You've Got to Try Mark Twain's Secret Writing Trick

I remember the first time I read Tom Sawyer and how free I felt as the pages turned. Then, in High School, when I cracked Huckleberry Finn and learned so much about life in the South. Twain's writing is quintessentially American, right down to the problematic parts. But there was one secret thing he did that I think screenwriters can learn a lot from. Let's dive in. Mark Twain's Secret About WritingSo, in this fascinating YouTube video, we get a deep dive into Mark Twain's powerful writing secret: storing and reusing phrases and sentences.This sounds like cheating, but it's actually super smart, especially for screenwriters. If there's a way you describe something or a list of onomatopoeia or something you will use again and again, don't mess around with perfection! The core idea is to create a personal library of compelling phrases and sentences you craft or encounter. Collect them as valuable building blocks that you can use again and again in future writing projects.Maybe you have a list of opening scenes you like, or maybe you have a list of dialogue and turns of phrases you want to employ, do keep them ready. And if you need to add more specificity to your descriptions, you can dip into your collection of stored phrases can provide the perfect solution. At the end of the day, you're using this stuff to connect with your audience. You want your work to evoke the right feelings. Sometimes, that means using a phrase you've done before that you know hits the right chords. Of course, doing this takes time and practice. Writers need to be careful when reusing phrases to avoid repetition or just creating their own cliches.But at the end of the day, I think it's smart to start your own library that you can go back to in times of trouble or if you have writer's block to get it all out. After all, a finished product is better than just an idea. And you can always rewrite! Summing It All Up So, there you have it. By storing and strategically reusing phrases, you can streamline your writing process, add depth and emotion to your work, and unlock a new level of efficiency.Let me know what you think in the comments.

May 2, 2025 - 18:55

You've Got to Try Mark Twain's Secret Writing Trick

I remember the first time I read Tom Sawyer and how free I felt as the pages turned. Then, in High School, when I cracked Huckleberry Finn and learned so much about life in the South.

Twain's writing is quintessentially American, right down to the problematic parts. But there was one secret thing he did that I think screenwriters can learn a lot from.

Let's dive in.

Mark Twain's Secret About Writing

So, in this fascinating YouTube video, we get a deep dive into Mark Twain's powerful writing secret: storing and reusing phrases and sentences.

This sounds like cheating, but it's actually super smart, especially for screenwriters. If there's a way you describe something or a list of onomatopoeia or something you will use again and again, don't mess around with perfection!

The core idea is to create a personal library of compelling phrases and sentences you craft or encounter. Collect them as valuable building blocks that you can use again and again in future writing projects.

Maybe you have a list of opening scenes you like, or maybe you have a list of dialogue and turns of phrases you want to employ, do keep them ready.

And if you need to add more specificity to your descriptions, you can dip into your collection of stored phrases can provide the perfect solution.

At the end of the day, you're using this stuff to connect with your audience. You want your work to evoke the right feelings. Sometimes, that means using a phrase you've done before that you know hits the right chords.

Of course, doing this takes time and practice.

Writers need to be careful when reusing phrases to avoid repetition or just creating their own cliches.

But at the end of the day, I think it's smart to start your own library that you can go back to in times of trouble or if you have writer's block to get it all out.

After all, a finished product is better than just an idea. And you can always rewrite!

Summing It All Up

So, there you have it. By storing and strategically reusing phrases, you can streamline your writing process, add depth and emotion to your work, and unlock a new level of efficiency.

Let me know what you think in the comments.