How do you go about writing anecdotes?A writing strategy that does not get its proper due is the process of writing anecdotes. Examples of anecdotes are ever present in our lives. The anecdote definition is a short or humorous telling of an incident, oftentimes biographical or personal. Relating our own lives within our writing can be quite helpful in writing anecdotes that excel at engaging our readers. Click for Free Writer's Block Help E-Zine and Free E-Book When someone asks you, "what is an anecdote?" you might respond by telling them a story. Just as in writing where you must use details and description to make your points clearer and more comprehensible, you feel the overwhelming need to describe what an anecdote is by providing an example of one. Writing anecdotes can be easy, especially when you have an example to help you become clearer on what one requires. Read through the following lines from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: During one of the brief calls he made, he artfully led the conversation to music, and talked away about great singers whom he had seen, fine organs he had heard, and told such charming anecdotes that Beth found it impossible to stay in her distant corner, but crept nearer and nearer, as if fascinated. In this passage, Beth is intrigued by the stories being told. She grasps and contemplates the information presented to her, and she finds herself becoming wrapped up in the tales being told to her of experiences she only wishes she could have for herself. That is what anecdotes do. They relate information about your own life, other people's lives, or even an occurrence, as anecdotes serve the purpose of making someone understand and benefit from prior experiences. It helps people to find clarification of a point you may be trying to make by relating pertinent information. Have you ever found yourself telling something to someone and then, when you were done, saying, "Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" or "Do you know what I mean?" When you ask if someone understands your advice or ideas, you are looking for acknowledgment. If they say they understand, then your anecdote, or point, was accepted, whether or not it was truly considered. If they fail to understand your logic, you tend to find the urge to give further examples, definitions, and anecdotes to illustrate your point with more adequacy. Writing anecdotes is as easy as telling them. Just jot down the thoughts you are having about a problem, a concern, or a dilemma. Then, explain how someone might try to convince you of a solution to the issue you are having trouble solving on your own. You will have created an anecdote that will hopefully have helped not only you, but your writing to move along. One way to go about writing anecdotes is to think of fables. They can be considered on the order of anecdotes, as they tend to have a moral, or an underlying point by which they lend support to the rest of the story. For example, in "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," if the boy had not continually cried wolf when the wolf was not truly there, he may have been believed when the wolf truly came. However, he told too many lies, and no one was apt to believe him, even though he was telling the truth in the end. This fable, or anecdote, if you will, can be used to explain to a child or any other person that their actions have consequences. Lying is not to be tolerated, because it causes the creation of a lack of trust in a relationship. If someone told you to "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," they may continue to explain their point with an anecdote. Maybe they will relate to you how someone who was their enemy stabbed them in the back (metaphorically, of course) when they were not paying attention, because they let down their guard, thinking that they could finally set themselves at ease about their dispute with the person. There are people who do have Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personalities. You may believe that the person is your friend, and then they can switch to being your enemy at the drop of a hat. Understanding comes from experience, and experience is the best way to begin writing anecdotes that are sincere and respected by the person reading or listening to them. Think of lessons you have learned throughout your life, or think of lessons you know others to have learned. Write anecdotes from experience. Use quotes you know to ponder the wisdom each is trying to impart. Share that wisdom, as well as your own, and see how the morals, points, and ideas you come up with can help to characterize even the bleakest of characters. Shine some light on what you know, and see how it can help you with what you write.
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