Defuse or Diffuse the Situation?
Native speakers often learn phrases by ear before they learn the written words that comprise them. Even if you’re not sure which word and spelling is correct in the phrase, you’ve probably heard news...
Category: General
What Else You Should Be Reading: McSweeney’s Internet Tendency
There are many things to be discovered in the wonderful world of Twitter. One of those things is a contest regularly run by a certain literary website for a new columnist. Successful auditions land...
Stephen King on Twilight vs. Harry Potter
“Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend.” – Stephen King Agree?...
What Else You Should Be Reading: Words Without Borders
Let’s get real. How many of you can name a contemporary author who writes in a language other than English? A poet? A journalist? Words Without Borders is a publication driven by the idea...
What Else You Should Be Reading: Query Shark
Writing, says nearly everyone in the entire writing world, is about rejection. You should be proud of your rejections, they say. Count them. Frame them. Relish them, because rejection is how you learn what...
Plagiarism vs. Copyright Infringement
Plagiarism and copyright infringement often get confused together, which makes sense. The two are often used interchangeably, and they often pop up together. If you plagiarise something, you’ve probably also committed copyright infringement. However,...
Featured Poem 9/16 – “Sonnet 73”
Sonnet 73 by William Shakespeare That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruined...
Novels and Nonsense #4 – Show Me Your Novels!
After a two week break in portugal, I’m back to post on Writing Gooder! Now this Novels and Nonsense post is a little different to my previous ones, partly because I want to try...
Novels and Nonsense #3 – Opening Chapters
Anyone who’s ever received a first chapter review from me will have probably been a victim of my ‘opening chapters are vitally important’ preach. As annoying as my preaching may be though, it is...
