The Old Schoolhouse - March 2012

Suggested Writing
Assignment
;ink about a work of literature that
you love or that has in;uenced your
life. What impact did this work have
on you? In what ways did this work
meet the criteria of great writing
set forth in this article? Try to give
speci;c examples from the work to
support these statements.

to make note of these in a journal. ;ese notes may help you create your own memorable characters.

Great writing engages the reader as a partner in the creative process. Sometimes you will ;nd a book to read that seems almost impossible to put down. Books become “page-turners” when the reader cares about the fate of the characters or longs to know the outcome of the adventure. As a writer, the best way to accomplish this is by creating likeable characters who face an important con;ict or obstacle. Interesting plot lines and unexpected twists add to the sense of suspense and propel the reader to the ;- nal resolution. As the reader uses his own imagination to create images of the characters, visualize the scenes, and predict the possible outcomes, he feels personally invested in the book. In this way the book becomes a part of the reader’s own life experience—the mark of an in;uential

Great writing ;ows
easily, has a subtle
rhythm, and uses
pleasing word
combinations.

work of literature. Even non;ction books can accomplish this goal. When a reader not only reads a work, but internalizes its message, and alters his life in some way as a result, then he, too, has engaged as a partner in the creative process. ;at is part of the power of great writing.

Great writing has an impact on
the ear as well as the eye.
In today’s world, the use of audible
books is increasing. Audio books are a
www.; eHomeschoolMagazine.com
great way to absorb great literature on
the go. But you will notice that some
books sound better than others, not
only because of the performance of tal-
ented voice actors, but because of the
audible beauty of the written words of
an extraordinary writer. Great writing
;ows easily, has a subtle rhythm, and
uses pleasing word combinations. As
a writer, one test of your own written
work is to read it aloud. Do any of the
words strike you as discordant as you
read it aloud? Does your tongue tend
to trip over the syllables? If so, you may
need to choose other words or restruc-
ture your sentences in order to enhance
the audible beauty of the written word.

Editor’s Note: LibriVox is a site that offers free audio books ( librivox.org). Here is a short clip from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol:;[mp3@64kbps - 21.4MB].

Great writing is quotable. Have you noticed how o;en pastors and speakers quote from great writers such as Shakespeare, Dickens, Pope, Tolstoy, and many others? ;at is because great writing o;en includes very quotable statements: statements that incorporate great truths or observations about mankind in a simple, elegant form. Writers achieve this quotability by cra;ing their words carefully to produce a phrase that is easily remembered or has an unexpected twist that captures the mind and imagination. ;ese quotations tend to have audible beauty as well. Great writing, like all great art forms, requires attention to subtle details.

Great writing reveals great truths. ;e best writing is writing which reveals truth in a new way or inspires us to pursue truth for ourselves. Most o;en, these truths concern mankind: the endurance of the human spirit through great hardship, the e;ects of one man’s actions on the lives of others, the depravity of man in his natural state, the triumphs and tragedies that a;ect us all. However, the best literature, in my opinion, is that which reveals truths about God as well. As writers, we should strive to present truths, rather than the errors that a;ict so much modern writing. Our readers should be wiser for having read our words.

As you read, use these standards to judge the writing of others. As you write, use them to make your own words rise to

Classic literature is great
writing that has stood
the test of time.

the level of “greatness.” Strive to inspire others by the words that you are inspired to write.

“Words—so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.”—Nathaniel Hawthorne

Amelia Harper is a homeschooling mother of ;ve and a pastor’s wife. She is also the author of Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings, a complete one-year literature curriculum designed for secondary-level homeschooled students. In addition, she is an English tutor and a freelance writer who contributes regularly to newspapers and magazines. For more information, go to www.home scholarbooks.com.