Diving into the World of Writing: Strategies and Secrets of the Craft

Hello everyone!

I'm María José Castaño and today I want to immerse us in the fascinating world of writing with a master class from one of the great masters: Ernest Hemingway.

Have you ever heard about his iceberg theory and how it transformed the way we understand storytelling? Well, get ready for an exciting journey through the hidden depths of literature.

In my Domestika course, "Reading for writing," we explore lessons from great authors to improve our writing skills. And among these lessons, Hemingway's iceberg theory ranks high.

But what exactly does this theory consist of? Hemingway compared a story to an iceberg, where only a small part, the tip visible above the surface of the water, represents what is explicitly narrated in the text. The true depth and meaning of the story, what really makes it powerful, lies beneath the surface, in the hidden layers that the reader must discover for himself.

This revolutionary idea teaches us the importance of suggesting more than we say, of leaving room for the reader's imagination, and of trusting the reader's ability to interpret and understand what is not explicitly written. It's an approach that challenges the writer to be more selective and deliberate in his or her choice of words and details, and allows for a deeper and richer reading experience.

So how can you apply the iceberg theory to your writing?

Here are a few tips:

- Less is more: Instead of spelling everything out in detail, rely on subtlety and suggestion to convey your ideas and emotions. Let the reader connect the dots and fill in the blanks on their own.

- Take care of every word: Choose your words carefully and precisely, eliminating anything that is not essential to the story. Each word should count and contribute to the overall meaning of the narrative.

- Rely on the power of suggestion: Instead of telling the reader how to feel or what to think, give them clues and details that allow them to come to their own conclusions. Suggestion can be much more powerful than direct explanation.

To help you delve deeper into this technique and improve your skills as a writer, I invite you to join my course on Domestika, "Reading for writing". In this course, we will explore not only Hemingway's iceberg theory, but also a wide range of tools and techniques to improve your writing and tell more impactful and memorable stories.

See you in the course!

María José.