Writing, Research, and Editing Since 2008
It is vital, when writing, to document any material you used during the research phase. Developing a system for taking and making notes is key. Being able to report quotations and paraphrases accurately depends upon careful research note-taking methods. Here are classic paper-based note-taking methods that work well for any research project. Note: This post …
An annotated bibliography can be an enormously helpful tool when performing research for a major project. During the preliminary research phase, it can be helpful to create an annotated bibliography so you can see where you are going with your research and so others can follow as well. Endnote, Zotero, and other bibliography programs can …
Today’s Fiction Friday Writing Challenge was: Write your challenge submission as a letter from your character to someone he or she hasn’t spoken to in more than ten years. You can find this challenge along with others on the September 1st post listing the Fiction Friday Challenges for this month. Here are the Fiction Friday …
Are you having difficulty finding writing ideas for your writing? You’re not alone. One of the biggest stumbling blocks to getting started on any writing project is not knowing where to start. Generally, that begins with coming up with an idea you’re excited about. One of the most difficult things to do when working on …
An important step in beginning research is to survey the materials available. By formulating a preliminary bibliography before beginning work on a research project, you can help kick-start your project. You can use OneNote, Word, Evernote, Google Docs, or any other word-processing tool to store your working bibliography as you compile the reference materials for …
As promised here are the prompts for the next four writing prompts for Fiction Friday challenges! If you’re looking for ideas for what to write about, why not join in the fun? Each month, I’ll post a list of prompts for each week of the month. Each Friday, we’ll share what we wrote. This should …
Welcome back to Fiction Friday! This week’s challenge was to start a story with the words, “She never…” and then continue writing from there. Did you write something? Share your Fiction Friday post or a link to it in the comments below. The Things She Never Did She never wore braids in her hair. It …
Using Microsoft OneNote for organizing research is a great option when you need to keep your research searchable. Microsoft OneNote can also be used for organizing your classes, like in this Bright Hub article I wrote: “Organizing College Classes Using Microsoft OneNote.“ Alternatively, OneNote can be used for organizing your projects like in this article: …
When writing a letter of introduction (LOI), you want to make a great first impression. There are two main types of LOIs: a letter connecting two people who should know each other and a letter introducing yourself in hopes of securing a job, a networking connection, or selling products or services. This post will focus …
Creating an annotated outline is an important step for major writing and research projects. It helps to make your writing complete by showing you how the different parts relate to one another. Annotations can give extra info, summarize sources, evaluate the accuracy of sources, and provide evidence and examples. It also helps you to ensure …