Do you have any favorite authors whose work you rave about to anyone who will listen?
You’ve read all of their books and may have even tried to imitate their style. Wouldn’t you love it if you could converse with them and get their feedback on how you could improve your writing?
In 1956, C. S. Lewis did just that for a young fan.
The seventeenth century writer Ben Johnson once observed, “For a man to write well, there are required three necessaries. To read the best authors, observe the best speakers: and much exercise of his own style.”
Johnson’s words emphasize that if we want to learn to write well, we must study the rules of grammar and the techniques of great authors. Before we can construct a palace with our own words, we need a foundation with which to build. In today’s post, I’m sharing four books that have served as several of my best writing teachers. They’ve helped me strengthen my knowledge of grammar and develop my stylistic technique. I hope they will also help you on your way to mastering the craft of writing.
My parents recently surprised me with a wonderful gift: a beautiful leather office chair. Though I do all of my writing on my laptop (it’s easy to carry around so I can create a workspace nearly anywhere), I have found that I am much more productive when working in my room at my desk. Naturally, this new chair was the perfect addition to my little writing office.
Every writer needs a tranquil, comfortable place where he or she can retreat to, a private laboratory to experiment with new ideas and plan out new projects. The other day I was looking through the photos of the workplaces of a number of famous authors. They were all unique; some were large and sprawling while others were cramped and disorderly. But all of them shared five important characteristics that seemed essential when creating an inspiring workspace. Read on to discover these five important traits and how you too can create your own writing laboratory.
Book reports are one of the most common essays assigned in school. By writing a book report, you practice outlining, summarizing, using descriptive words, and presenting your opinion. You also strengthen your reading comprehension and assure your teacher that you actually read the book she assigned. Learning how to outline and write a book report will equip you with the skills necessary for writing more advanced critique papers in the future (book reviews, movie reviews, etc).
In today’s episode of the new Writing Ninjas video series, I’m sharing a quick and easy outline that will have you writing a book report in no time.
If you want to become a successful novelist or painter or musician, it doesn’t happen overnight. Many different factors are necessary including hard work, practice, and dedication. When reading about the lives of several famous writers, I discovered another important ingredient that contributed to their success: a writing club. Having a group of fellow writers who critiqued their work and encouraged them along the way was an essential part of their writing process.
Of course, it isn’t only writers who can form these kinds of clubs. Gathering together several likeminded friends working on similar endeavors to yours could be just the missing ingredient you all need to successfully launch your next big idea or finish a current project. In today’s post, I’ll share why these groups can be so beneficial and five steps you can take to get started forming your own.
Learning how to outline and write a five-paragraph essay will equip you with the skills necessary for writing any kind of essay or article: book reviews, persuasive essays, opinion pieces, and much more. Indeed, the five-paragraph essay contains the building blocks for any essay you will need to write in the future.
In today’s episode of the new Writing Ninjas video series, I’m sharing a quick and easy guide that will have you writing powerful five-paragraph essays in no time. You will learn how to construct strong thesis statements, introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions.
Pop quiz. What’s the most important part of an essay? Answer: The thesis statement. What’s one of the most difficult parts of an essay to write? Answer: The thesis statement.
Well, not anymore. In today’s episode of the new Writing Ninjas video series, I’m sharing a very special how-to formula that will have you writing powerful thesis statements in no time.
I hope all you fellow scholars have been enjoying the New Year!
Looking back, 2013 was a fun and exciting year here at Inkwell Scholars. I published the first post on this blog on March 4 shortly after releasing the Inkwell Scholars eBook 31 Best Writing Prompts (join the email list to get a free copy). I also created a Facebook fan page; promoted the YouTube channel as it grew to over 150,000 video views; and read over 75 essays written by students in the Inkwell Scholars writing program.
What was one of your biggest achievements of 2013?
Aside from the many milestones reached with Inkwell Scholars, mine undoubtedly happened this past November when I wrote a novel in a single month.
Fifty years ago this week, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The speech is consistently ranked as the most important American speech of the twentieth century. But not only is it the most important, it is also one of the most eloquent and inspiring. Dr. King’s speech demonstrates the profound impact public speaking can have on an audience and a nation.
If you have a powerful message, having the chance to deliver a speech before a captive audience is an invaluable opportunity. If you’ve never delivered a speech before, you might be afraid to give it a try. However, in today’s post we’ll look at seven effective steps for building your confidence and speaking masterfully.
Writing classes at the Academy ended in June (congrats to all of the students who completed the spring semester classes!), and here at Inkwell Scholars I’ve been enjoying these lazy summer days and all of the time I’ve been able to devote to numerous hobbies.
But, unfortunately, this means that I’ve been finding myself writing less and less. And that means my writing muscle is beginning to atrophy. Help!
In today’s post, I’ll share several very effective ways to train oneself to write daily all while having fun.