How to Make Your Writing Memorable

How to Make Your Writing Memorable | Mark Forsyth

Рет қаралды 12,635

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 55

@DavidPerellChannel Ай бұрын

What does the writing of Katy Perry, Hemingway, and The Bible have in common? Mark Forsyth has the answer. He studied history's greatest writers and noticed how they used the same rhetorical formulas. Here's what you need to know: 1. The formulas are timeless (and still work). 2. Where to begin? Try taking the last word of one sentence and repeating it as the first word in the next. It gives the illusion of logic. Like this one from Yoda: "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hatred. Hatred leads to suffering." 3. An example from Malcolm X: "Once you change your philosophy, you change your thought pattern. Once you change your thought pattern, you change your attitude. Once you change your attitude, it changes your behavior pattern and then you go on into some action." 4. It's a mystery why, but people love to hear a string of words that begins with the same letter. "Two to Tango" is a heck of a lot more memorable than "Two to Waltz." 5. From his book, Elements of Eloquence: "Adjectives in English absolutely have to be in this order: opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose Noun." 6. People will tell you to write only what's necessary, but endless repetition can be a way to emphasize something. Katy Perry's repetition of opposites is logically unnecessary, but it works: "'Cause you're hot then you're cold, You're yes then you're no, You're in then you're out, You're up then you're down, You're wrong when it's right, It's black and it's white, We fight, we break up, We kiss, we make up." 7. Wedding vows have the same kind of repetition: "For better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health..." 8. JFK leaned on a rhetorical device called a Chiasmus, where you take the first half of a sentence and say it backward. You see it in sentences like "Mankind must put an end to war-or war will put an end to mankind" and "Ask not what your country can do for you-ask what you can do for your country." 9. I like the Chiasmus because it's so easy to implement. Here's another example of a Chiasmus, like when Cormac McCarthy wrote: "You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget." 10. Language is ruled by the mob. Doesn't matter what the committees think. If everybody uses a word in a certain way, then that's what it means. 11. Most of Shakespeare's famous lines are simply examples of famous formulas. 12. Shakespeare often "stole" content from other people, but he improved what he stole by using rhetorical formulas and figures of speech. Mark insists that he had Thomas North’s translation of Plutarch open while writing Julius Caesar. 13. Write two things that connect, then add a twist for the third thing. The magic comes from the surprise. An example is: "Lies, damned lies, and statistics." Another is: "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." 14. Sometimes, the things that stick will simply surprise you. One of the most famous lines in film history only has three words: "Bond. James Bond." 15. The James Bond-style line is called a Diacope. Other examples are "Burn, baby, burn" and "Zed’s dead, baby, Zed’s dead."

@rebeccagarcia5749 Ай бұрын

I think you meant Katy Perry, Dickens, and the Bible…

@PaddyLamont Ай бұрын

This episode is like being introduced to a whole new universe of writing tools

@DavidPerellChannel Ай бұрын

Dig it! Strongly recommend Mark's book: The Elements of Eloquence

@PaddyLamont Ай бұрын

@@DavidPerellChannel Already ordered it! :D

@jarrodsio 22 күн бұрын

Heard his accent, checked his bio. Of course he went to Oxford. Outstanding interview. Kudos.

@dcle944 Ай бұрын

This is an incredible. I wish there are more videos like this to actually teach us how to write.

@ericmarshsr.6510 Ай бұрын

The fact that he quoted Coolio is evidence that he is in fact a master of his craft. Kudos to you, sir.

@CoachCam713 4 күн бұрын

My Coolio, he meant Snoop Dog. But he gets a pass for his riveting accent. ⚡️⚡️

@tedtalksrock 16 күн бұрын

This guy wrote a wonderful book on this topic. 8:13 Ah! They mention it here. The Elements of Eloquence. Absolute classic. Secret sauce for any word chef. 👩‍🍳 👌

@carolekeingati8055 Күн бұрын

Thoroughly enjoyed this discussion, I was absolutely sat between you two. Its interesting how passionate Mark sounds with a somewhat serious delivery😅 he must love hip hop😊

@eugene_obo Ай бұрын

I wish this was correctly subtitled... these words are new to me, and they are just epic. Thanks man 💖💖

@DavidPerellChannel Ай бұрын

Thanks for listening

@muadzazmi9469 Ай бұрын

the video is getting better and better. love it

@DavidPerellChannel Ай бұрын

Thanks!

@sultanalshirah Ай бұрын

Just in time for my long car ride. You are unstoppable 👍.

@DavidPerellChannel Ай бұрын

Hope you liked it

@opollitico Ай бұрын

Starting strong, so good so far

@joshuafuentes-smith Ай бұрын

Wow, thank you both. Very good.

@coreybox Ай бұрын

“If it flows out of you, it flows into the reader”

@timdemoss Ай бұрын

Feeling the pressure to come up with a rhetorically eloquent comment - but I'll just say, this was incredibly helpful and thank you so much. :)

@DavidPerellChannel Ай бұрын

Hahaha… glad you liked it

@markothwriter Ай бұрын

this video blew my mind, what a great find, it came at a perfect time, all stuff about rhyme,

@DavidPerellChannel Ай бұрын

Nice.... you should pick up Mark's book! "The Elements of Eloquence"

@markothwriter Ай бұрын

@@DavidPerellChannel Yes. I just bought it. I will read it this August.

@felixquansah5214 Ай бұрын

Genius content!!!

@iLoveWriting365 Ай бұрын

Great intro - watching this now!

@DavidPerellChannel Ай бұрын

Enjoy it

@Bhagirathraj-c5g Ай бұрын

It will help me ❤thanks dude

@DavidPerellChannel Ай бұрын

Good stuff

@anythingelseplease123 27 күн бұрын

Great this is me loves. Your videos are well good and me watches it all the live long hour.

@flor.7797 Ай бұрын

30:13 18th century highyway thief slang ❤❤😂🎉

@DavidPerellChannel Ай бұрын

So random and quirky and strange

@abdulmohaimin9982 Ай бұрын

Did you intentionally misspeak the JFK line in your intro? 😂

@Jonathanedillon Ай бұрын

Yeah I was like, uhhhhhh? lol

@DavidPerellChannel Ай бұрын

Oops… total brain fart

@dcle944 Ай бұрын

I have his book. I thought he’s an old man. Turns out he’s younger than me. Now I need to figure what I have done with my life in all these years.

@user-yl5sp5ww8e Ай бұрын

"...younger than _I_." 😂 Sorry, the homeschool dad in me just HAD to...!

@Soccolich Ай бұрын

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

@ClarkeScott Ай бұрын

Did anyone else go and search the Wizard of Oz scene for "Fly my pretties fly"...convince Mark was wrong? Could not find it. So where is that from?

@SuhaibAndrabi 22 күн бұрын

I leave this line form Jay-z and Kanye West's " no church in the wild" : Is Pious pious ’cause God loves pious? Socrates asks, “whose bias do y’all seek?”