Remember when you were a kid and each time you went to the store with your mom you asked her for a new toy? When she answered “no,” I’m sure you asked, “why not?” Her reply: “Because I said so.” This may have worked for your mom, but this obviously isn’t a good strategy for …
Can you imagine a world where everything was named as blandly as possible? “Come here, Pet.” “Hey, Maternal Grandmother, could I get your recipe for Casserole?” “Book about a Long Journey is pretty much the best thing I’ve ever read.” “I love shopping at Clothing Store at Mall—its Regular Jeans are to die for.” Meh. …
Let’s cut to the chase. You have to write an informative essay. You pretty much know how to write one, but you’ve been staring blankly out the window because you can’t think of anything to write about. Am I right? Regardless of whether you’ve been staring out the window or avoiding the task at hand …
Storytelling – it’s what separates us from the animals! And now your teacher wants you to show off your storytelling skills in a narrative essay, but where do you begin? In this blog post, I’ll give you 20 narrative essay topics to explore along with advice for getting started and some examples from writers and …
Despite what your grade-school teacher might have told you, poetry isn’t all hearts and flowers, especially not when you have to analyze a poem in an essay. When you delve into the realm of poetry, you’re much more likely to stumble into madness and decay, especially if you are reading Edgar Allen Poe or Charles …
“Man, this essay is going to be impossible.” We’ve all been in this boat before, confronted with an essay assignment that is beyond difficult. What if I told you that I can teach you how to write an essay about pretty much anything under the sun? Even … hmm …wombats. “What? Why wombats?” you wonder. …
Are you feeling frustrated by another 5-paragraph essay assignment? Do you feel as though your creative freedom has been stymied once again by the powers that be? Do you want to be free to explore essay organization like the effervescent honey blossom butterfly that you are? Well, you must break free from the 5-paragraph essay …
Why does that word – analysis – strike fear into the hearts of so many college students, and just what the heck is a literary analysis, anyway? Analysis is typically the last skill your brain learns, and most students don’t encounter this term until college. But never fear – I’m here to help you conquer …
Panic (noun) 1. sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behavior “A wave of panic washed over him as he realized he didn’t have a topic for his definition essay.” If this definition applies to you right now, and you’re panicking because you have a paper due tomorrow (okay, so you’ve procrastinated just …
You know what I always liked about Batman and Iron Man over the rest of the superheroes? The fact that they are (relatively) normal guys. They don’t need any special powers to fit into the same category as Spiderman, Superman, or Wonder Woman. Heroes can be, and usually are, real people. And that’s exactly what …
“I want to tell you about the time I almost died.” I really don’t have such a tale to tell, but I bet I piqued your interest, didn’t I? Why? Because it’s a great opening line that makes you want to learn more. You keep reading because you want to know how the story ends. …
Ever sit under a tree on a beautiful summer day and reflect about your life and what you’ve learned? No? That’s okay if you haven’t. A lot of students are way too busy to spend their days reflecting. But if you’ve been assigned to write a reflective essay, here’s your chance to do so. Are …
Your instructor just told you that your next writing assignment will be a reflective essay. Reflective essays are about you, so you go home and take a good long look in the mirror. Before you start writing about what you see on the surface, keep in mind that a reflective essay involves more than just …
After years of being told that you shouldn’t use “I” or other personal pronouns in your essays, you get to break all the rules! Here come the personal pronouns! Finally, a topic that is actually interesting to you: YOU! Finally, an essay topic that is actually interesting to you: YOU! Click To Tweet The excitement …
By now, the rules of using quotation marks have probably been pounded into your head–use them when quoting a source or using dialogue, and know where to put your punctuation. But don’t worry if they haven’t been pounded into your head. I’ll cover it later. You may understand when to use quotation marks and even …
In an age where communication in the simplest form is all the rage, you can learn a lot from Twitter. Being able to write an engaging sentence in 140 characters or fewer can be a great skill to apply to writing an essay, like when tackling those all-important thesis statements. But, in the most obvious sense, …
It’s the first day of class, and your instructor hands you the syllabus. As you browse through, you get to the list of assignments and your eyes widen–a 15-page research paper is due at the end of the semester. You’ve never written 15 pages of anything in your whole life. Sure, you have all semester …
When writing a speech, it’s second nature to think about the audience. The presenter keeps the audience foremost in mind when deciding how to formulate the speech from the subject to the structure to the tone. Some people get so wrapped up in thinking about the people listening to their speech that they break out …
Think of your favorite movie. Got it? Now think about the opening scene. What does that scene accomplish? For most, the opening scene draws the viewer in, introduces one or more of the main characters, and gives the audience a taste of what the movie is going to be about. That’s exactly what your argumentative …
You’re sitting in class, and let’s face it, your mind is wandering a little bit. But then your instructor says that your next assignment is to write a Rogerian essay. Confusion strikes. You immediately sit up in your seat, hoping for some sort of elaboration on how to write a Rogerian essay, or at least …
Have you ever tried to wrap a present without tape? It’s no easy task, but it can be done with a bit of dexterity, patience, and lots of ribbon. Wrapping up your essay can sometimes feel like wrapping a present without tape—it can be difficult at times, and you may feel that it’s just too …