“I thought I saw a goddess” — Rashomon — Alt Text A vertical rectangle (bisected diagonally with the colors blue then peach) contains an embedded circle also split diagonally with the colors inverted, peach then blue. A white blurred outline surrounds the circle rendering it three-dimensional by implying that light reflects from its curved surface.

I murder my darlings and axe extra words — I am savage. I eliminate those I cherish most, slash the weakest, then revel in my violence. I didn’t start out this way. I was a naïve poet living in Small Town USA. I grew up with your values — show empathy, be kind, rewind. Cliches were safe with me…

How and why LITERALLY and LIKE have saturated our conversations — I am so over the word literally. Like, literally! But before we talk about the word literally let’s get a bird’s eye view. Literally (well OK, not literally). A brief overview of slang 🕑 In the roaring 1920s — food gave conversation its flavor: baloney was nonsense, and a raspberry was a disapproving sound. 🕒…

Get motivated by choosing effective role models to boost your creativity Art supplies Second-grade art class was fun! Remember the boxes of sixty-four crayons? Even their waxy whiff was enticing. Flip the top to see the bleachers filled with multi-colored cone hats. Sky-blue called out Pick Me! and we swiped thin lines…

Metaphors are gentle teachers * Part 5 — Translate complex ideas into simple language Complex ideas are best explained through similes and metaphors that place your reader in the center of the action. In this chapter, Isaac Newton discovers that blockchain security is like a constable on guard and cryptocurrency is a tadpole, with a unique number sequence etched in its translucent tail. If…

Use familiar ideas to explain strange concepts * Part 4 — Translate complex ideas into simple language Familiar ideas help ease your reader into an unknown subject. Isaac Newton can comprehend cryptocurrency only through language and experiences that he recognizes as contemporary, common, and comfortable. If you missed previous chapters, click here to catch up: Let’s Teach Cryptocurrency to Isaac Newton: Slice big chunks of information into…

Slice big chunks of information into bite-size pieces * Part 3 — Translate complex ideas into simple language Slice big chunks of information into bite-size pieces when your reader is unfamiliar with concepts and terminology. Sir Isaac Newton resumes his introduction to cryptocurrency by studying bite-size nuggets of information. If you missed previous chapters, click here to catch up: Let’s Teach Cryptocurrency to Isaac Newton: Reach your target…

Give Relevant Background Information * Part 2 — Translate complex ideas into simple language Let’s strengthen our synapses and stretch our creativity by carefully selecting relevant background information for an eighteenth-century reader who will eventually need to fathom a freaky concept: What is cryptocurrency? If you missed the introduction to this series, click here to catch up: Let’s Teach Cryptocurrency to Isaac Newton: Reach…

Reach Your Target Audience * Part 1 — Translate complex ideas into simple language Successful writers translate complex ideas into simple language for a specific audience. For a sharp “writer’s brain,” our mental muscles must flex like spandex after Christmas dinner. Let’s strengthen our synapses and stretch our creativity. Reach your target audience In this exercise we will get to know our reader. To effectively describe a complicated…