Derek's Blog

Are you fulfilling a role only you can do? Or are you simply keeping a place many other people could hold? If the answer is the former, congratulations. You're one of the lucky ones. If you're merely a placeholder, keep looking.

Teaching is more of an art than a skill. This is due to the fact that nobody can successfully teach a student who is unwilling to learn then. The teacher, then, must act more as a guide and psychologist, not a drill instructor. Teachers should be highly regarded and treasured; they have an immense impact on the future. Consequently, the barriers of entry and, as a result, the pay for our teachers are embarrassingly low. Perhaps the most neglected type of teaching is self-teaching. By committing to be a lifelong student of learning, you perhaps do the best possible deed of all.

Rating 7/10 This book is a solid supplement to ELEMENTS OF STYLE  and Stephen King's ON WRITING . I'd recommend it to any serious writer. My Notes Look into ON WRITING WELL . Tools divided into four boxes: Nuts and Bolts; Special Effects; Blueprints; Useful Habits. Nuts and Bolts 1. Begin sentences with subjects and verbs. 2. Order words for emphasis. Place strong words at the beginning and at the end. 3. Activate your verbs. 4. Be passive-aggressive. Use passive verbs to showcase the "victim" of the action. 5. Watch those adverbs. Use them to change the meaning of the verb. "She smiled sadly." 6. Take it easy on the -ings. Prefer the simple present or past. 7. Fear not the long sentence. THE RINGS OF SATURN  A WRITER'S REFERENCE  8. Establish a pattern, then give it a twist. 9. Let punctuation control pace and space. Learn the rules, but realize you have more options than you think. 10. Cut big, then small. Prune the b...