Posts Tagged: writing

The Waterman Guide to Online Writing for Businesses

The first thing you need to know about writing for business is that you should avoid it like the plague. If there’s anything else you could possibly be doing to earn money, such as moonshining or exorcism, do that. Why, you ask? Because most businesspeople don’t know what good writing is or why it’s necessary…. Read more »

Ten Bizarre Writing Prompts to Kickstart your Creativity

If you’re a creative writer you’re probably already familiar with “writing prompts,” those little tips designed to boost your literary engines.  Prompts often come in the form of a first line, which is helpful because that’s the hardest to write, but they’re often way too conventional to give your imagination the kind double-take needed to… Read more »

How to Write an Effective Paragraph

You may be rolling your eyes in exasperation at this topic.  Come on—we learned how to write paragraphs in high school; give me a break! Rest assured you did not learn how to write effective paragraphs in high school; certainly not university level paragraphs.  Indeed, knowing how to write a polished paragraph will drive you… Read more »

Editorial—But Seriously

This week, we take a break from our interviews with the new AUSU Council members, and instead feature an interview with Dr. Chris Glover, a man with a serious position who doesn’t take himself all that seriously.  While he takes a mostly light-hearted approach to our interview, he does slip up here and there and… Read more »

The Creative Spark—Show Not Tell, Like Harry Homer Potter

Grab your drabbest essay and crossbreed it with Harry Potter.  You’ll wind up with Plato Potter, Einstein Potter, or Harry Homer Potter.   Homer the thinker, that is.  In other words, sprinkle in a magical writing device called show not tell.  But what’s show not tell? When I once wrote a script, I thought show meant… Read more »

Scholarship of the Week

Scholarship name:  2018 Emerging Mystery Writer Scholarship Sponsored by:  Mystery Weekly Magazine Deadline:  May 30, 2018 Potential payout:  $300 Eligibility restriction:  Applicants must be a Canadian or US citizen, 23 years of age or younger as of Jan 1, 2019, and commencing or continuing post-secondary studies at a recognized institution in Canada or the US… Read more »

Writing Strategies

According to the Collins Gage Canadian Paperback Dictionary, an essay is “a literary composition on a certain subject, a written theme assigned as an exercise.” Writing essays is a major part of university assignments, particularly English courses. ‘Therefore, knowing how to go about writing a clear, concise, well-crafted essay will take you far in any… Read more »

The Creative Spark!—Description Spiffs Style

Have you ever written freestyle?  If so, did a twist in words hurl you in a new direction?  That often happens with descriptive writing.  One tweak, and your story shifts. Author Lee Childs rambles like a talk-show host without a guest.  Too descriptive for me.  Too freestyle without a fence.  But that’s his style.  Yet,… Read more »

AU-Thentic Events

AUSU Council Meeting Tues, April 10, 5:30 to 7:30 pm MDT Online Hosted by AUSU www.ausu.org/event/april-council-meeting-2/ No pre-registration required; e-mail governance@ausu.org  for meeting package Writing for Publication – Pearls and Pitfalls Wed, April 11, 2:00 to 3:00 pm MDT Online Hosted by AU Faculty of Graduate Studies fgs.athabascau.ca/news/presentations/ e-mail fgs@athabascau.ca with your student number to… Read more »

Nuggets of Information

In writing parlance they’re known as “fillers”:  those little pieces that show up at the end of magazine articles.  Some writers bristle at the term, reasoning that “fillers” sound like bits of nothing, like packing peanuts or bubble wrap. Fillers do perform one service of filling what otherwise would be blank space around an article. … Read more »