The Art of Writing

Like most things in life, writing is a process but it is also an art.Most of us have been writing all of our lives and we have had many teachers who have not only taught us but influenced and even inspired us.
My writing path started with the very basic idea of structure. We have all heard it, introduction, body, conclusion. Along with this basic idea came brainstorming, which was how I learned to let my ideas rain on to my paper. The next logical step was to pick, choose and organize ideas into an outline which was the basic skeleton from where my ideas would form into a well written paper (at least in my opinion).
Along the way, I have learned from many other teachers. I have read many stories in many different styles that captured my mind, heart and even caused me to change and grow. I have heard songs that told a story in which I was able to visualize and connect so deeply that I cried and laughed and many times even sang along. I have seen many stories retold in movies, such as "Titanic",which I could not stop thinking about for weeks after. Unknowingly, I learned that telling a story was more than just putting words together, the trick is can you make your audience, visualize and experience your words.
I thought I knew all I needed to know but then there was more. You have to learn how to use the tools you almost instinctively learned to use. As a painter,at first you would think that all you need is a brush and different colors of paint but then you learn that different brushes stroke differently,mixing colors together can create a beautiful effect such as a sunset so real you can mistake it for a picture. This is the effect rhetorical tools have on writing. You tell stories to create Rhetorical Gazes, and use Cause and Effect to make the audience think of consequences. Compare and Contrast are used to make the audience think outside the box. Finally to further organize all the information we Classify and Divide so the the audience doesn't get lost on the way. We can choose to use Process Explanation in order to teach something. Not all the tools must be used at once but the mixture in the correct combination can be as unique and as capturing as the "Mona Lisa".