Writing Examples

Hey writers,

Welcome back to Writing Examples. Last week, we showed you how Edgar Allen Poe matches his style to the content of his stories. This week, take a look at how George Orwell foreshadows an entire novel in just the first sentence.

A Symbol Tells a Whole Story

 "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”

– George Orwell, 1984

This is the first sentence of 1984, and it tells you exactly what the rest of the book is going to be about. Orwell makes an odd observation (which in our world is an idiom) that describes the dystopian world of Big Brother and Doublespeak, a world defined by the distortion of truth.

Orwell gives you an immediate and inescapable sense of unease — in just five words: “the clocks were striking thirteen.”

With this, Orwell foreshadows the rest of the novel, showing us that the reality we’re about to witness, and the rules of this society, are not what we know. It’s a warning. With this, he’s saying, “Question what you’re being told.”

When you wake up from a quiet compliance with the way of the world, you might realize that clocks don’t have a thirteenth hour. And then you might question everything you’ve been told. You might even rebel against the system that lied to you. And that’s exactly what the protagonist, Winston Smith, does over the course of the novel.

This is the power of symbolism: with one strong, vivid image, you can communicate an entire message or, in this case, build a world and foreshadow the plot of a novel. Instead of describing everything that’s upside-down and dishonest about the world of 1984, Orwell chooses this one image as a symbol to show you that something is off and that no one is questioning it. 

Symbols are a tool to write meaningfully and succinctly. Next time you have an important message to share, ask yourself what image could serve as a symbol for that idea. 

Save the Date…

Want to become a better writer and find your readers in just five weeks?  At Write of Passage, we’re running two more cohorts this year to help you become the writer you know you can be. Save the dates.

• Cohort 13 kicks off on August 26.
• Cohort 14 kicks off on November 11. 

Enrollment opens on July 22. Add this date to your calendar so you don’t miss it.

Look, we get it. You’re busy. But if you have the fervor to write and create work you’re proud of, this is the perfect opportunity. We’ll push you more than you’ve ever been pushed; but we’ll also support you more than you’ve ever been supported. 

We hope to see you in the Zoom chat later this year!

How I Write Podcast

The World’s Most Productive Writer | Ryan Holiday

Ryan Holiday is one of the world’s most prolific writers. He’s published 16 books, written a daily email newsletter every day for the past eight years, has 1.7 million YouTube subscribers, and runs his own creative agency. (Writing that list is difficult enough, let alone accomplishing all of those things.)

This conversation will get you off your butt as a writer. It’s 78 minutes of learning how to generate creative inertia for yourself — because that’s where Ryan thrives. He’s a no-BS writer.  And by “no BS,” we mean: no coddling or making excuses for himself. He just does the work. 

David recently heard a story about Ryan that sums him up in a nutshell. Ryan's editor called to congratulate him on hitting the #3 spot on The New York Times Best Sellers list. His book had only been out for a week. You'd think he would have been camped out by the phone, biting his nails as he waited for that call. 

But no. That call came in while Ryan was heads-down writing, halfway done with his next book. And in this episode, you’ll learn exactly how he generates that much momentum.

Listen Now: YouTube | Spotify | Apple

Thank you for reading Writing Examples. This week, see how you can tell rich and meaningful stories with symbols.

Happy writing,

The Write of Passage Team