On the Art of Fiction by Willa Cather
In her 1908 work, A Collection of Stories, Reviews and Essays, author Willa Cather (1873 – 1947) offers young writers some sage advice. On the Art of Fiction One is sometimes asked about the “obstacles”...
Category: Writer’s Handbook
Here is an online writer’s handbook with articles and links to helpful resources. If you are looking for the Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers, please see Writers-Handbook.com.
Approaches to Literary Interpretation
A story is not a problem to be solved, but a continent to be explored. Dr. Randy Laist Using the Cinderella story, Dr. Randy Laist of Goodwin College discusses some approaches to literary interpretation,...
The Hero’s Journey
The Hero’s Journey is a classic story structure in which someone — often an unlikely hero — is called to adventure. Through the help of a mentor, he/she crosses to a challenging and unfamiliar...
How to Evaluate Writing (It’s More than Grading Papers)
Grading papers is usually not a favorite chore, but have you ever thought of writing evaluation as a teaching tool? That is exactly what it can be! Every writing assignment can help a student...
3 Tools You Need to Construct a Reasonable Argument
What is an argument? An argument is an attempt to persuade someone of something. It is prompted usually by a disagreement, confusion, or ignorance about something which the arguers wish to resolve or illuminate...
Figures of Speech: Schemes and Tropes
Schemes and Tropes Schemes and tropes are figures of speech, having to do with using language in an unusual or “figured” way: Trope: An artful deviation from the ordinary or principal signification of a word....
Types of Humor
Literary devices that create humor As you read, you will encounter many types of humor, and you will find some types funnier than others. If you want to learn to use humor in writing, it helps...
Research Paper Tips
7 Tips for Taking Your Research Paper from Snoozeworthy to Spectacular by Janice Campbell If you have mastered the basics of writing a research paper, it’s time to take your paper to the next...
How to Create a Reverse Outline
Reverse Outline: A useful tool As you work with a text —essay, story, speech, article, or fable, it can be helpful to create a reverse outline. This can help you see the structure of the...
How to Annotate for Active Reading
If you read actively and annotate your books, you will understand and enjoy the text more deeply than if you simply skim. Here are suggestions for effective annotation.
