1. Use "as if" a lot and "seemed" a lot.
2. Metaphors, similies, and personification most often involving nature are a must.
3. Insert one biblical and/or Mormon reference
4. Make the Mormon references so obscure and specific, that one would need the author's explanation to understand them (Hint: "Dairy Queen" is about Mormon culture, specific to the South Davis County area).
5. Insert one word everyone will have to look up. But only one.
6. Poetry is all about you, but none of the prose is.
7. Make references to pop culture, most often in the title of a piece.
8. Make this pop culture reference obscure in case you don't want anyone to know what's going on.
9. You must have equal parts shallow to balance out deep--but not necessarily within a piece.
10. You're only sincere once.
11. Take heavily from personal experience.
12. Fall in love with and understand your male characters better than your female ones.
13. Complexly present the simple.
