Reflective Essay: The Lively Art Of Writing

Whenever students study a book in school, their teachers expect them to learn something—a big take away, a life-changing idea, a new perspective that sheds light on solutions to all the world’s problems. In many ways, The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne was not that book. It was, however, a very useful read that revealed many valuable tips and tricks of the writing trade that all students ought to know. I found some tips dull, some tips easy, and some greatly influential. Personally, the three most useful topics were paragraph hooks, the size and shape of the middle paragraphs, and the sound of the sentences. Paragraph hooks, like this one here, tremendously help my writing. Essentially, paragraph hooks add unity to a composition, smoothly stringing along ideas for a paper smooth as silk. True, paragraph hooks aren’t the only way to connect paragraphs, but they add another tool to a writer’s arsenal. The other common way to link paragraphs is through standard devices (words such as “admittedly” and “nevertheless”). Standard devices, however, tire out after prolonged use,

For the longest time, I struggled with how long a paragraph should be. What if my point is a rather large one? Does this mean my paragraph will be too long? Should I chop it in half? These questions buzzed around in my mind, pinging off my skull, causing an obnoxious racket and freezing my hands on the keyboard. The Lively Art of Writing, however, gave me a little peace. I simply asked the wrong question—instead of what length should a paragraph be, I should have asked, “What should be in the paragraph?” Each paragraph gets one point, and that point must be fully, but concisely, illustrated. Length is secondary. After mulling over this little piece of wisdom, I found my paragraph-induced anxiety vanishing. I now try to worry about what is in the paragraph, not how it