Wallacisms: The Art of Memorable Observations

"Big Red Son," is an outrageous David Foster Wallace essay about a 1998 adult film conference. By dissecting it, we'll learn some (non-vulgar) tricks to help our writing jump through the page.

Since I told my wife I wanted to read more David Foster Wallace, she got me "Consider the Lobster," for my birthday. It's a collection of his essays. She didn't know the first one was a revulsive 50-page rant on porn. I read "Big Red Son," 3 times, not only because it's a Gonzo-style dive into a 1998 adult film conference, but because several times a page, Wallace blows my mind as a writer.

Wallace takes something that you've always seen in black-and-white and turns it into a color photo.

In the circle of writers I know online, we use an acronym called "POP Writing"– Personal, Observational, and Playful. Wallace is a master at crafting memorable observations. He uses relatable metaphors, makes unlikely associations, and looks under the rocks that most people walk past. He re-wires how you see the world. Pencil in hand, I scribbled all over his essay to figure out how he does it.

Here are 6 ways you can inject memorable observations into your writing (also, warning: R-rated excerpts ahead):

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