For some of us, grade-school grammar lessons haven't stuck. I managed fairly well with my trusty Elements of Style until pretty recently, but the ongoing assault on grammar that is the Internet occasionally shakes my confidence.
(Every time I want to type rein, rain, or reign, for example, I need to close my eyes and meditate for a moment.)
The ability to write creatively is a skill not many people possess. While typically linked to the arts, good writing is also fueled by a surprising amount of science. Exploiting this knowledge can help take your prose to the next level. With that in mind, here are seven scientific ways to improve your writing.
Everyone who writes for fun or profit dreads sitting down to work only to end up staring at a blank document for hours on end. Writer’s block comes for us all eventually, but the solution could have been lurking in your font menu this entire time.
Crafting an excellent resume is an artform, but it shouldn’t be an art piece. There are hundreds of tips and tricks to crafting the perfect page (or two) that showcases who you are and why you’re perfect for the role. I’ve had a wide range of varied roles over the years, in retail, writing and science, and here are five resume tips that helped me land an interview.
Former FBI director James Comey's testimony was released yesterday in written form ahead of his hearing today. It's a matter-of-fact recounting of a few conversations he had with the US president, so you wouldn't expect it to be an entertaining read. But it's well-crafted: Just the right amount of detail, just the right amount of scene setting. Ever need to tell a story? Use these tips to tell it like James Comey.
If you're having some trouble getting your ideas down on paper, this playlist from the multi-talented Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame will help get those creative juices flowing.
In a world where people tell their stories on film from ideas that start on paper, there are two powerful platforms that provide all the tools budding screenwriters need: Final Draft and Celtx. One is the entertainment industry standard. The other is free for all to use. But this Sunday, only one can be the best in the biz.
Spelling and grammar are the cornerstones of professional writing: but that's only half the battle won. To really make your writing shine, you need to avoid cliches, fluff, nondescript adverbs, redundant phrases, purple prose and filler words. This infographic from GlobalEnglishEditing lists 23 phrases you need to pull back on, along with suggested alternatives.
Without boredom, your mind can't wander and day dream. Unfortunately, it seems boredom is harder to come by these days, so you'll have to find it.
Contrary to our romanticised notions, writers don't just sit around all day, drink coffee and scotch and wait for inspiration to strike. Like any other job, they have to be disciplined and productive. While that does involve lots of coffee, it also requires hard work. Here's how some famous authors have kept their nose to the grindstone.
What is the best device for a monkish/writerly existence? I want to get some serious writing on, without distractions or bloat. But I would rather not use a pen and paper, as I need the output to be digital. Do you have a recommendation for a modern day typewriter?
November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for those in the know, and already hundreds of thousands of participants will be busily writing as part of their journey to becoming novelists. Yet those who have to balance novel writing with full time work, family and social life might find it hard to know when to take a spare moment to write. Should you set your alarm an hour early and power through your writing before breakfast, or sit down after dinner when all the day's work is done? How about a sneaky lunchtime writing sesh? One scientific study claims to have solved this conundrum once and for all.
Love it or hate it, grammar is an important part of communication. This TED-Ed video explains how to properly refer to yourself, and when.
Writing is a hard medium to grasp. Good writing is self-evident, but the reasons it's good may not be. While an interesting style or a clever turn-of-phrase can make a line stand out, the structure of what you're writing is what makes a piece powerful.
The wait is nearly over: the fifth season of Game of Thrones will screen on Australia's Foxtel network in under 48 hours. To prime yourself for this quasi-historic occasion, we've assembled the best Westeros-flavoured articles from across Lifehacker and the Allure Media network. Let the feast begin!
This week’s episode of Game of Thrones served up the season's saddest moment yet -- and for once it didn't involve anyone dying (well, not yet, anyway). Fan-favourite Tyrion Lannister was finally broken at court by the senseless prejudice that has dogged his whole life. It was a heartbreaking moment thanks to both Peter Dinklage's acting and Bryan Cogman's stellar screenplay. Here are some tips from Cogman on how to craft the perfect tear-jerker.
On last night's episode of Game Of Thrones, something big happened. (We promise not to spoil it here.) Much like last season's infamous 'Red Wedding', the sequence skillfully blindsided many non-book reading fans of the show. Here's a tip from the show's co-producer Dan Weiss on how to execute a perfect plot twist without clueing in the audience.
Being on top of your grammar is a skill that takes years of practice to refine into unthinking craft, but even the most word-minded among us can trip up when it comes how keyboards transpose our thoughts. Blogger Christopher Phin releases his inner copy editor and points out 10 errors one sees everywhere in digital writing, mostly due to not knowing what characters go exactly where. As someone who over-uses the "m-dash" a bit, I was glad to get schooling in the finer points of horizontal lines:
Web learning site Education Portal points to 10 universities (and semi-universities) that offer free online writing courses. Covering everything from fiction and screenwriting to technical documentation, the offerings range from course notes and texts to full lecture videos. For anyone looking to get started in the field or just explore their creative side, it's a helpful list of resources to keep in mind. For more higher learning at very low prices, check out Wendy's trip through the .EDU underground and ten universities with free online courses. 10 Universities Offering Free Writing Courses Online
Leo Babauta, author of the oft-linked Zen Habits blog, has taken on the subject of writing, and writing productively, with a new blog project, Write to Done. Already up are a number of helpful posts, including one I can definitely relate to about the benefits of early-morning writing. To take full advantage of the wee hours, however, requires some prep work:Research. Do your research the afternoon or evening before. That way, you're ready to write and don't have to be distracted by going online to look something up. Just look everything up the day before, and save it all to a text file, so you can write without having to go online.From experience, having your topic—or your post ideas—laid out in front of you makes the early morning the best time to get more done, without distractions or other responsibilities tugging at your attention. Have your own best practices for getting your word work done? Share your tips in the comments.
How to Write First Thing in the Morning
