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75 Books That Build Character

2014-11-25T23:37:00.000+05:30

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75 Books That Build Character

The number one thing you can do as a  parent to help teach your child to read is to read to them. The number one thing as a parent you can do for the world is to raise your child to be  a responsible caring adult .  Parenting is a challenge on good days but mixing lessons not just about concepts but about character with reading time is a shortcut that works. Books are a wonderful tool to reinforce tough to grasp lessons and to open the door for discussions that we aren’t always sure how to approach with our kids.  All these books build character,  teach lessons, have messages or open the floor for discussions without being preachy . Click through titles for full reviews of theses 75 books that build character.
Shelia Rae, The Brave by Kevin Henkes
The Family Book by Todd Parr
Let Them Play by Margo Theis Raven
Something From Nothing by Phoebe Gilman
Ballerino Nate by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Apple Pie Fourth Of July by Janet S. Wong
A Chair For My Mother by Vera B Williams
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart
Pinkalicious by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann
The Loudest Roar by Thomas Taylor
Hilda Must Be Dancing by Karma Wilson
I Remember Miss Perry by Pat Brisson
Looking For Sleepy by Meribeth Boelts
Pablo’s Tree by Pat Mora
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
The Little Red Hen Makes A Pizza by by Philomen Sturges
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
Murmel, Murmel, Murmel by Robert Munsch
Bob and Otto by Robert O. Bruel
Ordinary Amos And The Amazing Fish by Eugenie and Henry Fernandes
Alexander And The Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Stephanie’s Ponytail by Robert Munsch
Piglet and Papa by Margaret Wild
First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Valentine’s Day by Anne Rockwell
A Picture Book Of Helen Keller by David A. Adler
Fish is Fish by Leo Lionni
The Bus For Us by Suzanne Bloom
Every Cowgirl Needs A Horse by Rebecca Janni
Bear Stays Up At Christmas  by Karma Wilson
Duck On A Bike by David Shannon
Cowboy Camp by Tammi Sauer
The List by Hazel Hutchins
Scaredy Squirrel Makes A Friend by Melanie Watt
Julius The Baby Of The World by Kevin Henkes
Rosa By Nikki Giovanni
The Pirate Of Kindergarten by George Ella Lyon
Is There Really A Human Race? by Jamie Lee Curtis
A Father Like That by Charlotte Zolotow
Whoever You Are by Mem Fox
Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore
The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers
Sink or Swim by Valerie Coulman
The Princess and The Pizza by Mary Jane and Herb Auch
I Want To Be A Cowgirl by Jeanne Willis
No! David by David Shannon
My Brother Martin by Christine King Farris
It’s Mine  by Leo Lionni
Ben’s Trumpet by Rachel Isadora
One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root
How To Catch A Star by Oliver Jeffers
My Best Friend Moved Away by Nancy Carlson
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
The Boy Who Grew Flowers by Jennifer Wojtowicz
Edwardo the Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World by John Burningham
Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes
Music Over Manhattan by Mark Karlins
I Love You Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt
Zip, Zip… Homework by Nancy Poydar
Tacky The Penguin by Helen Lester
Did I Tell You I Love You Today? by Deloris Jordan
Hair For Mama by Kelly A. Tinkham
I Don’t Want To Go To Bed by Julia Sykes
Owen by Kevin Henkes
The Sissy Duckling by Harvey Fierstein
Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boyton
Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole
Dad, Jackie and Me by Myron Ulberg
Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
Click Clack Moo , Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
A Kiss Goodbye by Audrey Penn
A Very Big Bunny by Marisabina Russo
The Grumpy Morning by Pamela Duncan Edwards
One Green Apple by Eve Bunting

The Three Musketeers

2014-11-25T23:16:00.000+05:30

By: Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870)

The Three Musketeers (Les Trois Mousquetaires) is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, père. It recounts the adventures of a young man named d’Artagnan after he leaves home to become a musketeer. D’Artagnan is not one of the musketeers of the title; those are his friends Athos, Porthos, and Aramis — inseparable friends who live by the motto, “One for all, and all for one”.

The Three Musketeers was first published in serial form in the magazine Le Siècle between March and July 1844. Dumas claimed it was based on manuscripts he had discovered in the Bibliothèque Nationale. It was later proven that Dumas had based his work on the book Mémoires de Monsieur D’Artagnan, capitaine lieutenant de la première compagnie des Mousquetaires du Roi (Memoirs of Mister D’Artagnan, Lieutenant Captain of the first company of the King’s Musketeers) by Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras (Cologne, 1700).

Dumas’ version of the story covers the adventures of D’Artagnan and his friends from 1625 to 1628, as they are involved in intrigues involving the weak King Louis XIII of France, his powerful and cunning advisor Cardinal Richelieu, the beautiful Queen Anne of Austria, her English lover, George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, and the Siege of La Rochelle. Adding to the intrigue are the mysterious Milady de Winter, and Richelieu’s right-hand man, the Comte de Rochefort.

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First Page:

THE THREE MUSKETEERS

Alexandre Dumas

Contents

Author's Preface

1. THE THREE PRESENTS OF D'ARTAGNAN THE ELDER 2. THE ANTECHAMBER OF M. DE TREVILLE 3. THE AUDIENCE 4. THE SHOULDER OF ATHOS, THE BALDRIC OF PORTHOS AND THE HANDKERCHIEF OF ARAMIS 5. THE KING'S MUSKETEERS AND THE CARDINAL'S GUARDS 6. HIS MAJESTY KING LOUIS XIII 7. THE INTERIOR OF "THE MUSKETEERS" 8. CONCERNING A COURT INTRIGUE 9. D'ARTAGNAN SHOWS HIMSELF 10. A MOUSETRAP IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 11. IN WHICH THE PLOT THICKENS 12. GEORGE VILLIERS, DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM 13. MONSIEUR BONACIEUX 14. THE MAN OF MEUNG 15. MEN OF THE ROBE AND MEN OF THE SWORD 16. M. SEGUIER, KEEPER OF THE SEALS, LOOKS MORE THAN ONCE FOR THE BELL, IN ORDER TO RING IT, AS HE DID BEFORE 17. BONACIEUX AT HOME 18. LOVER AND HUSBAND 19. PLAN OF CAMPAIGN 20. THE JOURNEY 21. THE COUNTESS DE WINTER 22. THE BALLET OF LA MERLAISON 23. THE RENDEZVOUS 24. THE PAVILION 25. PORTHOS 26. ARAMIS AND HIS THESIS 27... Continue reading book >>

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A Tale of Two Cities

2014-11-25T23:12:00.000+05:30

By: Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

A Tale of Two Cities (1859) is a novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. With well over 200 million copies sold, it is among the most famous works of fiction.

The novel depicts the plight of the French peasantry demoralized by the French aristocracy in the years leading up to the revolution, the corresponding brutality demonstrated by the revolutionaries toward the former aristocrats in the early years of the revolution, and many unflattering social parallels with life in London during the same time period. It follows the lives of several protagonists through these events. The most notable are Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton. Darnay is a French once-aristocrat who falls victim to the indiscriminate wrath of the revolution despite his virtuous nature, and Carton is a dissipated British barrister who endeavours to redeem his ill-spent life out of his unrequited love for Darnay's wife, Lucie Manette.

First Page:

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

A STORY OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

By Charles Dickens

CONTENTS

Book the First Recalled to Life

Chapter I The Period Chapter II The Mail Chapter III The Night Shadows Chapter IV The Preparation Chapter V The Wine shop Chapter VI The Shoemaker

Book the Second the Golden Thread

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Chapter I Five Years Later Chapter II A Sight Chapter III A Disappointment Chapter IV Congratulatory Chapter V The Jackal Chapter VI Hundreds of People Chapter VII Monseigneur in Town Chapter VIII Monseigneur in the Country Chapter IX The Gorgon's Head Chapter X Two Promises Chapter XI A Companion Picture Chapter XII The Fellow of Delicacy Chapter XIII The Fellow of no Delicacy Chapter XIV The Honest Tradesman Chapter XV Knitting Chapter XVI Still Knitting Chapter XVII One Night Chapter XVIII Nine Days ... Continue reading book >>

Around the World in Eighty Days

2014-11-25T23:07:00.000+05:30

By: Jules Verne (1828-1905)

Mysterious Phileas Fogg is a cool customer. A man of the most repetitious and punctual habit – with no apparent sense of adventure whatsoever – he gambles his considerable fortune that he can complete a journey around the world in just 80 days… immediately after a newspaper calculates the feat as just barely possible.

With his excitable French manservant in tow, Fogg undertakes the exercise immediately, with no preparations, trusting that his traveling funds will make up for delays along the way. But unbeknownst to him, British police are desperately seeking to arrest him for the theft of a huge sum by someone who resembles him, and they will track him around the world, if necessary, to apprehend him.

This is an adventure novel of the first water, with wholly unexpected perils, hair-breadth escapes, brilliant solutions to insoluble problems, and even a love story. And can this be? – That he returns to London just five minutes too late to win his wager and retain his fortune?

First Page:

AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG AND PASSEPARTOUT ACCEPT EACH OTHER, THE ONE AS MASTER, THE OTHER AS MAN

II IN WHICH PASSEPARTOUT IS CONVINCED THAT HE HAS AT LAST FOUND HIS IDEAL

III IN WHICH A CONVERSATION TAKES PLACE WHICH SEEMS LIKELY TO COST PHILEAS FOGG DEAR

IV IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG ASTOUNDS PASSEPARTOUT, HIS SERVANT

V IN WHICH A NEW SPECIES OF FUNDS, UNKNOWN TO THE MONEYED MEN, APPEARS ON 'CHANGE

VI IN WHICH FIX, THE DETECTIVE, BETRAYS A VERY NATURAL IMPATIENCE

VII WHICH ONCE MORE DEMONSTRATES THE USELESSNESS OF PASSPORTS AS AIDS TO dETECTIVES

VIII IN WHICH PASSEPARTOUT TALKS RATHER MORE, PERHAPS, THAN IS PRUDENT

IX IN WHICH THE RED SEA AND THE INDIAN OCEAN PROVE PROPITIOUS TO THE DESIGNS OF PHILEAS FOGG

X IN WHICH PASSEPARTOUT IS ONLY TOO GLAD TO GET OFF WITH THE LOSS OF HIS SHOES

XI IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG SECURES A CURIOUS MEANS... Continue reading book >>

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Romeo and Juliet

2014-11-25T19:31:00.000+05:30

By: William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Romeo and Juliet is an early tragedy by William Shakespeare about two teenage “star-cross’d lovers” whose “untimely deaths” ultimately unite their feuding households. The play has been highly praised by literary critics for its language and dramatic effect. It was among Shakespeare’s most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Its influence is still seen today, with the two main characters being widely represented as archetypal young lovers.

First Page:

THE TRAGEDY OF ROMEO AND JULIET by William Shakespeare Dramatis Personae Chorus. Escalus, Prince of Verona. Paris, a young Count, kinsman to the Prince. Montague, heads of two houses at variance with each other. Capulet, heads of two houses at variance with each other. An old Man, of the Capulet family. Romeo, son to Montague. Tybalt, nephew to Lady Capulet. Mercutio, kinsman to the Prince and friend to Romeo. Benvolio, nephew to Montague, and friend to Romeo Tybalt, nephew to Lady Capulet. Friar Laurence, Franciscan. Friar John, Franciscan. Balthasar, servant to Romeo. Abram, servant to Montague. Sampson, servant to Capulet. Gregory, servant to Capulet. Peter, servant to Juliet's nurse. An Apothecary. Three Musicians. An Officer. Lady Montague, wife to Montague. Lady Capulet, wife to Capulet. Juliet, daughter to Capulet. Nurse to Juliet. Citizens of Verona; Gentlemen and Gentlewomen of both houses; Maskers, Torchbearers, Pages, Guards, Watchmen, Servants, and Attendants. SCENE... Continue reading book >>

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Tales from Shakespeare

2014-11-25T12:42:00.000+05:30

By: Charles Lamb (1775-1834)

The following Tales are meant to be submitted to the young reader as an introduction to the study of Shakespeare, for which purpose his words are used whenever it seemed possible to bring them in; and in whatever has been added to give them the regular form of a connected story, diligent care has been taken to select such words as might least interrupt the effect of the beautiful English tongue in which he wrote: therefore, words introduced into our language since his time have been as far as possible avoided. (from the Author’s Preface)

First Page:

TALES FROM SHAKESPEARE by CHARLES AND MARY LAMB

CONTENTS

AUTHOR'S PREFACE THE TEMPEST A MIDSUMMER NIGHT's DREAM WINTER'S TALE MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING AS YOU LIKE IT TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA MERCHANT OF VENICE CYMBELINE KING LEAR MACBETH ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL TAMING OF THE SHREW COMEDY OF ERRORS MEASURE FOR MEASURE TWELFTH NIGHT; OR, WHAT YOU WILL TIMON OF ATHENS ROMEO AND JULIET HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK OTHELLO PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE

PREFACE

In those Tales which have been taken from the Tragedies, the young readers will perceive, when they come to see the source from which these stories are derived, that Shakespeare's own words, with little alteration, recur very frequently in the narrative as well as in the dialogue; but in those made from the Comedies the writers found themselves scarcely ever able to turn his words into the narrative form: therefore it is feared that, in them, dialogue has been made use of too frequently for young people not accustomed to the dramatic form of writing... Continue reading book >>

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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

2014-11-25T12:35:00.000+05:30

By: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930)

Dr. Watson chronicles here some of the more interesting detective cases that he and his good friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, have encountered during their association. We see the cases unfold as he does, scratch our heads as does he while the evidence is collected, and then marvel at the impeccable observations, remarkable insight, and doggedness which Holmes displays as he teases apart the tangled clues.

Packaged as twelve distinct cases, by the end of this book your own senses of observation and deductive reasoning should be improved. It's easy to see why this book became a model for detective yarns!

First Page:

THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES

SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

I. A Scandal in Bohemia II. The Red headed League III. A Case of Identity IV. The Boscombe Valley Mystery V. The Five Orange Pips VI. The Man with the Twisted Lip VII. The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle VIII. The Adventure of the Speckled Band IX. The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb X. The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor XI. The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet XII. The Adventure of the Copper Beeches

ADVENTURE I. A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA

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To Sherlock Holmes she is always THE woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind. He was, I take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen, but as a lover he would have placed himself in a false position... Continue reading book >>

Gulliver’s Travels

2014-11-25T11:48:00.000+05:30

By: Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)

Gulliver’s Travels (1726, amended 1735), officially Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, is a novel by Jonathan Swift that is both a satire on human nature and a parody of the “travellers’ tales” literary sub-genre. It is widely considered Swift’s magnum opus and is his most celebrated work, as well as one of the indisputable classics of English literature.

First Page:

GULLIVER’S TRAVELS INTO SEVERAL REMOTE NATIONS OF THE WORLD

BY JONATHAN SWIFT, D.D., DEAN OF ST. PATRICK’S, DUBLIN.

[ First published in 1726–7.]

THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER.

[ As given in the original edition .]

The author of these Travels, Mr. Lemuel Gulliver, is my ancient and intimate friend; there is likewise some relation between us on the mother’s side. About three years ago, Mr. Gulliver growing weary of the concourse of curious people coming to him at his house in Redriff, made a small purchase of land, with a convenient house, near Newark, in Nottinghamshire, his native country; where he now lives retired, yet in good esteem among his neighbours.

Although Mr. Gulliver was born in Nottinghamshire, where his father dwelt, yet I have heard him say his family came from Oxfordshire; to confirm which, I have observed in the churchyard at Banbury in that county, several tombs and monuments of the Gullivers..

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How To Write Good Books - complete course of 17 videos

2014-11-25T08:54:00.000+05:30

How To Write Good Books - complete course of 17 videos

100 Most beautiful words in the English language

2014-11-13T23:46:00.000+05:30

100 Most beautiful words in the English language

Ailurophile A cat-lover.

Assemblage A gathering.

Becoming Attractive.

Beleaguer To exhaust with attacks.

Brood To think alone.

Bucolic In a lovely rural setting.

Bungalow A small, cozy cottage.

Chatoyant Like a cat’s eye.

Comely Attractive.

Conflate To blend together.

Cynosure A focal point of admiration.

Dalliance A brief love affair.

Demesne Dominion, territory.

Demure Shy and reserved.

Denouement The resolution of a mystery.

Desuetude Disuse.

Desultory Slow, sluggish.

Diaphanous Filmy.

Dissemble Deceive.

Dulcet Sweet, sugary.

Ebullience Bubbling enthusiasm.

Effervescent Bubbly.

Efflorescence Flowering, blooming.

Elision Dropping a sound or syllable in a word.

Elixir A good potion.

Eloquence Beauty and persuasion in speech.

Embrocation Rubbing on a lotion.

Emollient A softener.

Ephemeral Short-lived.

Epiphany A sudden revelation.

Erstwhile At one time, for a time.

Ethereal Gaseous, invisible but detectable.

Evanescent Vanishing quickly, lasting a very short time.

Evocative Suggestive.

Fetching Pretty.

Felicity Pleasantness.

Forbearance Withholding response to provocation.

Fugacious Fleeting.

Furtive Shifty, sneaky.

Gambol To skip or leap about joyfully.

Glamour Beauty.

Gossamer The finest piece of thread, a spider’s silk.

Halcyon Happy, sunny, care-free.

Harbinger Messenger with news of the future.

Imbrication Overlapping and forming a regular pattern.

Imbroglio An altercation or complicated situation.

Imbue To infuse, instill.

Incipient Beginning, in an early stage.

Ineffable Unutterable, inexpressible.

Ingénue A naïve young woman.

Inglenook A cozy nook by the hearth.

Insouciance Blithe nonchalance.

Inure To become jaded.

Labyrinthine Twisting and turning.

Lagniappe A special kind of gift.

Lagoon A small gulf or inlet.

Languor Listlessness, inactivity.

Lassitude Weariness, listlessness.

Leisure Free time.

Lilt To move musically or lively.

Lissome Slender and graceful.

Lithe Slender and flexible.

Love Deep affection.

Mellifluous Sweet sounding.

Moiety One of two equal parts.

Mondegreen A slip of the ear.

Murmurous Murmuring.

Nemesis An unconquerable archenemy.

Offing The sea between the horizon and the offshore.

Onomatopoeia A word that sounds like its meaning.

Opulent Lush, luxuriant.

Palimpsest A manuscript written over earlier ones.

Panacea A solution for all problems

Panoply A complete set.

Pastiche An art work combining materials from various sources.

Penumbra A half-shadow.

Petrichor The smell of earth after rain.

Plethora A large quantity.

Propinquity Proximity; Nearness

Pyrrhic Successful with heavy losses.

Quintessential Most essential.

Ratatouille A spicy French stew.

Ravel To knit or unknit.

Redolent Fragrant.

Riparian By the bank of a stream.

Ripple A very small wave.

Scintilla A spark or very small thing.

Sempiternal Eternal.

Seraglio Rich, luxurious oriental palace or harem.

Serendipity Finding something nice while looking for something else.

Summery Light, delicate or warm and sunny.

Sumptuous Lush, luxurious.

Surreptitious Secretive, sneaky.

Susquehanna A river in Pennsylvania.

Susurrous Whispering, hissing.

Talisman A good luck charm.

Tintinnabulation Tinkling.

Umbrella Protection from sun or rain.

Untoward Unseemly, inappropriate.

Vestigial In trace amounts.

Wafture Waving.

Wherewithal The means.

Woebegone Sorrowful, downcast.

SYNONYMS FOR WORDS COMMONLY USED IN STUDENT'S WRITINGS

2014-11-13T23:41:00.000+05:30

SYNONYMS FOR WORDS COMMONLY USED IN STUDENT'S WRITINGS

Amazing- incredible, unbelievable, improbable, fabulous, wonderful, fantastic, astonishing, astounding, extraordinary
Anger- enrage, infuriate, arouse, nettle, exasperate, inflame, madden
Angry- mad, furious, enraged, excited, wrathful, indignant, exasperated, aroused, inflamed
Answer- reply, respond, retort, acknowledge
Ask- question, inquire of, seek information from, put a question to, demand, request, expect, inquire, query, interrogate, examine, quiz
Awful- dreadful, terrible, abominable, bad, poor, unpleasant
Bad- evil, immoral, wicked, corrupt, sinful, depraved, rotten, contaminated, spoiled, tainted, harmful, injurious, unfavorable, defective, inferior, imperfect, substandard, faulty, improper, inappropriate, unsuitable, disagreeable, unpleasant, cross, nasty, unfriendly, irascible, horrible, atrocious, outrageous, scandalous, infamous, wrong, noxious, sinister, putrid, snide, deplorable, dismal, gross, heinous, nefarious, base, obnoxious, detestable, despicable, contemptible, foul, rank, ghastly, execrable
Beautiful - pretty, lovely, handsome, attractive, gorgeous, dazzling, splendid, magnificent, comely, fair, ravishing, graceful, elegant, fine, exquisite, aesthetic, pleasing, shapely, delicate, stunning, glorious, heavenly, resplendent, radiant, glowing, blooming, sparkling
Begin - start, open, launch, initiate, commence, inaugurate, originate
Big - enormous, huge, immense, gigantic, vast, colossal, gargantuan, large, sizable, grand, great, tall, substantial, mammoth, astronomical, ample, broad, expansive, spacious, stout, tremendous, titanic, mountainous
Brave - courageous, fearless, dauntless, intrepid, plucky, daring, heroic, valorous, audacious, bold, gallant, valiant, doughty, mettlesome
Break - fracture, rupture, shatter, smash, wreck, crash, demolish, atomize
Bright - shining, shiny, gleaming, brilliant, sparkling, shimmering, radiant, vivid, colorful, lustrous, luminous, incandescent, intelligent, knowing, quick-witted, smart, intellectual
Calm - quiet, peaceful, still, tranquil, mild, serene, smooth, composed, collected, unruffled, level-headed, unexcited, detached, aloof
Come - approach, advance, near, arrive, reach
Cool - chilly, cold, frosty, wintry, icy, frigid
Crooked - bent, twisted, curved, hooked, zigzag
Cry - shout, yell, yowl, scream, roar, bellow, weep, wail, sob, bawl
Cut - gash, slash, prick, nick, sever, slice, carve, cleave, slit, chop, crop, lop, reduce
Dangerous - perilous, hazardous, risky, uncertain, unsafe
Dark - shadowy, unlit, murky, gloomy, dim, dusky, shaded, sunless, black, dismal, sad
Decide - determine, settle, choose, resolve
Definite - certain, sure, positive, determined, clear, distinct, obvious
Delicious - savory, delectable, appetizing, luscious, scrumptious, palatable, delightful, enjoyable, toothsome, exquisite
Describe - portray, characterize, picture, narrate, relate, recount, represent, report, record
Destroy - ruin, demolish, raze, waste, kill, slay, end, extinguish
Difference - disagreement, inequity, contrast, dissimilarity, incompatibility
Do - execute, enact, carry out, finish, conclude, effect, accomplish, achieve, attain
Dull - boring, tiring,, tiresome, uninteresting, slow, dumb, stupid, unimaginative, lifeless, dead, insensible, tedious, wearisome, listless, expressionless, plain, monotonous, humdrum, dreary
Eager - keen, fervent, enthusiastic, involved, interested, alive to
End - stop, finish, terminate, conclude, close, halt, cessation, discontinuance
Enjoy - appreciate, delight in, be pleased, indulge in, luxuriate in, bask in, relish, devour, savor, like
Explain - elaborate, clarify, define, interpret, justify, account for
Fair - just, impartial, unbiased, objective, unprejudiced, honest
Fall - drop, descend, plunge, topple, tumble
False - fake, fraudulent, counterfeit, spurious, untrue, unfounded, erroneous, deceptive, groundless, fallacious
Famous - well-known, renowned, celebrated, famed, eminent, illustrious, distinguished, noted, notorious
Fast - quick, rapid, speedy, fleet, hasty, snappy, mercurial, swiftly, rapidly, quickly, snappily, speedily, lickety-split, posthaste, hastily, expeditiously, like a flash
Fat - stout, corpulent, fleshy, beefy, paunchy, plump, full, rotund, tubby, pudgy, chubby, chunky, burly, bulky, elephantine
Fear - fright, dread, terror, alarm, dismay, anxiety, scare, awe, horror, panic, apprehension
Fly - soar, hover, flit, wing, flee, waft, glide, coast, skim, sail, cruise
Funny - humorous, amusing, droll, comic, comical, laughable, silly
Get - acquire, obtain, secure, procure, gain, fetch, find, score, accumulate, win, earn, rep, catch, net, bag, derive, collect, gather, glean, pick up, accept, come by, regain, salvage
Go - recede, depart, fade, disappear, move, travel, proceed
Good - excellent, fine, superior, wonderful, marvelous, qualified, suited, suitable, apt, proper, capable, generous, kindly, friendly, gracious, obliging, pleasant, agreeable, pleasurable, satisfactory, well-behaved, obedient, honorable, reliable, trustworthy, safe, favorable, profitable, advantageous, righteous, expedient, helpful, valid, genuine, ample, salubrious, estimable, beneficial, splendid, great, noble, worthy, first-rate, top-notch, grand, sterling, superb, respectable, edifying
Great - noteworthy, worthy, distinguished, remarkable, grand, considerable, powerful, much, mighty
Gross - improper, rude, coarse, indecent, crude, vulgar, outrageous, extreme, grievous, shameful, uncouth, obscene, low
Happy - pleased, contented, satisfied, delighted, elated, joyful, cheerful, ecstatic, jubilant, gay, tickled, gratified, glad, blissful, overjoyed
Hate - despise, loathe, detest, abhor, disfavor, dislike, disapprove, abominate
Have - hold, possess, own, contain, acquire, gain, maintain, believe, bear, beget, occupy, absorb, fill, enjoy
Help - aid, assist, support, encourage, back, wait on, attend, serve, relieve, succor, benefit, befriend, abet
Hide - conceal, cover, mask, cloak, camouflage, screen, shroud, veil
Hurry - rush, run, speed, race, hasten, urge, accelerate, bustle
Hurt - damage, harm, injure, wound, distress, afflict, pain
Idea - thought, concept, conception, notion, understanding, opinion, plan, view, belief
Important - necessary, vital, critical, indispensable, valuable, essential, significant, primary, principal, considerable, famous, distinguished, notable, well-known
Interesting - fascinating, engaging, sharp, keen, bright, intelligent, animated, spirited, attractive, inviting, intriguing, provocative, though-provoking, challenging, inspiring, involving, moving, titillating, tantalizing, exciting, entertaining, piquant, lively, racy, spicy, engrossing, absorbing, consuming, gripping, arresting, enthralling, spellbinding, curious, captivating, enchanting, bewitching, appealing
Keep - hold, retain, withhold, preserve, maintain, sustain, support
Kill - slay, execute, assassinate, murder, destroy, cancel, abolish
Lazy - indolent, slothful, idle, inactive, sluggish
Little - tiny, small, diminutive, shrimp, runt, miniature, puny, exiguous, dinky, cramped, limited, itsy-bitsy, microscopic, slight, petite, minute
Look - gaze, see, glance, watch, survey, study, seek, search for, peek, peep, glimpse, stare, contemplate, examine, gape, ogle, scrutinize, inspect, leer, behold, observe, view, witness, perceive, spy, sight, discover, notice, recognize, peer, eye, gawk, peruse, explore
Love - like, admire, esteem, fancy, care for, cherish, adore, treasure, worship, appreciate, savor
Make - create, originate, invent, beget, form, construct, design, fabricate, manufacture, produce, build, develop, do, effect, execute, compose, perform, accomplish, earn, gain, obtain, acquire, get
Mark - label, tag, price, ticket, impress, effect, trace, imprint, stamp, brand, sign, note, heed, notice, designate
Mischievous - prankish, playful, naughty, roguish, waggish, impish, sportive
Move - plod, go, creep, crawl, inch, poke, drag, toddle, shuffle, trot, dawdle, walk, traipse, mosey, jog, plug, trudge, slump, lumber, trail, lag, run, sprint, trip, bound, hotfoot, high-tail, streak, stride, tear, breeze, whisk, rush, dash, dart, bolt, fling, scamper, scurry, skedaddle, scoot, scuttle, scramble, race, chase, hasten, hurry, hump, gallop, lope, accelerate, stir, budge, travel, wander, roam, journey, trek, ride, spin, slip, glide, slide, slither, coast, flow, sail, saunter, hobble, amble, stagger, paddle, slouch, prance, straggle, meander, perambulate, waddle, wobble, pace, swagger, promenade, lunge
Moody - temperamental, changeable, short-tempered, glum, morose, sullen, mopish, irritable, testy, peevish, fretful, spiteful, sulky, touchy
Neat - clean, orderly, tidy, trim, dapper, natty, smart, elegant, well-organized, super, desirable, spruce, shipshape, well-kept, shapely
New - fresh, unique, original, unusual, novel, modern, current, recent
Old - feeble, frail, ancient, weak, aged, used, worn, dilapidated, ragged, faded, broken-down, former, old-fashioned, outmoded, passe, veteran, mature, venerable, primitive, traditional, archaic, conventional, customary, stale, musty, obsolete, extinct
Part - portion, share, piece, allotment, section, fraction, fragment
Place - space, area, spot, plot, region, location, situation, position, residence, dwelling, set, site, station, status, state
Plan - plot, scheme, design, draw, map, diagram, procedure, arrangement, intention, device, contrivance, method, way, blueprint
Popular - well-liked, approved, accepted, favorite, celebrated, common, current
Predicament - quandary, dilemma, pickle, problem, plight, spot, scrape, jam
Put - place, set, attach, establish, assign, keep, save, set aside, effect, achieve, do, build
Quiet - silent, still, soundless, mute, tranquil, peaceful, calm, restful
Right - correct, accurate, factual, true, good, just, honest, upright, lawful, moral, proper, suitable, apt, legal, fair
Run - race, speed, hurry, hasten, sprint, dash, rush, escape, elope, flee
Say/Tell - inform, notify, advise, relate, recount, narrate, explain, reveal, disclose, divulge, declare, command, order, bid, enlighten, instruct, insist, teach, train, direct, issue, remark, converse, speak, affirm, suppose, utter, negate, express, verbalize, voice, articulate, pronounce, deliver, convey, impart, assert, state, allege, mutter, mumble, whisper, sigh, exclaim, yell, sing, yelp, snarl, hiss, grunt, snort, roar, bellow, thunder, boom, scream, shriek, screech, squawk, whine, philosophize, stammer, stutter, lisp, drawl, jabber, protest, announce, swear, vow, content, assure, deny, dispute
Scared - afraid, frightened, alarmed, terrified, panicked, fearful, unnerved, insecure, timid, shy, skittish, jumpy, disquieted, worried, vexed, troubled, disturbed, horrified, terrorized, shocked, petrified, haunted, timorous, shrinking, tremulous, stupefied, paralyzed, stunned, apprehensive
Show - display, exhibit, present, note, point to, indicate, explain, reveal, prove, demonstrate, expose
Slow - unhurried, gradual, leisurely, late, behind, tedious, slack
Stop - cease, halt, stay, pause, discontinue, conclude, end, finish, quit
Story - tale, myth, legend, fable, yarn, account, narrative, chronicle, epic, sage, anecdote, record, memoir
Strange - odd, peculiar, unusual, unfamiliar, uncommon, queer, weird, outlandish, curious, unique, exclusive, irregular
Take - hold, catch, seize, grasp, win, capture, acquire, pick, choose, select, prefer, remove, steal, lift, rob, engage, bewitch, purchase, buy, retract, recall, assume, occupy, consume
Tell - disclose, reveal, show, expose, uncover, relate, narrate, inform, advise, explain, divulge, declare, command, order, bid, recount, repeat
Think - judge, deem, assume, believe, consider, contemplate, reflect, mediate
Trouble - distress, anguish, anxiety, worry, wretchedness, pain, danger, peril, disaster, grief, misfortune, difficulty, concern, pains, inconvenience, exertion, effort
True - accurate, right, proper, precise, exact, valid, genuine, real, actual, trusty, steady, loyal, dependable, sincere, staunch
Ugly - hideous, frightful, frightening, shocking, horrible, unpleasant, monstrous, terrifying, gross, grisly, ghastly, horrid, unsightly, plain, homely, evil, repulsive, repugnant, gruesome
Unhappy - miserable, uncomfortable, wretched, heart-broken, unfortunate, poor, downhearted, sorrowful, depressed, dejected, melancholy, glum, gloomy, dismal, discouraged, sad
Use - employ, utilize, exhaust, spend, expend, consume, exercise
Wrong - incorrect, inaccurate, mistaken, erroneous, improper, unsuitable

Collected Quotes from Albert Einstein

2014-11-13T23:33:00.000+05:30

Collected Quotes from Albert Einstein

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction."
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love."
"I want to know God's thoughts; the rest are details."
"The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax."
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
"The only real valuable thing is intuition."
"A person starts to live when he can live outside himself."
"I am convinced that He (God) does not play dice."
"God is subtle but he is not malicious."
"Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character."
"I never think of the future. It comes soon enough."
"The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility."
"Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing."
"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind."
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
"Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds."
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen."
"Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it."
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."
"God does not care about our mathematical difficulties. He integrates empirically."
"The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking."
"Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal."
"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."
"The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible."
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school."
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."
"Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater."
"Equations are more important to me, because politics is for the present, but an equation is something for eternity."
"If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut."
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
"As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality."
"Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods."
"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."
"In order to form an immaculate member of a flock of sheep one must, above all, be a sheep."
"The fear of death is the most unjustified of all fears, for there's no risk of accident for someone who's dead."
"Too many of us look upon Americans as dollar chasers. This is a cruel libel, even if it is reiterated thoughtlessly by the Americans themselves."
"Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism -- how passionately I hate them!"
"No, this trick won't work...How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?"
"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."
"Yes, we have to divide up our time like that, between our politics and our equations. But to me our equations are far more important, for politics are only a matter of present concern. A mathematical equation stands forever."
"The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking...the solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker."
"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence."
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."
"A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeeded be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death."
"The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge."
"Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion."
"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat."
"One had to cram all this stuff into one's mind for the examinations, whether one liked it or not. This coercion had such a deterring effect on me that, after I had passed the final examination, I found the consideration of any scientific problems distasteful to me for an entire year."
"...one of the strongest motives that lead men to art and science is escape from everyday life with its painful crudity and hopeless dreariness, from the fetters of one's own ever-shifting desires. A finely tempered nature longs to escape from the personal life into the world of objective perception and thought."
"He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder."
"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us _universe_, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." (Sign hanging in Einstein's office at Princeton)

10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals

2014-11-13T18:52:00.000+05:30

10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals

By Naman Kumar

How do you express numbers in your writing? When do you use figures (digits) and when do you write out the number in words (letters)? That is, when do you write 9and when do you write nine?

1. Number versus numeral. First things first, what is the difference between a number and a numeral? A number is an abstract concept while a numeral is a symbol used to express that number. “Three,” “3″ and “III” are all symbols used to express the same number (or the concept of “threeness”). One could say that the difference between a number and its numerals is like the difference between a person and her name.

2. Spell small numbers out. The small numbers, such as whole numbers smaller than ten, should be spelled out. That’s one rule you can count on. If you don’t spell numbers out it will look like you’re sending an instant message, and you want to be more formal than that in your writing.

3. No other standard rule: Experts don’t always agree on other rules. Some experts say that any one-word number should be written out. Two-word numbers should be expressed in figures. That is, they say you should write out twelve or twenty. But not 24.

4. Using the comma. In English, the comma is used as a thousands separator (and the period as a decimal separator), to make large numbers easier to read. So write the size of Alaska as 571,951 square miles instead of 571951 square miles. In Continental Europe the opposite is true, periods are used to separate large numbers and the comma is used for decimals. Finally, the International Systems of Units (SI) recommends that a space should be used to separate groups of three digits, and both the comma and the period should be used only to denote decimals, like $13 200,50 (the comma part is a mess… I know).

5. Don’t start a sentence with a numeral. Make it “Fourscore and seven years ago,” not “4 score and 7 years ago.” That means you might have to rewrite some sentences: “Fans bought 400,000 copies the first day” instead of “400,000 copies were sold the first day.”

6. Centuries and decades should be spelled out. Use the Eighties or nineteenth century.

7. Percentages and recipes. With everyday writing and recipes you can use digits, like “4% of the children” or “Add 2 cups of brown rice.” In formal writing, however, you should spell the percentage out like “12 percent of the players” (or “twelve percent of the players,” depending on your preference as explained in point three).

8. If the number is rounded or estimated, spell it out. Rounded numbers over a million are written as a numeral plus a word. Use “About 400 million people speak Spanish natively,” instead of “About 400,000,000 people speak Spanish natively.” If you’re using the exact number, you’d write it out, of course.

9. Two numbers next to each other. It can be confusing if you write “7 13-year-olds”, so write one of them as a numeral, like “seven 13-year-olds”. Pick the number that has the fewest letters.

10. Ordinal numbers and consistency. Don’t say “He was my 1st true love,” but rather “He was my first true love.” Be consistent within the same sentence. If my teacher has 23 beginning students, she also has 18 advanced students, not eighteen advanced students.

Rich Man, Poor Man by Maximilian Foster

2014-11-13T09:47:00.000+05:30

Rich Man, Poor Man by Maximilian Foster

Author	Foster, Maximilian
Title	Rich Man, Poor Man
Language	English
Category	Text
EBook-No.	46945
Release Date	Sep 23, 2014
Copyright Status	Public domain in the USA.
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The Golden Maiden by A. G. Seklemian

2014-11-13T09:03:00.000+05:30

The Golden Maiden by A. G. Seklemian

Author	Seklemian, A. G.
Illustrator	Dolbear, Ella
Illustrator	Geary, Elizabeth
Title	The Golden Maiden and other folk tales and fairy stories told in Armenia
Language	English
Category	Text
EBook-No.	46944
Release Date	Sep 23, 2014
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Passed vs Past

2014-09-21T18:48:00.000+05:30

Passed vs Past

By Naman Kumar

Sandi from Inspiration for Writers wrote to ask:

“Can you do a segment on Past vs. Passed–if you haven’t already? Too many get these words mixed up.”

Very happy to oblige, Sandi!

Past – relates to location

The word past locates something in time, and sometimes in space. It can be
used as an adjective, noun, or adverb.

“Past” as an adjective

The first definition which the OED gives for past as an adjective is “Gone by in time; elapsed; done with; over.” For example:

“The days for mourning are now past.”

When attributed to a group of people, past can also mean “Having served one’s term of office; former.”(OED)

“All past presidents of the United States were male.”

And in grammar, we have more examples of past being used as an adjective, such as in “past tense” and “past participle”.

“Past” as a noun

The main meaning for the noun form of past, given by the OED, is “The time that has gone by; a time, or all of the time, before the present.”

“In the past, standards were higher.”
“We cannot live in the past.”

“Past” as a preposition

As a preposition, past can mean: “Beyond in time; after; beyond the age for or time of; (in stating the time of day) so many minutes, or a quarter or half of an hour, after a particular hour.” (OED)

“It is almost half past five.”

It can also be used for location: “Beyond in place; further on than; at or on the further side of; to a point beyond.” (OED)

“My house is the one just past the turning.”

“Past” as an adverb

The first meaning the OED cites for past being used as an adverb is “So as to pass or go by; by.” For example:

“The ball sped past the goalkeeper.”

Passed – a verb in the past tense

Passed is the past participle of the verb “to pass”. It can be an intransitive verb (one which doesn’t require an object) or a transitive verb (one which requires both a subject and one or more objects).

“To pass” means “To proceed, move forward, depart; to cause to do this.” (OED) This can refer to movement forwards in time, in space, or in life (such as “to pass an examination”).

For example:

“The weeks passed quickly.” (Intransitive: subject “the weeks” and no object).
“I passed all my exams!” (Transitive: subject “I” and object “my exams”.)
“He passed the ball well during the match earlier.” (Transitive: subject “He” and object “the ball”.)

When do “past” and “passed” get confused?

Often, writers muddle the words past and passed in sentences such as:

“The heroes passed a village on their way towards the mountains.”

It’s common to see this written as:

“The heroes past a village on their way towards the mountains.”

But the word should be passed, as (in this sentence) it’s the past participle of the verb “to pass”. An easy way to tell is to rewrite the sentence in the present tense, as though you’re describing something which is happening currently:

“The heroes pass a village on their way towards the mountains.”
or “The heroes are passing a village on their way towards the mountains.”

However, if you wrote:

“The heroes walked past a village on their way towards the mountains.”

It’s correct to use past. The verb in this sentence is “walked”, and the “past” is acting as an adverb.

Unusual uses of the word “passed”

Most of the time, passed is a verb, as described above. There are a few occasions when it can be used as a noun or an adjective, though. For example:

“Don’t speak ill of the passed.” (noun)
- This comes from the phrase “passed-away”.
“A passed pawn” (adjective)
- Term used in chess.
“A passed ball” (adjective)
- Term used in baseball.
“A passed midshipman/fireman/surgeon” (adjective)
- Someone who has passed a period of instruction and qualified through examination – apparently this usage arose in the navy.

50 Problem Words and Phrases

2014-09-21T18:45:00.001+05:30

50 Problem Words and Phrases

By Naman Kumar

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to conceive written communication. So many pairs or trios of words and phrases stymie us with their resemblance to each other. Here’s a quick guide to alleviate (or is it ameliorate?) your suffering:

1. a while / awhile: “A while” is a noun phrase; awhile is an adverb.

2. all together / altogether: All together now — “We will refrain from using that two-word phrase to end sentences like this one altogether.”

3. amend / emend: To amend is to change; to emend is to correct.

4. amount / number: Amount refers to a mass (“The amount saved is considerable”); number refers to a quantity (“The number of dollars saved is considerable”).

5. between / among: The distinction is not whether you refer to two people or things or to three or more; it’s whether you refer to one thing and another or to a collective or undefined number — “Walk among the trees,” but “Walk between two trees.”

6. biannual / biennial: Biannual means twice a year; biennial means once every two years.

7. bring / take: If it’s coming toward you, it’s being brought. If it’s headed away from you, it’s being taken.

8. compare to / compare with: “Comparing to” implies similarity alone; “compare with” implies contrast as well.

9. compliment / complement: To compliment is to praise; to complement is to complete.

10. comprise, consist of / compose, constitute: Comprise means “include,” so test by replacement — “is included of” is nonsense, and so is “is comprised of.” The whole comprises the parts or consists of the parts, but the parts compose or constitute the whole.

11. connote / denote: To connote is to convey (“Air quotes connote skepticism or irony”); to denote is to specify (“A stop sign denotes the requirement to halt”).

12. continual / continuous: Continual events are frequently repeated, or intermittent. Continuous events are uninterrupted, or constant.

13. credible / credulous: To be credible is to be authoritative; to be credulous is to be gullible.

14. deserts / desserts: If you eat only cake, pie, ice cream, and the like, you eat just desserts. If you have it coming to you, you get your just deserts as well. (However, the connotation is negative, so hit the gym.)

15. different from / different than: The former phrase is preferred in formal writing; but “differently than” is always correct usage.

16. discreet / discrete: Discreet means “subtle”; discrete means “separate.” (“He discreetly reminded them of their discrete meanings.”)

17. each other / one another: “One another” is preferred in formal writing when more than two of something are being discussed.

18. economic / economical: Economic refers to the science of economics; economical suggests frugality.

19. elemental/elementary: What’s elemental is essential or integral to nature; what’s elementary is basic.

20. ensure / insure / assure: To ensure is to guarantee, to insure is to indemnify, and to assure is to comfort or convince.

21. epidemic / endemic / pandemic: An epidemic is the outbreak of disease in a limited place and time; an endemic disease is a recurring one peculiar to a place or population; a pandemic is pervasive over a wide geographical area.

22. forgo / forego: To forgo is to go without; to forego is to go before (and is generally used only in the forms foregoing and foregone, which are themselves rare).

23. gibe / jibe / jive: To gibe (soft g, as in gym) is to taunt or insult (though jibe is an alternate spelling), to jibe with is to coincide or fit, to jive is to deceive.

24. historic / historical: Something historic is remarkable for its impact on history; something historical is simply an event in history.

25. home in / hone in: To home in is to close in; to hone in is to confuse one word for another. (“Hone in” has no meaning.)

26. jealousy / envy: Jealousy is resentment; envy is covetousness.

27. lay / lie: Lay is transitive, associated with a direct object — “Lay that pencil down.” “Yesterday, I laid that pencil down.” “That pencil has been laid down.” Lie is intransitive, not so associated — “Lie down.” “Last night, I lay down.” “It was my plan to have lain down already.

28. leach / leech: To leach is to dissolve by percolation; to leech is to remove blood with a leech or to exhaust; as a noun, it means a parasitic worm or the human figurative equivalent, or the edge of a sail (also spelled leach).

29. libel / slander: Libel is written defamation; slander is the spoken equivalent.

30. may / might: May refers to factual or possible; might is appropriate for the hypothetical or counterfactual.

31. nauseous / nauseated: To be nauseous is to cause sickness. To be nauseated is to feel sick.

32. notable / noticeable / noteworthy: Something notable is worthy of note. Something noticeable is capable of being noticed. Noteworthy is a synonym of notable, though the former implies the unusual and the latter the commendable.

33. partly / partially: Partly means “in part”; partially means “incomplete” or, rarely, is an antonym forunfairly.

34. peak / pique: To peak is to reach the pinnacle; to pique is to arouse interest or to bother.

35. people / persons: People has assumed primacy; persons is reserved mostly as a synonym for bodies (“those belongings carried on their persons”).

36. persuade / convince: To persuade someone is to motivate them to do something; to convince someone is to lead them to understand or believe.

37. predominantly / predominately: Both forms are correct, but predominantly predominates.

38. purposely / purposefully: What’s done purposely is done on purpose; what’s done purposefully is done with a purpose.

39. regrettably / regretfully: Regrettably is a synonym for unfortunately; regretfully means just that — full of regret.

40. repetitive / repetitious: Both terms have acquired a negative connotation, but the former retains a more neutral meaning.

41. sensual / sensuous: Sensual has an erotic connotation; sensuous refers more neutrally to what is pleasurable to the senses.

42. since / because: Informally, these terms are interchangeable, but in formal writing, since should be used only to refer to time.

43. stationary / stationery: To be stationary is to stand still; stationery refers to letter-writing materials.

44. that / which: That is used restrictively (“The pencil that is sharp” — among more than one pencil, the one with that characteristic); which is employed nonrestrictively (“The pencil, which is sharp” — one pencil alone, possessing that characteristic). The distinction is rarely observed other than in American English.

45. tortuous / torturous: A tortuous experience is a winding one; a torturous one is painful.

46. transcript / transcription: A transcript is a thing; a transcription is the process of creating it.

47. verbal / oral: Verbal refers to both written and spoken communication, but oral is useful for distinguishing the latter from the former.

48. while / although / whereas: Informally, while is a synonym for the other two terms, but in formal writing it should be reserved for temporal connotations.

49. wreak / wreck: These terms do not share etymological origin; you wreck a party, but you do so by wreaking havoc.

50. whether / if: Both words are correct in expressing a choice, but the former is more appropriate in formal writing (“I can’t decide whether to go”), whereas the latter is better reserved for reference to possibility or probability (“I’ll go if you do”).

VICTORIAN ERA NAMES

2014-09-20T23:02:00.000+05:30

VICTORIAN ERA NAMES

circa 1840's-1890's

Being a compilation drawn from old census and vital statistic records.

A large part of creating a good set of characters in fiction writing is giving your imaginary populace good names. The right name resonates on the tongue and lingers in the mind, as just the right "fit" for who that heroic - or despicable - person was. Who can forget "Captain Ahab" and his manic pursuit of the Great White Whale, or the plain-spoken, earthy spirit of "Tom Sawyer," or the stern lyricism of "Sherlock Holmes?"

The same holds true for writing stories set in the 1800's. It is a simple fact that names change in use and popularity, over time, and the names we give our kids today are probably not what our great-grandmothers used. The Ambers and Wendys and Brandons of today were the Netties and Elizas and Philips of yore. It is my humble opinion that using period-correct names can add a certain "ring" to a story. During the Victorian era, Biblical names probably saw the most prevalent and common use, both for boys and girls, to include the familiar names from the New Testaments, and also the tongue-tanglers from the Old. However, their child-naming practices also borrowed heavily from prominent sources including national and political leaders, notable religious leaders, and celebrated military heroes. It was common find children named for famous figures in contemporary and ancient history, great literature, (authors and characters,) or sometimes even ancient mythology, such as Achilles or Hector. Likewise with names of royalty, such as William, George, Victoria, etc.
Nor was it unusual for parents to look closer to home, borrowing from close friends or people they admired. (I have a Captain Henley and a Doctor Harvey in my family tree - those were their names, not their occupations!) Not uncommonly they recycled family surnames, for instance inserting the mother’s maiden name as a child’s middle name. This applied to both boys and girls, which meant you might be named along the lines of John Butterfield Smith or Louisa Jefferson Jones. Sometimes those family surnames were used as given names, as well, so a boy might be named something like Fitzhugh Smith. Girls were also given virtuous names, such as Hope or Charity. Names were often handed down, too, so you might see an extended family tree with a Christopher Columbus Jones found in each of three or four consecutive generations. Likewise you might see a middle name reoccurring time and again, which was often an ancestor’s name or surname.

In a few places on this list, I have enumerated certain first and middle names together, (such as Sarah Ann,) because I find them joined thus so many times on old public records, that it is apparent those name-pairings enjoyed great popularity. Where common nicknames were often used, those are indicated, as well. Plus, I have included a few appellations which are so odd and obscure that I can only guess as to their origins, but they were popular in their day. All of these have been found countless times on census, marriage, and other public records during my own genealogical travels, dating back to the early 1800's. These were certainly not the only names used, but they are among the most commonly-seen. Thus it is with some confidence that I can present this list as a fair example of child-naming practices of the Victorian era. Names have changed in popularity, over time, and while many old standbys are still used and loved today, others of this epoch are certainly antiquated in their sound, and all but forgotten in application. I present this compilation in the hopes that fiction writers will be able to make use of it, and so perhaps add a little extra color and atmosphere to their work.

FEMALE

Abigale / Abby

Ada

Adella

Agnes

Allie

Almira / Almyra

Alva

America

Amelia

Ann ~ (also nickname for Nancy) / Annie

Arrah

Beatrice

Becky ~ (see Rebecca)

Bernice

Bess, Bessie, Beth, Betsy ~ (for Elizabeth)

Charity

Charlotte

Chastity

Claire

Constance

Cynthia

Dorothy ~ (also Dot)

Edith

Edna

Edwina

Ella

Eleanor

Ellie

Elizabeth ~(also Eliza, Liza, Lizzy; see Bess.)

Elvira

Emma

Esther

Ethel

Ettie ~ (see Henrietta)

Eudora

Eva

Fidelia

Frances

Fanny ~ (usually nickname for Frances)

Flora

Florence

Geneve

Genevieve

Georgia

Gertrude / Gertie

Gladys

Grace

Hannah

Hattie

Helen

Helene

Henrietta / Hettie ~ (also Ettie)

Hester

Hope

Hortence

Isabell / Isabella

Jane

Jennie

Jessamine

Josephine

Judith

Julia

Juliet

Katherine / Kate

Laura

Leah

Lenora

Letitia

Lila

Lilly

Lorena

Lorraine

Lottie

Louise / Louisa

Lucy

Lulu

Lydia

Mahulda

Margaret ~ (see Peggy)

Mary

Mary Elizabeth

Mary Frances

Martha

Matilda / Mattie

Maude

Maxine /Maxie

Mercy

Mildred

Minerva

Missouri

Molly ~ (nickname for Mary)

Myrtle

Nancy ~ (see Ann)

Natalie

Nellie / Nelly

Nettie

Nora

Orpha

Patsy

Parthena

Peggy ~ (nickname for Margaret)

Permelia

Phoebe

Philomena

Polly ~ (nickname for Mary)

Preshea

Rachel

Rebecca ~ (see Becky)

Rhoda / Rhody

Rowena

Rufina

Ruth

Samantha

Sally

Sarah

Sarah Ann

Sarah Elizabeth

Savannah

Selina

Sophronia

Stella

Theodosia

Vertiline ~ (also Verd)

Victoria

Virginia / Ginny

Vivian

Winnifred / Winnie

Zona

Zylphia

MALE

Aaron

Abraham / Abe

Alan / Allen

Albert

Alexander

Alonzo

Ambrose

Amon

Amos

Andrew / Drew / Andy

Aquilla

Archibald / Archie

Arnold

Asa

August / Augustus

Barnabas / Barney

Bartholomew / Bart

Benjamin

Bennet

Benedict

Bernard

Bertram / Bert

Buford

Byron

Calvin

Charles / Charley / Charlie

Christopher

Christopher Columbus

Clarence

Clement / Clem

Clinton / Clint

Cole

Columbus (also Lom or Lum)

Commodore Perry

Daniel / Dan

David

Dick ~ (see Richard)

Edmund

Edward

Edwin

Eldon

Eli

Elijah

ElishaEmmett

Enoch

Ezekiel ~ (also Z

i like my body by E. E. Cummings

2014-09-20T23:00:00.002+05:30

i like my body

by E. E. Cummings

i like my body when it is with your
body. It is so quite a new thing.
Muscles better and nerves more.
i like your body. i like what it does,
i like its hows. i like to feel the spine
of your body and its bones, and the trembling
-firm-smooth ness and which I will
again and again and again
kiss, i like kissing this and that of you,
i like, slowly stroking the, shocking fuzz
of your electric fur, and what-is-it comes
over parting flesh...And eyes big love-crumbs,

and possibly i like the thrill
of under me you quite so new

The Origin Of Words And Phrases

2014-09-20T22:52:00.001+05:30

Ever wonder about a particular saying and where it came from? Have you come up empty handed? Are you stumped? Well look no further! Some of the answers will have you saying "son of a gun!"
I've compiled a list of the phrases and words that I find most interesting. Some of the sayings are hundreds of years old and their exact origins remain a mystery.Opinions vary about the exact derivations of some, but I've decided to include only the most interesting theories.
Check back soon for a bibliography.

	raining cats and dogs - If you've corrected your child after he or she took this phrase literally, you may owe them a slight apology! The origin of this saying dates back to the 1600s. Poor drainage systems on buildings in the 17th century caused gutters to overflow, spewing out along with water, garbage and a few unexpected critters. It is possible that animals such as rodents lived in the thatched roofs and when it rained heavily, the dead carcasses would fall––undoubtedly unpleasant! As far as large dogs falling from the sky...well...that one will have to remain a mystery.
	to be stumped - Be stumped no more! Being "stumped" comes from the pioneering days when the land was cleared to lay down train tracks. When the workers came across a tree stump, it would cause a dilemma or "to be stumped."
	wrong side of the tracks -Before there were cars, trains were an important means of transportation. Of course, pollution wasn't a big concern so when a train rolled by, heavy black smoke and soot went with it. Usually the wind blew the black smoke to one side of the tracks and only the poorest of people would endure living in that hard to breathe environment. No one wanted to be on "the wrong side of the tracks."
	rule of thumb -No, this phrase is definitely NOT "P.C"! Who knew? Some people think"Rule of thumb" is derived from the days when woman were sometimes beaten with a switch. To be "kind" the switch could not be thicker than a thumb's width. This was made law in 1782 when an English judge stated that men were allowed to beat their wives but that the stick could not be thicker than one's thumb. There are other theories about the origin of this phrase. Perhaps using ones thumb to measure a switch is folk lore after all....
	to propose a toast - This often used phrase comes from an 18th century punch bowl drink made with cider, cinnamon, cloves, and other spices and garnished with pieces of toast that would float on top. I'm unsure of the purpose of the toast and can't imagine a burnt piece of bread being "decorative," but next New Years Eve, don't forget to include the toast!
	Good Samaritan - comes from from the Bible (Luke 10:30-33), in which Jesus tells the parable of a priest who passes by a man in need of help, laying on the ground. A Samaritan, who was part of the enemy tribe, helps the man up and back to health when the priest does not...the message being that you should treat your enemy with the same good respect as your friend. Other meanings can also be extracted, such as the golden rule: treat others the way you would like to be treated, and so on.
	upper and lower case letters - I've heard that the term started when letters were hand carved out of wood and were then laid out to be type set. The letters were kept on a two shelves in the work space...the big letters, or the upper case ones were kept on the top or "upper" shelf and the small or lower case letters were kept on the "lower" shelf to make it easy for the printer to keep things organized.
	wrong end of the stick -If you imaged the most disgusting origin then you were right! I've heard two explanations that vary slightly. One comes from the outhouse days when there were no flushing toilets and the other dates back much earlier, to the days of the Roman baths. Regardless, the outcome was the same! The person in the next stall may have asked for their neighbor to "pass the stick," instead of toilet paper since that was yet to exist. The stick had a sponge on one end and if the recipient grabbed the wrong end, they'd be getting the wrong end of the stick. Most definitely unpleasant!
	mad as a hatter - This phrase comes from the days when felt hats were made using a mercury on some cheaper furs, that caused the hatter to go mad, thus the "mad hatter" in Alice In Wonderland. Mercury poisoning caused tremors, brain damage, tooth loss, slurred speech, and more. A "mad hatter" was one to be avoided. I think the lesson to be learned is 1) don't make your own hats and 2) don't use mercury!
	Everything but the kitchen sink - comes from World War Two when everything possible was used to contribute to the war effort...all metal was used for the U.S arsenal. The only objects left out were porcelain kitchen sinks. Does anyone still have a porcelain sink?
	big wig- Picture a big puffy white haired gentleman and then you'll be picturing a "big wig." This term is derived from powdered wigs worn by men in the 18th century. The bigger the wig, the more wealthy the individual. Who knows, perhaps someday wigs for men will go back in style!
	son of a gun - One version of this saying is that sailors traveling to the west Indies sometimes raped native woman on ships, which sometimes occurred between the cannons. When a woman gave birth to a son, he was called "son between the guns." This term was used later, using the word"gun" to mean soldier. His son would thus be called a "son of a gun." Other etymologists speculate that son of a gun meant an illegitimate son of a soldier, who would be nicknamed "gun." How "son of a gun" transformed into it's current usage is unknown...well I"ll be damned or "son of a gun!"
	don't throw the baby out with the bath water - What's one to do when they only have one basin of bath water and a litter of children to be bathed? Easy! Use the same bath water and dump it out when your last child gets lost in it! Back in the pre-running water days, the order of the household determined which family member got to take the bath first. The man (or head of the household) naturally went first, followed by the children and the baby last. The water would become so dirty that when a baby was bathed in it, he could possibly be lost or even tossed out! Of course, one would hope that the parents would have enough common sense to check first!
	cut to the chase -Remember going to watch those old black and white silent films? Sure you do! Well, you've probably heard of them, anyway. In the black and white silent film movie era, in the 1920s, a chase scene was often the exciting part of the film. Who really wanted to sit through that other stuff, anyway? Cut to the chase meant to cut the film, or edit it down to the good part, the chase scene––no speaking necessary!
	spick and span - Perhaps you've polished your car and it looked "spick and span" or maybe one day you were convinced to buy that new cleaning product on TV because you were assured that your kitchen would be "spick and span" after usage. The phrase is derived from two archaic words: spick, which was a spike or nail and span, which meant "wood chip." When a ship was polished and new, it was called "spick and span," meaning every nail and piece of wood was untarnished. The phrase originally meant "brand new" but is now used to indicate cleanliness.

Mark Twain's rule of writing

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1. A tale shall accomplish something and arrive somewhere.

2. The episodes of a tale shall be necessary parts of the tale, and shall help develop it.

3. The personages in a tale shall be alive, except in the case of corpses, and that always the reader shall be able to tell the corpses from the others.

4. The personages in a tale, both dead and alive, shall exhibit a sufficient excuse for being there.

5. When the personages of a tale deal in conversation, the talk shall sound like human talk, and be talk such as human beings would be likely to talk in the given circumstances, and have a discoverable meaning, also a discoverable purpose, and a show of relevancy, and remain in the neighborhood of the subject in hand, and be interesting to the reader, and help out the tale, and stop when the people cannot think of anything more to say.

6. When the author describes the character of a personage in his tale, the conduct and conversation of that personage shall justify said description

7. When a personage talks like an illustrated, gilt-edged, tree-calf, hand-tooled, seven-dollar Friendship's Offering in the beginning of a paragraph, he shall not talk like a Negro minstrel at the end of it.

8. Crass stupidities shall not be played upon the reader by either the author or the people in the tale.

9. The personages of a tale shall confine themselves to possibilities and let miracles alone; or, if they venture a miracle, the author must so plausably set it forth as to make it look possible and reasonable.

10. The author shall make the reader feel a deep interest in the personages of his tale and their fate; and that he shall make the reader love the good people in the tale and hate the bad ones.

11. The characters in tale be so clearly defined that the reader can tell beforehand what each will do in a given emergency.

NEWTOWN: the aftermath

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Let's not forget around the world
So many children died that day.
The focus is on Newtown, for
The others are so far away.

Whenever there's a tragedy
Believers try to fit in God
Because they think it's in God's plan,
A view that I cannot applaud.

No tragedy is planned by God;
But if God is, God will be pissed
If in the aftermath God sees
Another chance to change we missed.

The change we need to make is clear.
It's hard yet simple but profound.
We need to drain away beliefs
So we can see our common ground.

From there we reach out to the ends
Of our unique capacities,
To others, and to God as well,
The way that's free of tragedies.

Outline your novel in 90mins

2014-09-20T22:38:00.001+05:30

A Simple Novel Outline – 9 questions for 25 chapters

Just as every tree is different but still recognizably a tree, every story is different but contains elements that make it a story. By defining those before you begin you clarify the scope of your work, identify your themes, and create the story you meant to write.

At Norwescon 2011 I sat in on a session called Outline Your Novel in 90-minutes led by Mark Teppo. I’ll give you the brief, readable, synthesized version. Answer 9 questions and create 25 chapter titles and you’re there.

Here are the 9 questions to create a novel:

1.) Why did you choose this particular protagonist? (What’s so special that it HAD to be this person for this story?)

2.) What is the protagonist doing right now? (Enter the story as late as possible, as Kurt Vonnegut said. Don’t start with the back story, you’ll filter that in later.)

3.) What external stressor is applied to the protagonist? (What outside force changes everything for the protagonist?)

4.) What is the protagonist’s goal? (You must be clear on this. Honest.)

5.) What are the obstacles along the way? (Some structures say there should be 3. Remember, things must get worse after every obstacle.)

6.) What qualities of the protagonist helps or hinder him/her to overcome these obstacles (Your protagonist must operate at the best of their abilities, or the reader will call them idiot and bail. Are the obstacles truly hard enough to show your character’s best?)

7.) How will the protagonist change over the course of the story? (That is, after all, the story.)

8.) What are you trying to say? Why are you writing this particular story?

9.) What sacrifice levels the playing field? Remember, this journey is hard and the protagonist must demonstrate she/he is worthy to win. (Remember to show the protagonist’s reaction to the sacrifice. This is the moment of black despair– drag it out for all it is worth. Bigger the disaster, the longer you can extend it.)

Now, with those 9 questions answered to your satisfaction, try to fill in a 25 chapter, 75,000 word outline. Chapters 1-6 are the introduction to the world and characters. By chapter 5 the protagonists must have his goal (Q. 4). Chapter 5 is often the big obstacle.

Chapters 7-18 are the middle of your book. This is the fun, meaty goodness with your obstacles (Q. 5). Mark Teppo told us that if you get stuck while outlining, often around chapter 12, simply write “sex”. The chapter after that is, “things get worse.” and move on. He claims it really works. Let me know what you think.

Chapters 19-25 depict the heroic act to victory. Remember the sacrifice at chapter 23 (Q. 9) and to demonstrate the change the journey of the book has brought about in chapter 25 (Q. 7)

Wasn’t that easy?

Okay, sure, the work isn’t done yet. But the right questions are being asked.

Using the idea that there are 25 chapters, I outlined my current work in progress. I noted each chapter event and how things are worse at the end of the chapter. Rather than notecards on the floor, I stuck post-its on my wall so I could move two storylines around and see how they fit best together. My last book, Fractured Horizon, was a time-travel story and I learned a lot from it. Mostly I learned to keep a straight-forward timeline. This may look more like a tree than a book, but the shape of my final work is in there.

I hope that was helpful. I know it was for me. If not, perhaps you’d like to try the snowflake method. I found that method a bit cumbersome and never tried the softwarethis website promotes. If you really don’t know where to start, make sure you’re familiar with the Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. Here it is as explained by Naman Kumar.

Tell me what works for you.

How to start a story

2014-09-20T22:36:00.000+05:30

How to Start a Story

Trying to start writing a story is a daunting prospect. Whether it’s a short story or a novel, sometimes it’s putting the first few words on the page that’s difficult. If we aren’t careful we can end up just staring at a blank screen because we don’t even know how to start the story.

I used to have the same problem. Now people say, “Where do you get so many ideas from?”

There’s a trick to starting a story that I can share with you and I got it from Ernest Hem

How to Start a Story like Hemingway

Hemingway! But Hemingway was a genius! He won the Nobel Prize for Literature for goodness’ sake! True, but even he didn’t know how to start a story sometimes. What chance have we got, when Hemingway struggled? Well, some, because we can learn from the master. This is what Hemingway said he did:

Sometimes when I was started on a new story and I could not get going, I would sit in front of the fire and squeeze the peel of the little oranges into the edge of the flame and watch the sputter of blue that they made. I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, “Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know.”

Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

How to Start a Story with One True Sentence

The idea that to start writing you first need to write One True Sentence is one that lots of authors and story theorists have used and found to work:

Ernest Hemingway called it one true sentence.
In Story, Robert McKee calls it the controlling idea.
In The Art of Dramatic Writing , Lajos Egri calls it the premise.

But they’re all talking about the same thing. What they’re talking about it is:

What you are trying to say.

Call it the truth, call it the controlling idea, call it the premise, what we need to do is think about what we want the reader to come away from the story believing.

We want to change their mind.

That’s the question, you see: what do you passionately believe? What makes you want to grab people by the shoulders and shake them until they agree with you? That’s One True Sentence.

No idea and no situation was ever strong enough to carry you through to its logical conclusion without a clear-cut premise.

Lajos Egri, The Art of Dramatic Writing

And because it’s your story, you can metaphorically grab the reader by the shoulders and shake them until they listen.

Storytelling is the creative demonstration of truth. A story is the living proof of an idea, the conversion of idea to action. A story’s event structure is the means by which you first express, then prove your idea… without explanation.

Robert McKee, Story

So that’s the thing to think about. Don’t worry about characters yet, don’t worry about setting, don’t even worry about plot. Think about something that you think is true. Write it down. Make it the truest thing in the world.

Write One True Sentence

A Problem (and an Opportunity)

I know what you’re thinking: grabbing people, and shaking them? They will hate me if I just go on a rant about ‘the truth’ like some crazy person. That’s true. If we write a story that just expresses our One True Sentence the story will be what we call ‘preachy’. Preachy is not fun because it abandons the core of storytelling – conflict. That’s the problem. But we aren’t done yet. There’s also an opportunity.

The Sentence of Doom

Now we have our One True Sentence, it should be easy to write down the exact opposite. Write the most evil thing you can think of. Write something False. Write a Sentence of Doom. Now we are getting somewhere, because if our story shows One True Sentence in opposition to a Sentence of Doom then it will have conflict – and conflict is what stories are all about.

How to Start a Story: Personification

Robert McKee makes a good point at the end of the quote above – “prove your idea… without explanation”. That’s similar to the classic writing advice – show don’t tell. The One True Sentence doesn’t go in the story, and neither does the Sentence of Doom. They’re something we write down and refer to. What we need to do is personify the conflict by introducing some characters.

We can use the archetypal characters from Archetypes that Make Your Story Resonate to personify our story. Probably the Protagonist is on the side of Truth and the Antagonist is on the side of Falsehood. Or perhaps the story is more complicated? It’s up to you. Start thinking about how the characters can personify the conflict.

How to Start a Story: Plotting

So we have our One True Sentence, our Sentence of Doom, and our Archetypal Characters to personify both sides of the story. Now we can start to think about illustrating the conflict. To do that:

Something Happens

Plot is a huge subject. Writing Spy Fiction with an Unputdownable Plot starts to help us think of a plot.

How to Start a Story: Examples

Here are some examples of One True Sentence in spy fiction:

There’s no moral high-ground in espionage.

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold , John le Carré

Wake up Britain! Germany is becoming a threat!

The Riddle of the Sands , Erskine Childers

Spying is a ridiculous thing.

Our Man in Havana, Graham Greene

Note two things:

The One True Sentence is never explicitly stated in those books (although The Riddle of the Sands comes pretty close). Their truth is shown , not told .
You might not agree with any of those book’s One True Sentences, but that’s not the point. Their authors believed them and set out to prove them.

How to Start a Story: Write a True Sentence

So next time you’re staring at a blank screen, or the wall, or out of the window, don’t despair.

Think of something true.
Write down that One True Sentence.
Then think about how you can use storytelling techniques to illustrate that truth.

Now you are thinking about how to start the story, not what to write about.

And that’s got to be better than just staring at a blank screen, hasn’t it?

It works!

I used Hemingway’s ‘how to start a story’ trick when I was writing my novel A Kill in the Morning. After it was shortlisted for the Terry Pratchett Prize, I sold A Kill in the Morning to major publishers Transworld. Thank you, Hemingway!

Read a Kill in the Morning

You can read the opening here:

The first three chapters of A Kill in the Morning

Read it, and see if you can guess the One True Sentence. Email me if you do!

Writing Character Profiles - Questionnaires

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Questionnaires for Writing Character Profiles

Here are some questionnaires for writing character profiles. You'll find more fiction-writing resources at the bottom of this page.

Writing Character Profiles - Questionnaire 1 (Adult Characters)

Name:
Age:
General physical description:
Hometown:
Type of home/ neighborhood:
Relationship status:
Current family:
Family background (parents, previous marriages, etc.):
Friends:
Other close relationships:
Relationship with men:
Relationship with women:
Job:
Dress style:
Religion:
Attitude to religion:
Favorite pastimes:
Hobbies:
Favorite sports:
Favorite foods:
Strongest positive personality trait:
Strongest negative personality trait:
Sense of humor:
Temper:
Consideration for others:
How other people see him/her:
Opinion of him/herself:
Other traits, especially those to be brought out in story:
Ambitions:
Philosophy of life:
Most important thing to know about this character:
Will readers like or dislike this character, and why?

If you like this page, please click the +1 button to recommend it.

Writing Character Profiles - Questionnaire 2 (Child Characters)

Name:
Age:
Birthday:
General physical description:
Hometown:
Type of home/ neighborhood:
Father’s name, background, and occupation:
Mother’s name, background, and occupation:
Brothers and sisters:
Position in family:
Other close relatives:
Family relationships:
Special friends:
Enemies:
Influential person or event:
Grade in school:
Attitude toward school:
Grades:
Favorite pastimes:
Hobbies (music/art/reading material):
Favorite sports:
Favorite foods:
Dress style:
Religion:
Attitude toward religion:
Relationship with boys:
Relationship with girls:
Leader or follower:
Strongest positive personality trait:
Strongest negative personality trait:
Sense of humor:
Temper:
Consideration for others:
How other people see him/her:
Opinion of him/herself:
Other traits, especially those to be brought out in story:
Ambitions:
Philosophy of life:
Most important thing to know about character:
Will readers like or dislike this character, and why?

Writing Character Profiles - Additional Questions

If your character has a job, is he or she good at it? Does he or she like it?
What are your character's bad habits?
If you asked about his or her greatest dream, what would your character tell you?
What's a secret dream that he or she wouldn't tell you about?
What kind of person does your character wish he or she could be? What is stopping him or her?
What is your character afraid of? What keeps him or her up at night?
What does your character think is his or her worst quality?
What do other people think your character's worst quality is?
What is a talent your character thinks he or she has but is very wrong about?
What did his or her childhood home look like?
Who was his or her first love?
What's the most terrible thing that ever happened to him/her?
What was his/her dream growing up? Did he/she achieve this dream? If so, in what ways was it not what the character expected? If your character never achieved the dream, why not?
In what situation would your character become violent?
In what situation would your character act heroic?