Writer’s Resources

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT TONE AND VOICE IN WRITING

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM 10 GREAT WRITERS

Some people are naturally gifted writers. They don’t have a fancy education. They haven’t spent endless hours and money taking classes to learn how to write well. They are just good. They simply have an incredible talent for the written word that the rest of us can only sit back and envy. But have you […]

THE 17TH-CENTURY PREPOSITION RULE

If you are a stickler for correct grammar (or happen to know someone who is), then you have probably heard the rule about not ending a sentence with a preposition. But where did this rule come from? (Or, perhaps we should be asking, “from where did this rule come?”) And is it really a rule? […]

THE WEEK IN GOOD NEWS

I think we can all agree that it is important to stay up-to-date on what is going on in the world. From television newscasts, radio programs, and newspapers to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; there are endless ways to get real-time updates on local and international news. All of those news outlets tend to have one […]

THE RESEARCHER’S GUIDE TO SCREENSHOTS

As writers, we often need to capture information from sources: online, print, and interviews to name a few. When you are on the computer, you can record your findings in your favorite word processor; for print, you’ve got the good old copy machine, with OCR if you’re lucky. And for interviews, of course, we have […]

OUR WRITERS’ FAVORITE WORD OF THE WEEK? SYNESTHESIA!

Today we found a new word! Synesthesia! Synesthesia is a rare neurological sensory phenomenon that causes people to experience unique perceptual cross-overs. Do your numbers or days have colors or personalities? Do certain words taste sweet to you, while others are bitter or sour? Or do you see colors when you hear music, see abstract […]

ETYMOLOGY OF ORANGE- WHAT CAME FIRST, THE COLOR OR THE FRUIT?

Have you ever wondered where colors get their names? Why is yellow called yellow? And why is red called red? The answer is that they are just basic words. These words were given to each color, in order to describe a whole range of shades associated with them. And the different shades associated with each […]

THE HARVEY MEMORY PROJECT

It’s hard to believe that it has already been more than a year since Hurricane Harvey dropped more than 30 trillion gallons of water along the Texas Gulf Coast, causing immeasurable amounts of destruction and devastation. To those who experienced the disaster firsthand, memories of those days (and the months of recovery after) are burned […]

MICROSOFT WORD TIPS FOR WRITERS … *MAC EDITION*

A little while back, we compiled some “Word hacks” that our writers have learned over the years of working with Microsoft Word. But we realized that Microsoft Word is, like all things, different across platforms. So not to be left out, our Mac users piped up with tips and tricks of their own. PC users […]

DON’T FORGET TO HIT “RECORD”

If you have ever interviewed someone for a book, you know that it is nearly impossible to take thorough enough notes to catch everything that is being said. Even if you are an ace on the keyboard, something is bound to be missed. For this reason, we always recommend recording all of your interviews, so […]