February 28, 2010
"The Tools of Writing Clarity"

Clarity is the foundation of trust between the writer and the reader. If the reader loses trust, is unsure of where they are in a story and must flip pages back, they put books down. This seminar distinguishes how the elements of the writer’s craft can be used to maintain clarity at every level – sentence, paragraph, chapter, entire work and in every dimension of plot, theme, and mood.

Ransom Stephens, author of THE GOD PATENT, will discuss:

· Building tension and suspense by withholding information without sacrificing clarity.

· Understanding the concept of literary level and how clarity of point, theme, and tone are maintained at each level.

· Making the best use of repetition and opposition.

· Introducing backstory without losing momentum.

· Learning the cost, value and effective construction of flashbacks.

· Understanding the role of purple prose.

· Making use of graphics.

Ransom Stephens, Ph.D., has been a writer and speaker for 20 years. He has 1000s of hours experience in the classroom as a university professor, is the author of, according to the SF Chronicle “…the first debut novel to emerge from the new paradigm of online publishing,” THE GOD PATENT (Numina Press, www.TheGodPatent.com ) and over 200 articles, essays and anthology contributions on impossible subjects like quantum physics, the future of publishing, and parenting teenagers. http://www.ransomstephens.com