. This will save you time and improve your work.

Plagiarism Checker : Ensure your essay maintains originality with Smodin’s plagiarism detection tool. This feature helps maintain academic integrity by checking your work against vast databases.
Auto Citation : Cite your sources accurately without the hassle. Smodin’s auto-citation tool ensures your references are in the right format and meet your academic institution’s rules.
Text Shortener : If your explanatory essay is too long, use Smodin’s AI writer as an essay shortener. It will help you cut your content without losing key details. This helps keep your essay clear and relevant.
Text Rewriter : Helps paraphrase existing content, ensuring uniqueness and a fresh perspective.
Summarizer : The Summarizer boils down long articles into short summaries. They are perfect for making an efficient outline or conclusion.

Crafting the Perfect Proposal Essay: A Comprehensive Example and Guide

When it comes to academic writing, one of the most compelling and influential forms is the proposal essay. If you've ever wondered how to craft a persuasive proposal essay or why this type of writing is important, you're in the right place. This article will walk you through everything you

What is a Proposal Essay?

A proposal essay is a type of writing that proposes an idea or solution to a problem and provides evidence to convince the reader why the proposed idea or solution is good or viable. It's a persuasive piece that blends critical thinking with a structured approach to argumentation.

In essence, you're selling your idea. This type of essay can be particularly effective in academic, professional, and personal contexts where proposing a new course of action or a change in policy is necessary.

Elevate Your Essay Writing with Academic Essay

Struggling to craft the perfect essay? Let Academic Essay be your guide! Our app is designed to help you write engaging, thoughtful, and informational essays with ease. Whether you're a student aiming for top grades or a professional looking to impress, Academic Essay has got you covered.

Don't let essay writing stress you out. Download Academic Essay today and transform your writing experience. Your best essay is just a tap away!

Get Started Now! It's Free!!!

Key Elements of a Proposal Essay

Before diving into a proposal essay example, let's break down the key elements that make up this type of essay:

Introduction : This section sets the stage for your proposal. Here, you present the problem you're addressing and provide some background information to give context. It's also where you clearly state your proposal.
Problem Statement : Detail the problem you're addressing. Explain why it's important and why the reader should care about it. Use statistics and facts to support your claims.
Proposal : This is where you introduce your solution. Explain what you're proposing, how it works, and why it's the best option. Be specific and detailed.
Plan of Action : Outline the steps necessary to implement your proposal. This should include a timeline and any resources required.
Benefits : Highlight the advantages of your proposal. Explain how it will solve the problem and any additional benefits it might bring.
Conclusion : Summarize the main points and restate the importance of your proposal. Encourage the reader to support or adopt your proposal.

Writing a Proposal Essay: Step-by-Step Guide

To illustrate how to write a compelling proposal essay, let's go through a step-by-step guide using an example. We'll use "The Benefits of Renewable Energy Adoption" as our proposal essay example.

Introduction

Start with a hook to grab your reader's attention. You could use a startling statistic or a thought-provoking question.

Example : "Did you know that over 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels? As the world grapples with climate change, it's clear that we need a sustainable solution. This proposal essay example will explore the benefits of adopting renewable energy to address this pressing issue."

In your introduction, provide some background information and clearly state your proposal.

Example : "Renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydropower offer a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. By transitioning to these clean energy sources, we can reduce emissions, create jobs, and promote a healthier environment."

Problem Statement

Explain the problem in detail, using facts and statistics to back up your claims. This helps to establish the significance of the issue.

Example : "The reliance on fossil fuels has led to severe environmental degradation. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), fossil fuel combustion accounted for 31.5 gigatons of CO2 emissions in 2020 alone. This contributes to air pollution, climate change, and health problems, costing economies billions of dollars annually."

Present your solution clearly and concisely. Explain what you're proposing and why it's a viable solution.

Example : "To combat these issues, I propose a nationwide adoption of renewable energy sources. By investing in solar, wind, and hydropower infrastructure, we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint and foster sustainable development."

Plan of Action

Detail the steps required to implement your proposal. Include a timeline and necessary resources.

Example : "The transition to renewable energy can be achieved through the following steps:

Investment in Infrastructure : Allocate funds to build solar farms, wind turbines, and hydropower plants.
Government Incentives : Provide tax credits and subsidies to businesses and households that install renewable energy systems.
Public Awareness Campaigns : Educate the public on the benefits of renewable energy and how they can contribute.
Research and Development : Invest in R&D to improve the efficiency and affordability of renewable technologies.

This plan can be rolled out over the next decade, with periodic assessments to ensure progress."

Highlight the advantages of your proposal, using data and examples to support your points.

Example : "Adopting renewable energy will have numerous benefits. Economically, it will create millions of jobs in manufacturing, installation, and maintenance. Environmentally, it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, leading to a healthier planet. According to a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the U.S. could meet 80% of its electricity needs with renewables by 2050, significantly cutting emissions."

Summarize your main points and restate the importance of your proposal. Encourage the reader to support your idea.

Example : "In conclusion, the transition to renewable energy is not just a necessity for environmental sustainability, but also a significant economic opportunity. By adopting renewable energy sources, we can create jobs, reduce emissions, and ensure a healthier future for generations to come. It's time to embrace a cleaner, greener energy future."

Proposal Essay Example: A Real-World Scenario

Implementing Green Roofs in Urban Areas: A Proposal

Urbanization has led to significant environmental challenges, including increased air pollution, urban heat islands, and a loss of green spaces. As cities continue to grow, finding sustainable solutions to these issues becomes more critical. One innovative and effective approach is the implementation of green roofs. This proposal essay explores the benefits of green roofs, outlines a plan for their installation in urban areas, and argues for their adoption as a standard practice in city planning.

The rapid urbanization of cities around the world has resulted in several environmental problems. The most pressing issues include air pollution, increased temperatures due to the urban heat island effect, and the reduction of natural green spaces. These problems not only degrade the quality of life for city residents but also contribute to broader environmental concerns, such as climate change.

Air Pollution : Cities are hotspots for air pollution, with vehicle emissions, industrial activities, and construction contributing significantly to poor air quality. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 91% of the world’s population lives in places where air quality levels exceed WHO limits.
Urban Heat Islands : The urban heat island effect causes cities to be significantly warmer than their rural surroundings due to human activities and the prevalence of heat-absorbing materials like concrete and asphalt. This can lead to higher energy consumption for cooling, exacerbating greenhouse gas emissions.
Loss of Green Spaces : Urban development often comes at the expense of natural habitats, leading to a loss of biodiversity and green spaces that are essential for ecological balance and human well-being. The presence of green spaces in urban areas is associated with numerous benefits, including improved mental health and reduced stress levels.

To address these issues, I propose the widespread implementation of green roofs in urban areas. Green roofs are roofs covered with vegetation and soil, which can be installed on both new and existing buildings. They offer a range of environmental, economic, and social benefits, making them an ideal solution for sustainable urban development.

Key Components of the Proposal :

Design and Structure : Green roofs consist of several layers, including a waterproof membrane, drainage layer, growing medium, and vegetation. They can be categorized into extensive (lightweight, low-maintenance) and intensive (heavier, more diverse vegetation) types.
Implementation Plan : The proposal includes a phased implementation plan, starting with pilot projects in key urban areas to demonstrate the benefits of green roofs. This will be followed by incentives and regulations to encourage widespread adoption.
Funding and Support : The proposal outlines potential funding sources, including government grants, public-private partnerships, and green bonds. It also emphasizes the importance of public awareness campaigns and community involvement.

Benefits of Green Roofs

Green roofs provide numerous advantages that can help mitigate the environmental problems associated with urbanization.

Environmental Benefits

Improved Air Quality : Green roofs can help reduce air pollution by filtering airborne particles and absorbing pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Plants also produce oxygen through photosynthesis, contributing to cleaner air.
Temperature Regulation : By providing insulation and reducing heat absorption, green roofs can significantly lower rooftop temperatures and mitigate the urban heat island effect. According to a study by the National Research Council of Canada, green roofs can reduce cooling energy demand by up to 75%.
Stormwater Management : Green roofs absorb rainwater, reducing runoff and alleviating the burden on urban drainage systems. This helps prevent flooding and reduces the risk of water pollution.
Biodiversity Enhancement : Green roofs create habitats for various plant and animal species, promoting urban biodiversity. They can support pollinators like bees and butterflies, contributing to the health of urban ecosystems.

Economic Benefits

Energy Savings : The insulation provided by green roofs reduces the need for heating in winter and cooling in summer, leading to significant energy savings. The U.S. General Services Administration reports that green roofs can reduce energy use by up to 50%.
Increased Property Value : Buildings with green roofs are often more attractive to buyers and tenants due to their aesthetic appeal and environmental benefits. This can lead to higher property values and rental income.
Extended Roof Lifespan : Green roofs protect the underlying roofing materials from UV radiation and extreme temperature fluctuations, extending the lifespan of the roof and reducing maintenance costs.

Social Benefits

Enhanced Well-being : Access to green spaces has been shown to improve mental health and well-being. Green roofs provide urban residents with a connection to nature, which can reduce stress and enhance quality of life.
Community Engagement : Green roof projects can foster community involvement and education about sustainable practices. They provide opportunities for urban gardening and green space creation in densely populated areas.

The implementation of green roofs in urban areas requires a well-structured plan that includes pilot projects, policy development, and community engagement.

Phase 1: Pilot Projects

Selection of Sites : Identify key buildings in various urban areas that are suitable for green roof installation. These could include public buildings, schools, commercial properties, and residential complexes.
Design and Installation : Collaborate with architects, engineers, and landscape designers to develop green roof designs that meet the specific needs of each site. Ensure that installations are carried out by qualified professionals.
Monitoring and Evaluation : Set up a monitoring system to evaluate the performance of green roofs in terms of temperature regulation, energy savings, air quality improvement, and stormwater management. Collect data to support the expansion of the program.

Phase 2: Policy Development

Incentives : Develop incentives to encourage property owners and developers to install green roofs. This could include tax breaks, grants, and low-interest loans.
Regulations : Introduce building codes and regulations that mandate or encourage the inclusion of green roofs in new developments and major renovations. Establish standards for green roof design and maintenance.
Public Awareness : Launch public awareness campaigns to educate residents, businesses, and policymakers about the benefits of green roofs. Highlight successful pilot projects and share best practices.

Phase 3: Widespread Adoption

Expansion : Based on the success of pilot projects, expand the green roof program to more buildings and urban areas. Prioritize areas with the highest levels of air pollution and urban heat islands.
Community Involvement : Engage communities in the planning and maintenance of green roofs. Provide training and support for urban gardening initiatives and community green space projects.
Research and Innovation : Invest in research and innovation to improve green roof technologies and practices. Explore new materials, plant species, and design techniques to enhance the effectiveness of green roofs.

Green roofs offer a sustainable solution to some of the most pressing environmental challenges facing urban areas today. By improving air quality, reducing the urban heat island effect, managing stormwater, and enhancing biodiversity, green roofs can significantly improve the quality of life in cities. Additionally, they provide economic benefits through energy savings, increased property values, and extended roof lifespans, while also offering social benefits such as enhanced well-being and community engagement.

The implementation of green roofs requires a coordinated effort involving pilot projects, policy development, and community engagement. By taking a phased approach and leveraging funding sources and public awareness campaigns, cities can successfully adopt green roofs as a standard practice in urban planning.

COMMENTS

Craft Essay
Our Craft Essay Archive extends back to 2005, a rich trove of essays exploring the challenges of writing, the craft of characterization, voice, image, syntax, and structure, author interviews, and many other aspects of the writing life. You can access these essays here, or by using the search box. We have also tagged many of...
Writing A Craft Essay (Video Lesson in Creative Writing)
MELC: Write a craft essay with Sensitivity to the Different Literary and/or Socio-political Contexts of Creative Writing. (HUMSS_CW/MPlj-IIc-20).LESSON OBJEC...
Creative Nonfiction Craft Essays Archives • Cleaver Magazine
A Craft Essay. by Geoff Watkinson. During the fall of my senior year of college, I took my first creative writing class and began to think that I might want to be a writer. I was a history major, read hungrily, and chose electives like Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Film, Modern Speculative Fiction.
Great craft essays for writing essays, memoir, and creative nonfiction
Great craft essays for writing essays, memoir, and creative nonfiction. February 03, 2019 in craft. " Yet literature insists on history — the story of a life, intimately known — and writers gamble with redemption. Surely our hope in holding a world still between the covers of a book is to make that world known, to save it from vanishing.
Craft Essays
A lack of curiosity; an edge of anticipation. The nudge that spurs a writer to create something unique and satisfying. Not just for a teacher, but for themselves. This is what all students of writing should strive for. The need to engage in the process of writing, not just once or twice, but again and again and again, until you have explored ...
Practical Notes: Writing A Craft Paper-Karen Babine
Students writing craft papers will also encounter this problem. I encourage students not only to dig through Assay and the Writer's Chronicle, in addition to craft books. The introductions to various anthologies, as well as the introductions to Best American Essays, also are excellent places to look for secondary thinking. Project Muse has ...
25 Essential Notes on Craft from Matthew Salesses
January 19, 2021. 1. Craft is a set of expectations. 2. Expectations are not universal; they are standardized. It is like what we say about wine or espresso: we acquire "taste.". With each story we read, we draw on and contribute to our knowledge of what a story is or should be. This is true of cultural standards as fundamental as whether ...
The Power of Writing in Threes: The Triptych
The Power of Three. Writing a triptych, or an essay consisting of three parts, allows the writer to explore a topic in a layered form. Originally from the Greek word triptychos, meaning three folds, the triptych became popular with visual artists in the Middle Ages.Like the artist presenting three separate panels as a singular work, the writer crafts three distinct yet related narratives that ...
The Essay as Bouquet
The Essay as Bouquet. "Hermit crab" essays can take many forms, both natural and not. Ambrose Bierce, the American editorialist and journalist, wrote in his 1909 craft book, Write It Right, that "good writing" is "clear thinking made visible," an idea that has been repeated and adapted by countless writers over the past century.
PDF How to Write an Author's Craft Essay
• Collect entries on the author's craft. • Choose a spot in the text to study and name a few craft moves you see the author using. • Look for patterns of craft across the text in similar scenes. • Focus on powerful craft moves, like symbolism. • Write a claim for author's craft, either focusing on one or many craft moves.
Craft Essay: HARNESSING WILDNESS by Kari Ann Ebert • Cleaver Magazine
A Craft Essay by Kari Ann Ebert. To avoid stagnation and cliché, one of the tools in a poet's arsenal is to conjure associations that bring energy to the poem and add complex layers. These associations can show themselves as metaphors, changes of perspective, or wild unfettered leaps. Carl Phillips identifies associative poetry as, "poetry ...
CRAFT: Let's Get Graphic: A Look at the Visual Essay by Nicole Breit
The Quilted Essay. Quilting has a long history of embodying narrative in carefully chosen patterns, colours, and symbols. Learn more about textile-based narratives in Sarah Minor's article "What Quilting and Embroidery Can Teach Us about Narrative Form" and by reading her visual essay, "Log Cabin Quilt." 7. The Schematic Essay
The Shared Space Between Reader and Writer: A Case Study
For example: June 30, 1999. ... Miller's Brevity craft essay is adapted from an August 2014 craft talk she presented at the Rainier Writing Workshop. Tags: hermit_crab, rejection, revision. 6 comments. ryder ziebarth says: Jan 30, 2015. Reply. Brenda, this was so incredibly helpful to my work right NOW. Great essay, and a really good way to ...
Character Emotion in the Short Story: Craft Essay
The example I used earlier of "Bob is sad" is a simple example of direct reporting. The reader knows what the character is feeling and applies that knowledge to any actions that follow. In her story "Nettles," Alice Munro employs a first-person narrator to explore the feelings and thoughts of a woman struggling with her definition of love.
Sdo navotas creative_writing_q2_m6_writing a craft essay.fv(22)
4. ii Introductory Message For the facilitator: Welcome to the Creative Writing for Senior High School Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on Writing a Craft Essay. This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators both from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 ...
My Passion For Arts And Crafts: [Essay Example], 455 words
My Passion for Arts and Crafts. At the age of eleven, I crocheted a piece of yarn into a yellow, lopsided hairband. After about a day's worth of wearing, the elasticity of headband gave away and it became an oversized mess. Still, I wore it as a badge of honor. It is amazing how a blasé piece of yarn could be transferred into something ...
The Craft of Crafting: Understanding the Essence of an Essay
Essay Example: In the realm of academia and beyond, the essay stands as a versatile and ubiquitous form of expression. It is a literary vehicle that transcends disciplines, allowing writers to articulate ideas, analyze concepts, and engage with diverse audiences. ... The Craft of Crafting: Understanding the Essence of an Essay. (2024, May 21 ...
Essay on Craft
Rozsika and Parker examine the disadvantages of women's craft practices such as embroidery and how it suggests 'the stereotype of the virgin in opposition to the whore, is an infantilizing representation of women's sexuality (P.2). This is supported by the surface patterns created (fig.1) for garments and home furnishing, as they were ...
Example of a Great Essay
This example guides you through the structure of an essay. It shows how to build an effective introduction , focused paragraphs , clear transitions between ideas, and a strong conclusion . Each paragraph addresses a single central point, introduced by a topic sentence , and each point is directly related to the thesis statement .
Crafts and Fine Arts.
If one would like to represent the example of the art object that would feat the definition of both: the crafts and the fine arts, then the hand made glass flowers would perform this role quite well. They can be considered the fine arts work as they create the aesthetic and admiration feeling. Nevertheless, they might be regarded as the crafts ...
Types of Essays in Academic Writing
Narrative Essay. 4. Argumentative Essay. Expository and persuasive essays mainly deal with facts to explain ideas clearly. Narrative and descriptive essays are informal and have a creative edge. Despite their differences, these essay types share a common goal ― to convey information, insights, and perspectives effectively.
Essays
August 12th, 2013. In six seconds, you'll hate me. But in six months, you'll be a better writer. From this point forward - at least for the next half year - you may not use "thought" verbs. These include: Thinks, Knows, Understands, Realizes, Believes, Wants, Remembers, Imagines, Desires, and a hundred others you love to use.
Author's Craft on "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker
Introduction. In 'Everyday Use,' Alice Walker stresses the importance of the main character's heritage. She employs varied ways that during which to reveal many aspects of heritage that unit of measurement otherwise arduous to be noticed. In the story, she introduces a pair of sisters with nearly opposite personalities and altogether completely ...
How to Write an Explanatory Essay
With this guide, you'll be able to write an explanatory essay with confidence. 1. Develop a strong thesis statement. Crafting a strong thesis statement is the cornerstone of any well-written explanatory essay. It sets the stage for what your essay will cover and clarifies the main point you're going to explain.
Crafting the Perfect Proposal Essay: A Comprehensive Example and Guide
Crafting the Perfect Proposal Essay: A Comprehensive Example and Guide. When it comes to academic writing, one of the most compelling and influential forms is the proposal essay. If you've ever wondered how to craft a persuasive proposal essay or why this type of writing is important, you're in the right place.

Craft Essays

Assay: A Journal of Nonfiction Studies

Share this:

Leave a comment Cancel reply

25 Essential Notes on Craft from Matthew Salesses

Matthew Salesses

Literary Hub

Become a Lit Hub Supporting Member : Because Books Matter

The Essay as Bouquet

Cleaver Magazine

HARNESSING WILDNESS: THE PRACTICE OF POETIC LEAPS , a Craft Essay by Kari Ann Ebert

The Shared Space Between Reader and Writer: A Case Study

Numéro Cinq

One Response to “Character Emotion in the Short Story: Craft Essay — Walker Griffy”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

The Craft of Crafting: Understanding the Essence of an Essay

Cite this page

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Crafts and Fine Arts. Essay

Academic Essay Writing Made Simple: 4 types and tips

What is an Academic Essay

Importance of Academic Essays

Expository Essays: Illuminating ideas

What are the Key Features of an Expository Essay

Provides factual information without bias

Presents multiple viewpoints while maintaining objectivity

Uses direct and concise language to ensure clarity for the reader

Composed of a logical structure with an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion

How to Write an Expository Essay

Descriptive Essays: Painting with words

What are the Key Features of Descriptive Essay

Employs figurative language and imagery to paint a vivid picture for the reader

Demonstrates creativity and expressiveness in narration

Includes close attention to detail, engaging the reader’s senses

Engages the reader’s imagination and emotions through immersive storytelling using analogies, metaphors, similes, etc.

How to Write a Descriptive Essay

Narrative Essays: Storytelling in Action

What are the Key features of Narrative Essays

Written from a first-person perspective and hence subjective

Based on real personal experiences

Uses an informal and expressive tone

Presents events and characters in sequential order

How to Write a Narrative Essay

Argumentative Essays: Persuasion and Critical Thinking

What are the Key Features of an Argumentative Essay?

Logical and well-structured arguments

Credible and relevant evidence from reputable sources

Consideration and refutation of counterarguments

Critical analysis and evaluation of the issue

How to write an Argumentative Essay

5 Quick Tips for Researchers to Improve Academic Essay Writing Skills

Use clear and concise language to convey ideas effectively without unnecessary words

Use well-researched, credible sources to substantiate your arguments with data, expert opinions, and scholarly references

Ensure a coherent structure with effective transitions, clear topic sentences, and a logical flow to enhance readability

To elevate your academic essay, consider submitting your draft to a community-based platform like Open Platform for editorial review

Review your work multiple times for clarity, coherence, and adherence to academic guidelines to ensure a polished final product

Enago Academy's Most Popular Articles

Ensuring Academic Integrity and Transparency in Academic Research: A comprehensive checklist for researchers

AI vs. AI: How to detect image manipulation and avoid academic misconduct

Unified AI Guidelines Crucial as Academic Writing Embraces Generative Tools

Need for Diversifying Academic Curricula: Embracing missing voices and marginalized perspectives

One Word Leads To The Next: Unconventional Conjunctive Devices

The Haunting: How To Conquer The Shame Of Being A Writer

Consider This: Undecidability

Consider This: Coping

Preparing for Company: Writing 'The Least of My Scars'

Nuts and Bolts: Saying It Wrong

Talking Heads, Hearing Voices and the Disappearing Narrator

Nuts and Bolts: “Thought” Verbs

The Safety of Transgression versus the Risk of Honesty

Try Reedsy's novel writing masterclass — 100% free

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Author's Craft on "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker

Introduction

Cite this Essay

Related Essays

Still can’t find what you need?

Related Essays on Everyday Use

Related Topics

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!