A pocket-sized tip to become a more creative and magnetic writer: Trade timestamps for snapshots. For example: ✖️ "This went on for months." ✔️ "This went on from the Super Bowl until taxes were due." * ✖️ "Their romance happened in pre-Sept. 11 NYC." ✔️ "Cellphones were rare...and cars were being hailed with raised arms, not apps." ** ✖️ "It was 10:30 AM." ✔️ "It was right before SweetGreen turned labyrinthian." Timestamps tell your reader when. Snapshots make your reader *feel* when. Not to mention it's way more ✨ fun ✨ when you play around with your writing this way! * Credit to Chuck Palahniuk's fabulous book: "Consider This" for this idea and example! ** From Shivani Gonzalez' article in NYT about Love Story (an excellent read!) --- Related Notes: - [[Alice Lemee]] - [[Writing Tips Wallet]] This note was originally created on **April 8, 2026**.