When I’m working on a metaphysical article but not sure what to write, I find it helpful to ask myself, “Well, what do you like to read?” Like most readers of the Christian Science periodicals, I have favorite articles and testimonies that have touched and inspired me in memorable ways, and I’ve found these can serve as a valuable resource for my own writing. If a piece communicates well to me as a reader, I figure it has something to teach me as a writer. Especially when I feel stuck and the right words don’t come, it helps to look for a few top-notch examples that achieve what I’m striving for, and give them a closer look.
To see how a metaphysical article is constructed and understand what makes it communicate so well, I break it down paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence. Some of the things I look for:
Like taking a peek under the hood of a high-performance car, this deep inquiry into the nuts and bolts of metaphysical writing is fascinating and fun. It shows the endless variety of ways that spiritual ideas can be expressed, and it sharpens our appreciation of writing as an art.
