Learn from thirty writing masters.
Kim Seon-yeong, a writer who is actively involved in writing lectures and writing, selected 30 sentences from the works of famous writers and added essay-style commentary.
By writing for 30 days, you will develop your writing skills, learn the power of observation, and reflect on the humanity that a writer should have.
This is the condition for good writing to be born.

Why do people try to write?
The reasons may be different, such as wanting to record good sentences discovered while reading a book, hoping that copying great sentences will improve my writing, or wanting to emulate the author's spirit. The goal is the same.
It's because of the desire to 'write well too.'

--- p.13

When you say you can't write, writing teachers advise you to "give up the desire to write so well" and "let go of the pressure and start."
I know it in my head, but the more I use it, the more I become greedy.
In such a case, what if I took out the mask I'd kept in my drawer and put it on? The moment I put the mask on my face, no one would recognize me, and I'd become shameless.

--- p.34

It's okay to be a little shameless when writing.
However, shamelessness requires the premise that I will take responsibility for my writing.
It must be resolved through countless repeated reflections.

--- p.38

Writing is the act of expressing the thoughts that have been raised in your head out of your body.
(Omitted) Depending on how you write, the muscles that move are different.
There are also differences in the process and speed at which the letters are implemented.
Wouldn't that also affect each person's way of thinking and expression?
If you write by hand, the process of creating letters is bound to be slow.
Then, will the speed of thinking also slow down and become more cautious?

--- p.45

Another way to reduce misunderstandings is to choose your vocabulary carefully.
A text is a combination of words.
Words come together to form sentences, and sentences come together to form paragraphs.
Paragraphs come together to form a piece of writing, and writings come together to form a book.
If we trace back this simple relationship, we eventually reach the pinnacle of vocabulary.

--- p.53

Walking is not only a catalyst for writing, but can also be material for writing in its own right.
Walking is like a 'boundless library'.
For something that's not urgent but important, walking is a simple exercise that only requires two feet.
It temporarily liberates the mind that is trapped in the body and cannot move.

--- p.62

Some people choose writing to bring back to the surface the 'self' that is gradually disappearing while being buried in a role.
Instead of writing alone, we do it together, verifying ourselves every day and sitting in a chair specifically for writing.
The 'unbreakable system' helps the world not break me.

--- p.71

Books should not be kept in a bookshelf, but should be taken out and read again and again.
When you talk about a book out loud, both the speaker and the listener become more immersed in the content and remember it longer.
Books walk into life step by step.
The books that come into my life become the thought cells that make up me and are ultimately expressed in writing.

--- p.79

You have to let go of the obsession with being perfect to be able to write willingly.
The reason why I can't write is because I want to write too well.
It is because of excessive self-consciousness that makes you overly concerned about other people's evaluations.
You'll know once you try it.
It's so disappointing how little interest people have in my writing.
If you are receiving so much attention that you are afraid of other people's gaze, it is actually a blessing for the writer.

--- p.86

To write, you have to somehow sit down with your butt on a chair.
Anyone who has written anything knows that writing is the most difficult part of the entire process.
You need to get out of your cozy blanket and turn off your smartphone that constantly recommends interesting videos.
You have to push everything aside, sit down at your desk, and start 'writing mode' so that it gradually warms up and the writing engine turns on.

--- p.92

The power to write comes from the act of writing.
As the metaphor writer said, a manuscript that has expanded to a certain extent has the driving force to push forward writing.
That's why you have to write the first draft without hesitation, without worrying about whether it's a mess or not.

--- p.94

Hemingway compared his first drafts to rags or trash.
Moreover, my first impression was that it couldn't be a fluffy hotel towel.
The first sentence is always terrible and the first draft is trash.
But if you spread out the rag or trash and look at it again, you will see a corner that can be saved.
There is a difference in the sense of security between me empty-handed and me holding even a rag.

--- p.94

When I write, there are times when I get lost in thought because it is so personal that I wonder, 'Can I even write about something like this?'
I believe that it is okay, or rather, that you should write something as long as it does not harm others.
Only then can you escape from the sound of one or the other.

--- p.102

The writings of young people still have their own charm.
Cyworld is reopening, and anyone who has read something they wrote when they were twenty will understand what I mean, as if they were opening Pandora's box.
The writing from that time is as fresh and awkward as the picture of me with my country-style makeup on.

--- p.107

When you're having trouble deciding what to write, think about the countless dark moments of your past, like the stars in the night sky.
Someone might read my dark history and find courage.
You can mock my clumsy past self.
How relaxed and cool would I look if I looked at my past self with a mocking smile?

--- p.117

Emotions are invisible concepts, but lyricist Kim Eana, who wrote today's poem, has a more sensitive sense of touch than anyone else and understands the nature of emotions.
He skillfully extracts and ties together the similarities between love, happiness, and sadness, which are like heavy rain and drizzle, respectively, and 'getting wet'.

--- p.125

The secret to creative expression is to break it down, analyze it, and synthesize it.
If you carefully examine, turn over, and ponder even ordinary words or sentences, you can uncover the sub-elements that make them exist.
If you unfold this persuasively, it becomes your own creative sentence.

--- p.131

A person who sees a glass half full of water and says, "It's already half empty," is often described as negative, while someone who says, "There's still half left" is often described as positive.
If you quote this without thinking, you are being lazy.
I would have just made the obvious promise to myself to be a positive person who pays attention to half of everything.
I'm confessing that I've never questioned the question itself until now.

--- p.138

Author Delia Owens is an ecologist who has studied wetlands and observed them up close and for longer than anyone else.
Thanks to this, descriptions that are alive and moving were created throughout the novel.
There is bound to be a difference between the descriptions of wetlands used by people who have learned about them from books or videos and those who have actually lived near wetlands and studied them.

--- p.145

Description is not a momentary technique, but rather a mixture of observations made over time, like a salad.
If you want to be good at describing, you have to let go of the pride that you already know everything, get close to the subject, and start observing it intently.

--- p.145

In addition to the visual descriptions we often use, new expressions emerge when we recreate objects by awakening senses that we don't often use when writing, such as hearing or smell.
Like 'the lonely murmur of a high-rise building', 'the trembling crayon', 'the loud scream of spicy tteokbokki', 'the smell of sunflowers'.

--- p.152

There is also a good sentence that shows the heart in Choi Eun-young's short story, "Sister, My Little, Pure Sister" (included in the short story collection "Shoko's Smile").
This is the scene where the main character Hae-ok gives a cowhide wallet, bought at a department store, to her poor older sister Sun-ae, who is enduring a difficult life.
'I held the wallet with both hands and stroked it little by little as if it were a small animal.' The affection that was expressed through this small gesture was not enough to simply say that I 'cherished' the wallet.
It's amazing how technology can make the invisible visible.

--- p.162

When I read rhythmic sentences, it feels like I'm humming a song in my head.
When I copy, the rhythm penetrates deeper and sticks to my body.
This is also why I sometimes transcribe poetry.

--- p.170

When you awaken your sense of the seasons, forgotten memories come flooding back.
When I go back in time, I come across old faces of mine that I had forgotten.
It's a face that's similar to mine now, but different.
This also makes great material for writing.

--- p.180

In Lee Seung-woo's novel, "A Gaze at Midday," the protagonist desperately wants to meet his father, who was his deficiency, but at the same time does not want to meet him.
If you read the novel, you will understand why he experiences such confusing emotions.
In this way, novels are an art that persuades readers of complex emotions.

--- p.187

In a media interview, Ekuni Kaori said, “Reading novels is a journey.
“It’s like going on a trip, going to a different place from where you live, breathing in the air there and experiencing something different,” he said (Chosun Ilbo article).
Writing is both a result of expression and a process of thought.
When you read and follow along, you experience what the author saw, heard, and felt.
Become that person, even if only for a moment.

--- p.194

A piece with a twist has a plot.
It doesn't happen by chance, it requires design.
Through a familiar plot development, the reader is led to predict what will happen next.
It is about utilizing universal human emotions or reactions (or stereotypes in some ways).
When you let your guard down like that, the story takes an unexpected turn.
Exploiting a weakness.

--- p.202

If you want to see things from a child's perspective, one way is to actually lower yourself to be like a child.
Instead of sitting at the dining table every day, let's just plop down on the kitchen floor.
The surroundings look different.
Instead of the usual flat table top, what catches the eye is the pattern engraved on the table legs.
When you look up at the potted plant, which is waist-high, from below, it feels like a tall palm tree.
It's as if I've become Thumbelina and the world has become so big.
This unfamiliar feeling fuels the imagination.
It makes us turn over what we took for granted.

--- p.210

Marcus Aurelius summarized everything we encounter in life as sweat, dirt, soap scum, and greasy water.
I saw through the essence of life.
He criticized human history, which rejected nature and was stained with falsehood.
It was as if the bandages were being removed from my face after eye surgery, forcing me to face the truth that had been hidden.

--- p.219

Anything is allowed in the city.
You can swallow sounds, see smells, and hear tastes.
I laugh because I'm sad, I freeze because I'm hot, and I'm lonely because I have nothing.
As I read and transcribe poetry, I feel a desire to break free from the stifling framework and write freely.
The lyric sentence tells us to rest assured that the poet is not a god who came down from heaven.
I offer encouragement that you too can become a poet.

--- p.227

The beginning of writing is to realize that nothing is nothing.
The reason I can appreciate the pure white snowfield is because of my two feet that are silently stepping on the ground at this very moment.

--- p.236

Writing is the same.
If satisfying the need for recognition or publishing a book becomes your only goal, you will eventually become disillusioned.
We need to ask ourselves the question, 'Why do I write?' and follow it to its end.
"Why? Because I want to publish a book? Because I want to become famous? Because I want to share my thoughts with many people and resonate with them?" If so, you need to live well before you can even write.
You have to know what are the truly important values ​​in life.
We need to think about how to have a positive influence on ourselves and others.
If you become a good person, good writing will naturally flow out.

--- p.244

Some people watch YouTube or OTT videos in fast forward mode.
I want to know the content quickly and see more content.
“I saw that” In an attempt to join in the conversation with people, the director’s direction, the actors’ performances, and even the background music that helps with immersion are all distorted and only the plot is consumed.
Doesn't it feel a bit sad to have a hobby where you can't even enjoy a single movie? Who really benefits from binge-watching movies?
--- p.251

Words have power.
George Orwell answered the question, "Why do I write?" with "political reasons."
I want to share my thoughts and aspirations, share my empathy, and even bring about change in my actions.
Writing is voice.
Even if we can't protest against each and every flawed system or go out and fight it ourselves, we can all make our voices heard through writing.

--- p.257

The book was different from the writing.
I had to find meaning in each and every episode.
To build rapport with readers, I needed a message that could be enjoyed by both parties, not just my own impressions.
The essence of writing a book is the act of looking back on my actions and discovering meaning.

--- p.264

Writing is 'the will to find one's own way of living.'
It captures the story of me getting back up after being hurt and falling down.
My writings document my growth process of falling apart and rebuilding, breaking and rebuilding, and how I overcame and rose again.
The writing reminds me that I have overcome even greater things in the past.
So, writing helps heal wounds and builds resilience.

--- p.272