Tetris edit
v.— «Like my editor, you have probably already grasped that Tetris editing involves moving a chunk of story—a quote, a tip, an anecdote, even just a well-turned phrase—further and further down the length of the piece, trying it out in various spots in the narrative, until you finally find a place it fits. Just like in the game. If you get to the bottom of the story and haven’t really found a spot for it, it’s probably one of those darlings you need to slaughter.» —“In Which A Phrase Is Coined” by Magazine Man Somewhere on the masthead Jan. 19, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
If you’re ever near a sundial, step closer and look for a message. Many sundials bear haunting, poetic inscriptions about the brevity of life. Plus, language development in toddlers: why and how little ones pick up the exclamation Uh-oh! And a new...
Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...