How Ben Franklin Learned to Write
- 1. Role-Model Reading Before Ben wrote, he read. Often and a lot. ...
- 2. Flattering by Imitation This was one of Ben’s favorite tricks. I’m predicting it’s the one you’ll talk about one day when you’re teaching someone else how to write. ...
- 3. Organizing a Mental Toolbox
How did Benjamin Franklin develop his writing skills?
Though he knew how to read, he did not develop the writing abilities he is renowned for today until his early twenties. Motivated by his father’s criticism that “he was far short in elegance and expression, method and perspicuity”, Franklin became determined to improve his writing skills.
What did Benjamin Franklin do for a living as a child?
When Benjamin Franklin was a boy, he yearned for a life at sea. This worried his father, so the two toured the various trades in 18th-century Boston until Ben found something else he liked: books. Eagerly, Ben’s father set his son up as an apprentice at a print shop.
How did Benjamin Franklin learn to write without a tutor?
In fact, in his autobiography, he bemoans his subpar teenage writing skills—and outright terrible math ability. To succeed at “letters,” and eventually inventing and critical thinking and all the things which would later flow from his writer’s mind, Franklin devised a little system for mastering the writer’s craft without a tutor.
What did Benjamin Franklin do for Science?
Benjamin Franklin was one of the greatest inventors of America. Apart from his remarkable contributions to the field of science, he was also a prolific writer. From helping draft the United States Constitution to writing his own bestseller ’Poor Richard’s Almanack’, Franklin’s achievements in the field of writing are quite remarkable.
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How did Benjamin Franklin learn to write so well?
Since he wasn't in a position to hire a personal writing coach, Franklin found a magazine that published the kind of writing he admired and taught himself to write better by first imitating that style: About this time I met with an odd volume of the Spectator. It was the third. I had never before seen any of them.
How did Ben Franklin improve his writing?
Basically, he took notes at a sentence level, sat on them for a while, and tried to recreate the sentences from his own head, without looking at the originals. “Then I compared my Spectator with the original, discovered some of my faults, and corrected them.
Who taught Benjamin Franklin writing?
At 12 he was apprenticed to his brother James, a printer. His mastery of the printer's trade, of which he was proud to the end of his life, was achieved between 1718 and 1723. In the same period he read tirelessly and taught himself to write effectively.
What method of writing does Benjamin Franklin use?
Benjamin Franklin learned to improve his writing through a specific method. Called the deconstruction and reconstruction method by some, Benjamin Franklin's approach to storytelling and writing was actually much simpler than that title sounds.
What is the tone of Benjamin Franklin's writing?
The writing style of Benjamin Franklin was pragmatic, clear, and plain with a self-deprecating tone. He used declarative sentences as Puritan writers did.
How can I be like Ben Franklin?
Be Like Benjamin FranklinAccept Full Responsibility For Your Life.Steady Diligence is the Way to Wealth.Invest In Yourself and Don't Get Stuck in Your Ways.Map Out Your Day.Either Write Something Worth Reading or Do Something Worth Writing.“Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen.More items...
Did Ben Franklin teach himself?
Franklin also wanted to write, but he didn't know how. He only had two years of school, so he taught himself. He found stories that he liked and rewrote them.
Why is Benjamin Franklin on the $100?
Franklin contributed much to what is deemed most “American” about the United States. He was tirelessly innovative, brave and capable, diplomatic and wise. All of these values are honored by Americans and honored in the likeness of the unforgettable Franklin on the $100 bill.
Who is the guy in the 100 dollar bill?
The $100 note features a portrait of Benjamin Franklin on the front of the note. The vignette on the back of the note changed in 1929 to feature Independence Hall.
What is Franklin style?
Plain and Pragmatic Franklin's writing style is plain and pragmatic, almost journalistic. When describing the events he includes in the Autobiography, he's direct about what happens to him and how he feels about it.
What is Benjamin Franklin most remembered for?
Benjamin Franklin was many things in his lifetime: a printer, a postmaster, an ambassador, an author, a scientist, a Founding Father. Above all, he was an inventor, creating solutions to common problems, innovating new technology, and even making life a little more musical.
How do you write a mimic?
You can imitate by writing a "missing" piece—whether that be a scene that occurred offstage, a rewrite from a different character's perspective, or an event that could have fit plausibly within the world of the story—or you can write an imitation that takes place within a separate story.
Was Benjamin Franklin a good writer?
Yet, as a teenager, Franklin was not a good at writing. Determined to improve but with no teachers and no money, he decided to teach himself. His autobiography tells exactly how he did it. Most writing advice today sucks.
What is Benjamin Franklin most remembered for?
Benjamin Franklin was many things in his lifetime: a printer, a postmaster, an ambassador, an author, a scientist, a Founding Father. Above all, he was an inventor, creating solutions to common problems, innovating new technology, and even making life a little more musical.
What is a Ben Franklin exercise?
Topic: where I live. I call this a Ben Franklin exercise. This is when you take very good notes, very detailed notes, on what you're hearing. And then go back and try to record yourself based on what you've written down, the notes.
How do you use the Benjamin Franklin effect?
How does the Ben Franklin effect work?You ask someone (who is not a friend) to do you a favor.For whatever reason, they agree to do it.They mind looks for a logical justification.It struggles to reconcile the attitude towards you with the favor.It “reinterprets” the former, concluding that you're viewed positively.
Who said "Write something worth reading or do things worth the writing"?
Write something worth reading or do things worth the writing. -Ben Franklin
Did Benjamin Franklin have an internet?
Young Benjamin Franklin didn’t have the Internet. He didn’t have writing instructional books. Nor did he have a dedicated writing teacher. But he did have a goal: to become a better writer. From there, he created his own exercises that pushed him outside of his comfort zone. He also sought his own feedback by comparing his completed exercises to the original articles in the Spectator. With a clear goal, challenging exercises, and self-review, anyone can teach himself to become a better writer.
What did Benjamin Franklin do in his teens?
Franklin apparently pursued his lessons in writing during his early teens, which is a reasonable age for students with a strong foundation in reading to begin working with more challenging assignments.
Why do artists copy masters?
Artists copy the works of great masters in order to study their techniques, musicians play the works of great composers, and writers copy masterworks they hope to learn from. In The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Franklin relates how, after his father pointed out his lack of “elegance of expression,” he taught himself to write more elegantly ...
What did Ben Franklin teach himself?
Ben Franklin Taught Himself to Write with a Few Clever Tricks. By Shane Snow August 21st, 2014. When Benjamin Franklin was a boy, he yearned for a life at sea. This worried his father, so the two toured the various trades in 18th-century Boston until Ben found something else he liked: books. Eagerly, Ben’s father set his son up as an apprentice ...
Why is good reading and writing important?
Good reading and writing ability helps you to be more persuasive, learn other disciplines, and apply critical feedback more effectively to any kind of work. When hiring for my company, my first impression of a candidate is dramatically impacted by the clarity of their emails.
Was Benjamin Franklin an academic?
Franklin wasn’t born an academic savant. In fact, in his autobiography, he bemoans his subpar teenage writing skills—and outright terrible math ability. To succeed at “letters,” and eventually inventing and critical thinking and all the things which would later flow from his writer’s mind, Franklin devised a little system for mastering ...
How to improve Franklin's writing?
Franklin started off by picking his favorite articles from the magazine for inspiration and writing short descriptions of each sentence. After taking some time off in order to forget the original wording of the article, he’d try to reconstruct the same using only his own written clues.
What is the Ben Franklin method?
The Ben Franklin method. At that time there was a popular magazine by the name of “Spectator”. Young Franklin admired it’s writing style and yearned to write in a similar fashion. His method, developed about 200 years ago, has many actionable and valuable steps that can help beginners improve their writing even today.
What was Benjamin Franklin's greatest achievement?
Benjamin Franklin was one of the greatest inventors of America. Apart from his remarkable contributions to the field of science, he was also a prolific writer. From helping draft the United States Constitution to writing his own bestseller ’Poor Richard’s Almanack’, Franklin’s achievements in the field of writing are quite remarkable.
Who said "Good artists copy; Great artists steal"?
Like Pablo Picasso is thought to have said, “Good artists copy; Great artists steal.”
Is it hard to master your own style?
Though mastering one’s own style is highly encouraged in many creative pursuits, it is a difficult burden to bear for a beginner as it requires a lot of mental bandwidth. The whole ordeal of having to come up with something original and unique can often become overwhelming and cause one to even stop writing altogether.
How old was Ben when he realized he was bad at writing?
At age 16 , Ben realized he’s bad at writing. His spelling and grammar were good, but: “I fell far short in elegance of expression, in method and in perspicuity…”
How many siblings did Benjamin Franklin have?
Born into poverty with 16 siblings, Franklin dropped out of school at age 10. How did Benjamin Franklin go from primary school dropout to the most accomplished American in all of history?
What magazine did Ben Dug into?
Determined to improve, Ben dug into one of his favorite magazines, The Spectator:
Who is the most prolific man in American history?
Benjamin Franklin may be the most prolific man in all of American history.
What did Benjamin Franklin do in Philadelphia?
Starting in the 1730s, he helped establish a number of community organizations in Philadelphia, including a lending library (it was founded in 1731, a time when books weren’t widely available in the colonies, and remained the largest U.S. public library until the 1850s), the city’s first fire company, a police patrol and the American Philosophical Society, a group devoted to the sciences and other scholarly pursuits. Franklin also organized the Pennsylvania militia, raised funds to build a city hospital and spearheaded a program to pave and light city streets. Additionally, Franklin was instrumental in the creation of the Academy of Philadelphia, a college which opened in 1751 and became known as the University of Pennsylvania in 1791.
How old was Benjamin Franklin when he started his printing business?
Benjamin Franklin's Inventions. In 1748, Franklin, then 42 years old, had expanded his printing business throughout the colonies and become successful enough to stop working. Retirement allowed him to concentrate on public service and also pursue more fully his longtime interest in science.
How old was Benjamin Franklin when he was elected to the Constitutional Convention?
In 1787, he was a Pennsylvania delegate to the Constitutional Convention. (The 81-year-old Franklin was the convention’s oldest delegate.) At the end of the convention, in September 1787, he urged his fellow delegates to support the heavily debated new document.
What was Franklin's business?
The business became highly successful producing a range of materials, including government pamphlets, books and currency. In 1729, Franklin became the owner and publisher of a colonial newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, which proved popular–and to which he contributed much of the content, often using pseudonyms.
Why did Franklin send the French to France?
That same year, Congress sent Franklin to France to enlist that nation’s help with the Revolutionary War. In February 1778, the French signed a military alliance with America and went on to provide soldiers, supplies and money that proved critical to America’s victory in the war.
Where was Benjamin Franklin born?
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in colonial Boston . His father, Josiah Franklin (1657-1745), a native of England, was a candle and soap maker who married twice and had 17 children. Franklin’s mother was Abiah Folger (1667-1752) of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Josiah’s second wife. Franklin was the eighth of Abiah and Josiah’s 10 offspring.
What was Benjamin Franklin's final act of public service?
He also negotiated the 1783 Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War (1775-83). In 1787, in his final significant act of public service, he was a delegate to the convention that produced the U.S. Constitution. Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in colonial Boston.
