Adverbs in writing are just the worst! They are evil! Evil, I say! Eh, well, sort of. Sometimes. And sometimes not. Let me explain. Adverbs have a pretty awful rap in the writ ing world. Many a writing teacher will get their red pen in hand at the very mention of an adverb, and actually […]
Adverbs in Writing: The Good, The Bad, and The Sometimes Read More »
Don’t you wish there were a magical, instant writer’s block cure? Even the name can conjure up dread: Writer’s Block. It is insidious. It is evil. It is the bane of every writer’s existence. It is… all in your head. Wait, wait, hear me out. I’m not saying it isn’t real. Many things that are
The Writer’s Block Cure – AKA “How to Kick Writer’s Block’s Butt” Read More »
My family was not surprised to hear this, but I hurt myself while riding my bike recently. I recently got a new bike, you see – a bike that I would call my first “proper” bike. Not that I haven’t had bikes my whole life, but this is the first time I actually did research, read reviews, then saved up to buy it instead of just going to the nearest megastore and picking a low-end bike that “looks nice.”
As I’ve mentioned before, one thing I do is teach English online to students in other countries. You start getting funny stories pretty quickly. Some are a result of a mental translation gone wrong. Some are a result of a student not having the vocabulary they need and having to get creative. Some are a
Teaching English – (Hopefully) Hilarious Tales from the Classroom Read More »
In Part 1, we discussed how to make dialogue sound real and why that’s important. In Part 2, we discussed how playing with the sound of dialogue can add flavor and enjoyment. Let’s move on to the grand finale where we talk about the true purpose of dialogue: 3. It Achieves Its Goal in the
The True Purpose of Dialogue! – Dialogue Writing Tips (Part 3) Read More »
In Part 1, we discussed how to make dialogue sound real and why that’s important. Let’s move on to the second big trait of good dialogue: 2. It Is Pleasant to Listen to. Now that you are getting a handle on crafting realistic dialogue, you can spice things up a bit and have a little
Writing Good Dialogue – What Makes Dialogue Fun to Listen to? (Part 2) Read More »
Many, many, MANY people know how to come up with a good storyline. Plot structures and twists come easy to them. But there’s one area of writing proficiency that still eludes them. Ironically, it’s the one they actually have the most experience with: Dialogue. I say they have experience because, after all, most of us
Dialogue Writing Tips Part 1 – What Makes Good Dialogue? Read More »
The more I teach English to non-native speakers the more I come across English writing rules and patterns that are intricate and fiddly and seem almost impossible to follow naturally, and yet native speakers follow them constantly without even being aware they exist. Or, in another words, you don’t know what you know. So what
They’re too long for tweets, too short for full posts. They’re random thoughts! Are they worth reading? Or at least mildly interesting? Jeez, I certainly hope so. Today’s Random Thoughts! Oodles You can have oodles of something, but can you just have an oodle? What say you, Google? ….Google says, yes, you can, if you
We’re getting closer and closer to Shard‘s release date, and I’m getting more and more excited. Rest assured, I’ll be updating you all with the new developments as they happen. Today, I’d like to introduce you to the main and supporting characters of Shard. Please take a look around and get your first sneak peek
Book Update! First Look at Shard’s Cast of Characters! Read More »
