Katharine's Writer's Block

Is there a writer in your life? What kind of gifts would be liked by one gifted with an affinity for words? Here are recommendations from me and other writers: Writing-focused material or courses Tools or opportunities that nurture writing potential are one of the most practical things to give the writer in your life. Buy them a subscription to writing courses, magazines, or a retreat. Gift them books, services, or software to help them hone their craft or navigate the world

The 2002 Spider-Man film imprinted a resounding quote on pop culture: “With great power comes great responsibility.” In a similar way with research, with great information comes great responsibility. It is the writer’s job to use their findings wisely, just as Peter Parker was implored to wisely exercise his developing superpowers. The consequences of plagiarism emphasize the need for this as well. But how does one do that? This is Lessons & Advice on the answer: taking not

Have you ever thought about the phrase, “The pen is mightier than the sword”? It implies that the written word can be more effective than...

As established in a previous lesson , fifty thousand words is a general minimum for a novel. Believe it or not, many writing enthusiasts strive to meet that mark within a month during an event called National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo), held every November since 1999. More than just a numeric goal, NaNoWriMo gives interested participants free access to resources that foster community, accountability, and creative development. When a new project is in the works, a new

A well-rounded story has characters, plot, setting, and theme. Without these, a story falls flat. Additionally, a story can be defined by many of these elements. The plot can have up to seven unique structures that identify how development pans out. While theme, characters, setting, and content help distinguish the literary genre of your story. There is one more quality to consider: word count. A story’s word count is something of a technical feature. A MasterClass guide on

Key ingredients of a typical story are setting, characters, plot, and theme. A story’s plot can have unique qualities that ultimately...

Just choosing a topic is one of many essay writing problems. Here's some help on how overcome it! How do I decide what to cook? The things that either I or my husband like are a good place to start. I narrow down the options further based on what ingredients are in my cupboards, what time I have on-hand, or what the occasion might be. For example, on workdays, I usually have just enough time in the mornings to put together some cereal, oatmeal, or eggs. While on Saturdays or

One small task in my full-time job is to review resumes. I do so to make sure potential training staff meet the state’s criteria for...

A study from Stanford University identified the top twenty errors found in undergraduate writing. The number one error is using the wrong word in a certain context. As explained in a previous lesson , the confusion stems from the fact that many words have such close similarities or subtleties that spelling, pronunciation and/or usage are the main ways to tell them apart. A word’s spelling and pronunciation should be self-explanatory. While a word’s usage pertains to one of e

Lately, I’ve been practicing cooking pancakes. I’ve learned that cooking them on my mini-griddle makes them really thick but not done in the middle. I get the slender size and circular shape that I like when I pour right into the middle of a hot, open skillet, but the batter has to be the right amount and consistency as well--not too little and not too runny. There’s a delicate balance to it. Writing with English vocabulary has a similar delicate balance. One wrong word can c