Desk Notes by Charles Schifano

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Essays on Craft

The Two Types of Writing Problems
I’ve come to believe that all writing problems can be divided into two categories.
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Charles Schifano
2
Writing What You Can't Say
Listening closely to your speech will often provide clues for your writing.
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Charles Schifano
5
Storytelling Technique—Time Dilation
The gap between Cleopatra and the building of artificial intelligence is smaller than the gap between Cleopatra and the building of the Egyptian…
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Charles Schifano
2
Are Writers Afraid of Melody?
Adding a little poetry to your prose isn’t the worst way to spend an afternoon.
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Charles Schifano
6
Storytelling Technique—Gaps in Writing
Language is a matter of choosing what to select and what to forget.
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Charles Schifano
3
Storytelling Technique—Who is Speaking?
The trick of a narrative technique.
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Charles Schifano
4
A Time to Write
You end up looking backward to describe what’s on the horizon.
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Charles Schifano
2
The Sentence Stylist
In the hands of a stylist, a reader feels secure.
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Charles Schifano
3
Disappointing Lines
Let’s begin quite naturally at the beginning.
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Charles Schifano
5
The Geometry of Stories
Thinking about stories in a proportional structure is a mistake.
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Charles Schifano
10
First Drafts
Wine is best for first drafts and coffee is best for second drafts.
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Charles Schifano
6
How to Practice Writing
There are good methods to exercise your writing abilities.
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Charles Schifano
2
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