22 Imitation Sugar Is Sweet, Too!
I
mitation isn’t only the sincerest form of flattery; it’s also a pow-
erful way to quickly learn new writing skills.
Mark Twain learned how to write by imitating other writers.
The great author, as a youth, used to set newspaper stories in type.
This tedious printing process gave Twain the chance to imitate
writers. As he slowly copied their stories, he became aware of the
fundamentals of fine writing.
Steve Allen, the radio and television celebrity, learned how to
write humor by copying jokes. Allen would go to the library, bor-
row some joke books, and then copy all of the jokes onto index
cards. Because Allen had to copy each word by hand, he, like
Twain, learned the subtle inner formula for writing.
How does imitation work such wonders? Easy. You probably
drive a lot. Have you ever walked down a street you normally
drive? Did you notice that you saw, heard, and learned a lot more
about the street when you were on foot? When you slow down, you
pay attention to all the wonderful things you normally miss. The
same thing happens when you copy the greats. You suddenly be-
come aware of what you normally never hear or see.
I tell people in my writing classes to take a story they love and
copy it word for word. This exercise gives them the same experience