In Brevity 22, Fall 2006, Brian Arundel’s “The Things I’ve Lost” begins

“Fleece hat and gloves: in the backseat of a Boston cab in 2002, before driving back to Maine. Round, purple sunglasses: in an Atlanta pool hall over drinks with Ashby, whose wife was determined to save their marriage by having a baby. A measurable dose of self-skepticism: at about 14, when I realized I was very good at both playing violin and baseball, while not necessarily everyone else was.”

Go read the complete essay. Now make your own list of things you’ve lost. You aren’t limited to the concrete. Arundel’s list includes kisses, love, elections, and bad habits, but also a lot of other things. Be specific about where and when, why and who else was there.

List physical objects like socks in a dryer. List people and places that you will never see again. List youthful aspirations and innocence. List expectations. When you get scared, go back to the socks and remember another. Begin by listing five things, then five more, then keep going until it’s impossible—that’s when you will find the hardest things you lost.

In your first revision, just rearrange your list and add detail. Do what Arundel does and tip the rage of your losses early with concrete and abstract ideas in the first few lines. Save the best for last.

Later this week I’ll post a major revision strategy.

NOTE: Brevity is a treasury of very short nonfiction, all less than 750 words. This early essay still appears on the Creative Nonfiction website but today it has its own website and the blog features many guest writers and publishes several times a week.

btw This is the second post based on Arundel’s Brevity essay. The first one is probably better and you can find it HERE.