How to Make Your Writing Sing Session 1 by Saxon Henry

1. How to Make Your
Writing Sing
Session One
Read, Write, Edit, Repeat
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2. READ
• Read exemplary writing: it is gourmet nourishment for your
vocabulary, and over time your writing will become richer
by osmosis.
• Learn to be a great researcher if you are not; the skill will
help you think outside the box.
• Don’t limit reading to design writing and shelter pubs;
consume narrative non-fiction, fiction, poetry (if you enjoy
it) and literary journalism.
• I’ll read an example from Edith Wharton’s novel “The
Custom of the Country” that is rich in design detail.
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3. What Dictates my Reading Choices?
My Authentic Point of View: Literary Design + Literary Travel
A few examples of how they’ve gelled in recent posts:
LITERARY DESIGN
• Currey & Company Arts Awards and Leo Tolstoy’s “What Is Art?”
• Bernardaud porcelain and “Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette”
• Thomas Wyatt, Hampton Court Palace, “Graven with Diamonds” and
Lorfords Antiques
LITERARY TRAVEL
• The Glazebrook House Hotel and “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”
• The Peacock Room, James Whistler and “American Salons”
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4. Currey & Co Arts Award + Tolstoy
“Art should make it so that the
feelings of brotherhood and love
of one’s neighbor, now
accessible only to the best
people of society, become
habitual feelings, an instinct for
everyone. The purpose of art in
our time consists in transferring
from the realm of reason to the
realm of feeling the truth that
people’s well-being lies in being
united among themselves.”
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5. Bernardaud Porcelain + Marie
Antoinette
“The King sits beside me in bed, and once
he is propped up and comfortably rests his
back into the plump pillows, I hand him his
cup, a beautiful green one of Sèvres
porcelain decorated with a wide golden rim
and lozenge portraits of deep pink roses.
Then I reach for my own cup, as deep and
satisfying a green as the forest itself.” –Sena
Jeter Naslund in Abundance: A Novel of
Marie Antoinette
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6. Glazebrook House Hotel +
Adventures In Wonderland
“‘What is the use of a book,’
thought Alice, ‘without
pictures or conversations?’”
“What is the use of a hotel,”
thought Timothy Oulton,
“without whimsy and
curiosities?” With Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland as
his inspiration, the designer
set out to transform the
interiors of the Glazebrook
House Hotel into a
sophisticated backdrop with
hints of surrealism tucked
into its warren of rooms.
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7. The Bonus of Intermingling Passions like
Design and Literature?
The combination gives
me “permission” to read
things I love, like
historical nonfiction,
fiction, poetry and
literary journalism, as
part of my “job.” And
constantly reading in
each of these genres
makes me a stronger
writer because I’m
consuming quality.
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8. Write. Every. Day.
• Find your most productive time of day and protect it for
writing—everyday. This will keep your writing muscle strong
for times when you are stressed and/or running behind.
• Keep a writer’s notebook to jot down ideas.
• Learn to look at your own writing objectively and bust
yourself on areas you could improve.
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9. Edit and Repeat (Again and Again)
• Each post I write goes through at least two dozen edits
before I publish them, the honing necessary to the craft.
• Use good resources, such as The AP Stylebook or The
Chicago Manual of Style and check them often.
• Use a thesaurus for variety and don’t repeat words too
often, especially when they are closely placed.
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10. Depth + Identity = Confidence
• Look to history for heroes
and heroines to emulate;
this will bring depth and
interest to your writing, and
help you express your very
essence as you hone a niche.
• Find an authentic identity in
your writing and your voice
will build confidence, which
will show in your writing in a
positive way.
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11. Bring an Unholy Passion to the Page
If you don’t love to write, you may be challenged in
your desire to gain traction as a blogger. In the next
session, I’ll share some tips as to why writing long is
better for your platform.
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12. TIPS AND TO-DOs
A Few Things You Can Do When You’re Back at Work
• Put together your new book list of narrative non-fiction, fiction, poetry
and literary journalism, and commit to reading at least four pages per
day or more if possible.
• Make a list of other passions you could intermingle with your design
writing. Love food? Figure out how to focus your design writing on
tabletop and kitchen products; begin to tweak your platform in the
direction of your passion.
• Identify the time of day you will make the commitment to write and
begin immediately.
• Buy a writer’s notebook if you don’t have one and keep it with you.
• Purchase an AP Stylebook or The Chicago Manual of Style and have a
digital version of a Thesaurus on your computer to use.
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