Author: Paul Chambiras

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How to Write a Research Paper | A Beginner’s Guide

How to Write a Research Paper | A Beginner's Guide

Original Article Link: Scribbr

 

A research paper is a piece of academic writing that provides analysis, interpretation, and argument based on in-depth independent research.

Research papers are similar to academic essays, but they are usually longer and more detailed assignments, designed to assess not only your writing skills but also your skills in scholarly research. Writing a research paper requires you to demonstrate a strong knowledge of your topic, engage with a variety of sources, and make an original contribution to the debate.

This step-by-step guide takes you through the entire writing process, from understanding your assignment to proofreading your final draft.

Understand the assignment

Completing a research paper successfully means accomplishing the specific tasks set out for you. Before you start, make sure you thoroughly understanding the assignment task sheet:

  • Read it carefully, looking for anything confusing you might need to clarify with your professor.
  • Identify the assignment goal, deadline, length specifications, formatting, and submission method.
  • Make a bulleted list of the key points, then go back and cross completed items off as you’re writing.

Carefully consider your timeframe and word limit: be realistic, and plan enough time to research, write, and edit.

Choose a research paper topic

There are many ways to generate an idea for a research paper, from brainstorming with pen and paper to talking it through with a fellow student or professor.

You can try free writing, which involves taking a broad topic and writing continuously for two or three minutes to identify absolutely anything relevant that could be interesting.

You can also gain inspiration from other research. The discussion or recommendations sections of research papers often include ideas for other specific topics that require further examination.

Once you have a broad subject area, narrow it down to choose a topic that interests you, meets the criteria of your assignment, and is possible to research. Aim for ideas that are both original and specific:

  • A paper following the chronology of World War II would not be original or specific enough.
  • A paper on the experience of Danish citizens living close to the German border during World War II would be specific and could be original enough.

Conduct preliminary research

Note any discussions that seem important to the topic, and try to find an issue that you can focus your paper around. Use a variety of sources, including journals, books, and reliable websites, to ensure you do not miss anything glaring.

Do not only verify the ideas you have in mind, but look for sources that contradict your point of view.

  • Is there anything people seem to overlook in the sources you research?
  • Are there any heated debates you can address?
  • Do you have a unique take on your topic?
  • Have there been some recent developments that build on the extant research?

In this stage, you might find it helpful to formulate some research questions to help guide you. To write research questions, try to finish the following sentence: “I want to know how/what/why…”

Develop a thesis statement

A thesis statement is a statement of your central argument — it establishes the purpose and position of your paper. If you started with a research question, the thesis statement should answer it. It should also show what evidence and reasoning you’ll use to support that answer.

The thesis statement should be concise, contentious, and coherent. That means it should briefly summarize your argument in a sentence or two, make a claim that requires further evidence or analysis, and make a coherent point that relates to every part of the paper.

You will probably revise and refine the thesis statement as you do more research, but it can serve as a guide throughout the writing process. Every paragraph should aim to support and develop this central claim.

Create a research paper outline

A research paper outline is essentially a list of the key topics, arguments, and evidence you want to include, divided into sections with headings so that you know roughly what the paper will look like before you start writing.

A structure outline can help make the writing process much more efficient, so it’s worth dedicating some time to create one.

Write a first draft of the research paper

Your first draft won’t be perfect — you can polish later on. Your priorities at this stage are as follows:

  • Maintaining forward momentum — write now, perfect later.
  • Paying attention to clear organization and logical ordering of paragraphs and sentences, which will help when you come to the second draft.
  • Expressing your ideas as clearly as possible, so you know what you were trying to say when you come back to the text.

You do not need to start by writing the introduction. Begin where it feels most natural for you — some prefer to finish the most difficult sections first, while others choose to start with the easiest part. If you created an outline, use it as a map while you work.

Do not delete large sections of text. If you begin to dislike something you have written or find it doesn’t quite fit, move it to a different document, but don’t lose it completely — you never know if it might come in useful later.

Paragraph structure

Paragraphs are the basic building blocks of research papers. Each one should focus on a single claim or idea that helps to establish the overall argument or purpose of the paper.

Here is an example of a well-structured paragraph. Hover over the sentences to learn more.

Citing sources

It’s also important to keep track of citations at this stage to avoid accidental plagiarism. Each time you use a source, make sure to take note of where the information came from.

You can use our free citation generators to automatically create citations and save your reference list as you go.

Write the introduction

The research paper introduction should address three questions: What, why, and how? After finishing the introduction, the reader should know what the paper is about, why it is worth reading, and how you’ll build your arguments.

What? Be specific about the topic of the paper, introduce the background, and define key terms or concepts.

Why? This is the most important, but also the most difficult, part of the introduction. Try to provide brief answers to the following questions: What new material or insight are you offering? What important issues does your essay help define or answer?

How? To let the reader know what to expect from the rest of the paper, the introduction should include a “map” of what will be discussed, briefly presenting the key elements of the paper in chronological order.

Write a compelling body of text

The major struggle faced by most writers is how to organize the information presented in the paper, which is one reason an outline is so useful. However, remember that the outline is only a guide and, when writing, you can be flexible with the order in which the information and arguments are presented.

One way to stay on track is to use your thesis statement and topic sentences. Check:

  • topic sentences against the thesis statement;
  • topic sentences against each other, for similarities and logical ordering;
  • and each sentence against the topic sentence of that paragraph.

Be aware of paragraphs that seem to cover the same things. If two paragraphs discuss something similar, they must approach that topic in different ways. Aim to create smooth transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and sections.

Write the conclusion

The research paper conclusion is designed to help your reader out of the paper’s argument, giving them a sense of finality.

Trace the course of the paper, emphasizing how it all comes together to prove your thesis statement. Give the paper a sense of finality by making sure the reader understands how you’ve settled the issues raised in the introduction.

You might also discuss the more general consequences of the argument, outline what the paper offers to future students of the topic, and suggest any questions the paper’s argument raises but cannot or does not try to answer.

You should not:

  • Offer new arguments or essential information
  • Take up any more space than necessary
  • Begin with stock phrases that signal you are ending the paper (e.g. “In conclusion”)

The second draft

There are four main considerations when it comes to the second draft.

  1. Check how your vision of the paper lines up with the first draft and, more importantly, that your paper still answers the assignment.
  2. Identify any assumptions that might require (more substantial) justification, keeping your reader’s perspective foremost in mind. Remove these points if you cannot substantiate them further.
  3. Be open to rearranging your ideas. Check whether any sections feel out of place and whether your ideas could be better organized.
  4. If you find that old ideas do not fit as well as you anticipated, you should cut them out or condense them. You might also find that new and well-suited ideas occurred to you during the writing of the first draft — now is the time to make them part of the paper.

The revision process

The goal during the revision and proofreading process is to ensure you have completed all the necessary tasks and that the paper is as well-articulated as possible.

Global concerns

  • Confirm that your paper completes every task specified in your assignment sheet.
  • Check for logical organization and flow of paragraphs.
  • Check paragraphs against the introduction and thesis statement.

Fine-grained details

Check the content of each paragraph, making sure that:

  • each sentence helps support the topic sentence.
  • no unnecessary or irrelevant information is present.
  • all technical terms your audience might not know are identified.

Next, think about sentence structure, grammatical errors, and formatting. Check that you have correctly used transition words and phrases to show the connections between your ideas. Look for typos, cut unnecessary words, and check for consistency in aspects such as heading formatting and spellings.

 

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What to read to become a better writer

What to read to become a better writer

Original Article Link: The Economist

 

The first words are the hardest. For many of us writing is a slog. Words drip with difficulty onto the page—and frequently they seem to be the wrong ones, in the wrong order. Yet few pause to ask why writing is hard, why what we write may be bad, or even what is meant by “bad”. Fortunately for anyone seeking to become a better writer, the works recommended here provide enlightenment and reassurance. Yes, writing is hard. But if you can first grasp the origins and qualities of bad writing, you may learn to diagnose and cure problems in your own prose (keeping things simple helps a lot). Similarly heartening is the observation that most first drafts are second-rate, so becoming a skilled rewriter is the thing. These five works are excellent sources of insight and inspiration.

Politics and the English Language. By George Orwell. Available on the Orwell Foundation’s website

Starting with Orwell’s essay may seem as clichéd as the hackneyed phrases he derides in it. Published in 1946, this polemic against poor and perfidious writing will be familiar to many. But its advice on how to write is as apposite now as then. (Besides, it is short and free.) Orwell analyses the unoriginal, “dying” metaphors that still haunt the prose of academics, politicians, professionals and hacks. He lambasts the “meaningless words” and “pretentious diction” of his day; many of the horrors he cites remain common. To save writers from regurgitating these, Orwell proposes six now-canonical rules. The first five boil down to: prefer short, everyday words and the active voice, cut unneeded words and strive for fresh imagery. The sixth—“break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous”—displays the difficulty of pinning down something as protean as language. But this has not stopped others trying.

Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace. By Joseph M. Williams and Joseph Bizup. Pearson Education; 246 pages; $66.65 and £43.99

In “Style”, Joseph Williams, who taught English at the University of Chicago, instructs writers on how to revise their scribblings into something clearer, more concise and coherent. (Aptly for a text about rewriting, it is the latest in a long line of reworkings of Williams’s teachings on the subject, which appeared under various titles.) Unlike Orwell, who devised high-level rules for writers to wield by instinct, Williams proposes nuanced “principles” and shows how to apply them. Whereas, for instance, Orwell exhorted writers to “never use the passive where you can use the active”, Williams explains how passives can sometimes help create a sense of flow. This forms part of his coverage of “cohesion” and “coherence”, which could upend the way you write. Insightful, too, is Williams’s guidance on pruning prose and on the ills and virtues of nominalisations—nouns formed from verbs (as “nominalisation” is from “nominalise”), which often send sentences awry. Such technical details, summary sections and practice exercises make “Style” the most textbook-like work on this list. It may also be the most useful.

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction. By William Zinsser. HarperCollins; 321 pages; $17.99 and £13.99

Less overtly practical than “Style” but far more fun to read is “On Writing Well”. William Zinsser, who was an American journalist and teacher, is a witty commentator on the writer’s craft with a talent for aphorisms (eg, “the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components”). He embraces slippery subjects like “rhythm” and “voice” that tend to defy rules or principles. But he purveys practical wisdom, too, diagnosing stylistic blunders, exploring genres from memoir to business writing, and analysing passages from well-known works and his own journalism. Zinsser is always encouraging. Introducing a marked-up extract from drafts of “On Writing Well”, a spider’s web of self-edits, he counsels: “Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair.” Zinsser also gives fellow writers much to emulate. His paragraph-ending sentences are a marvel.

The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century. By Steven Pinker. Penguin; 368 pages; and $18 and £10.99

An expert on words and brains, Steven Pinker wants to help writers write better by getting them into the minds of their readers. The celebrated psycholinguist argues that “the curse of knowledge” is the biggest cause of bad writing: like children, writers forget that others often do not know what they know. Bad writers tend to dwell on irrelevant points and make logical connections that are logical only to them. Their prose—the type beloved of academics, bureaucrats and businessfolk—abounds in abstract nouns and luxuriates in long sentences. By contrast, good writing (“classic style”, in Mr Pinker’s phrase) assembles concrete words into straightforward sentences that readers find simple to grasp. Why should this be so? Using striking and funny examples, Mr Pinker shows how working memory, which stores syntactic constructions until they are complete, is easily swamped. In closing, he joins the battle over English usage, as our full review of “The Sense of Style” describes.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage. Merriam-Webster; 989 pages; $29.95

Every writer needs a reference book to look up troublesome issues of grammar and usage; no one has memorised them all. The quality of such books has improved in recent years, but one from the 1990s has earned its keep since then. Merriam-Webster (mwdeu) is America’s best-known dictionary publisher. This guide contains not exactly definitions, though, but mini-essays: on individual words (can “data” be singular?), confusingly similar ones (such as “comprise” and “compose”) and grammatical conundrums (such as the split infinitive, dangling modifiers and so on).

What distinguishes mwdeu is its relentless empiricism. Where a debatable claim about correct usage is made, it surveys the history of other guides and their recommendations, as well as going to Merriam-Webster’s huge bank of citations from literature, non-fiction and journalism. In many cases, a proposed rule (such as the ban on split infinitives) is shown to be baseless. But in other cases, the guide is conservative. On the “comma fault” (joining two independent clauses with nothing more than a comma), mwdeu finds it in some great authors’ literary work, but warns readers that “you probably should not try the device unless you are very sure of what you want it to accomplish.” Good sense all round

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How to Write a Book (with Tactics from Bestsellers)

How to Write a Book (with Tactics from Bestsellers)

Original Article Link: Reedsy Blog
Written By: Reedsy Team

 

How to write a book:

1. Start with a book idea you love
2. Research by reading genre-prominent books
3. Outline the story
4. Write the opening sentence
5. Write the first draft
6. Set a schedule with achievable goals
7. Find a good writing space
8. Pick a “distraction-free” writing software
9. Finish your draft
10. Edit the manuscript
11. Publish your book for readers to buy

There’s a long, exciting road ahead. So let’s get started.

1. Start with a book idea you love

 

The one thing you absolutely need to write a book is, of course, an idea. If you don’t have that, you’ll never get past the first page of your draft.

You may already know what you want to write about, or you may be at a total loss. Either way, you can settle on a “big book idea” by asking yourself a few simple questions:

  • What do I want to write about?
  • What do I feel is important to write about?
  • Who will want to read about this story/subject?
  • Will I be able to carry out this idea effectively?

Your answers to these questions will help you narrow it down to your best options. For example, if you have several different ideas for a book, but only one that you’re truly passionate about and feel you can pull off, then voilà — there’s your premise!

On the other hand, if you lack ideas, these questions should steer you in a firmer direction. Think about the kinds of books you love to read, as well as books that have made a significant impact on you. In all likelihood, you’ll want to write a book in a similar vein.

Tools to help you find an idea

If you’re grasping at straws, consider using creative writing prompts or a plot generator to get the ball rolling! You might stumble upon an interesting concept or story element that sparks a “big idea” for your book. (And if you’re still uninspired even after trying these tools, you may want to reconsider whether you really want to write a book after all.)

2. Research by reading genre-prominent books

Once you’ve found your big idea, the next step is to research your genre. Again, if you’re writing the book you like to read, you already have a leg up! Reading books in your genre is by far the best way to learn how to write in that genre yourself.

But if not, you’ll want to select a couple of representative titles and analyze them. How long are they and how many chapters do they have? What does the story structure look like? What are the major themes? Perhaps most importantly, do you think you can produce a book with similar elements?

Find out what people are reading

You should also conduct market research on Amazon to determine the most popular books in your genre. If you want your book to succeed, you’ll have to contend with these bestsellers.

Then read those books’ blurbs to figure out what really sells. What do they all have in common, and why might readers find them appealing? Does your book hold up to these standards?

Finally, think about how your book can offer something NEW. For example, if you’re writing a psychological thriller, will there be a particularly sneaky unreliable narrator, or maybe a series of twists that the reader never sees coming? If you’re writing a nonfiction book, do you have a unique take on the subject, or a particularly deep well of knowledge? And so on.

Going above and beyond is the only way to give your book a chance in today’s hyper-competitive market. So don’t skimp on the genre research, because this will tell you where the bar is and how you can surpass it.

3. Outline the story

If you want to write a great story, you need to outline it first. This is especially important if it’s your first book, since you need a solid blueprint to rely on when you get stuck! (Because believe us, you will get stuck.)

So how do you go about creating that outline for your book? We actually have a whole other post on the subject, but here are the essentials:

  • Pick a format that works for you. There are so many different types of outlines: the free-flowing mind map, the rigorous chapter-and-scene outline, the character-based outline, and so on. If one approach doesn’t work for you, try another! Any kind of plan is better than none.
  • Have a beginning, middle, and end. Way too many authors go into writing a book with a strong notion of how their story should start… yet their middle is murky and their ending, nonexistent. Take this time to flesh them out and connect them to one another. Remember: the best books have endings that feel “earned,” so you should try to be building toward it from the start!
  • Consider your conflict points. Conflict is at the heart of any good book — it draws in the reader, conjures tension and emotion, and ultimately reflects the themes and/or message you want to convey. You don’t have to know exactly where your conflict will manifest, but you should have a pretty good grasp of how it works throughout your book.
  • Get to know your characters. If you haven’t done much character development yet, your outline is the perfect opportunity to do so. How will your characters interact in the story, and how will these interactions demonstrate who they are and what matters to them?

If you’d like to outline your story directly in a writing app, we recommend using the pre-made templates in the free Reedsy Book Editor. Simply create your account with one click below and start creating the building blocks of your story — right away. 

4. Write the opening sentence 

Let’s get into the actual writing and make a dent in your first draft. One of the most important parts of writing a book is starting the story! It’s no exaggeration to say your first few pages can make or break your book — if these pages aren’t good enough, many readers will lose interest, possibly never returning to your book again.

First off, you need an opening hook that grabs the reader’s attention and makes it impossible for them to look away. Take a look at the first lines of these hit bestsellers:

“Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” — Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

 

“Renowned curator Jacques Saunière staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum’s Grand Gallery.” — The Da Vinci Code

 

“If all the Saturdays of 1982 can be thought of as one day, I met Tracey at 10 a.m. on that Saturday, walking through the sandy gravel of a churchyard, each holding our mother’s hand.” — Swing Time

All of these books fall into different genres, yet all their opening lines do the same thing: capture the reader’s attention. You can imitate them by making a similarly strong, slightly furtive statement in your opener!

From there, your job is to maintain the reader’s interest by heightening the stakes and inciting the plot. You should also make the reader care about the main characters by giving them distinct personalities and motivations. (Note that “main” is a key descriptor here; never introduce more than a couple of characters at a time!)

Of course, there are infinite ways to write your first chapter. You might have to experiment with lots of different opening lines, even opening scenes, to find the right balance — but it’s worth the effort to set the stage perfectly.

5. Write the first draft

Many writers believe that the key to writing an amazing book is style: impressive vocabulary, elaborate sentences, figurative language that would make Shakespeare swoon.

We’re here to dissuade you of that notion. While style is great (as long as your prose doesn’t start to become purple), substance is far more important when writing a book — hence why you should focus primarily on your plot, characters, conflict(s), and themes.

Make sure your book is all killer, no filler

Of course, that’s easier said than done, especially once you’ve already started writing. When you get to a patchily outlined section, it’s tempting to keep writing and fill out the page with literary gymnastics. But that’s exactly what this content is: filler. And if you have too much of it, readers will become frustrated and start to think you’re pretentious.

This is another reason why outlining is so important. You need to KNOW your story in order to stay on track with it! But besides outlining, here are a few more tips for making substance a priority:

  • Every sentence must do one of two things — reveal character or advance the action. This advice comes straight from Kurt Vonnegut, and it’s 100% true: if a sentence doesn’t accomplish one or both of those things, try removing it. If the passage still makes sense, leave it out.
  • Be conscious of your pacing. Slow pacing is a symptom of excess description. If the events of your book seem to move like molasses, you’re probably using too much style and not enough substance.
  • Use a writing tool to reduce flowery language. Speaking of great American novelists, Hemingway is a fantastic tool to help you write like the man himself! Simply paste your writing into the app and Hemingway will suggest ways to make your prose more concise and effective.

Keep readers in mind while writing

Want to write a book that people will really enjoy (and buy)? Well, this is pretty much the cardinal rule: you should always be thinking about your audience and trying to write “reader-first.”

For example, sometimes you’ll have to write scenes that aren’t very exciting, but that serve the overall story arc. Don’t rush through these scenes just to get them over with! Even if they don’t seem interesting to you, they contribute to the reader’s experience by building tension and preserving the pacing — and the reader deserves to relish those things.

Create ‘fake’ people who will want to read your book

When considering your readership, you should also keep a proto-persona in mind for marketing purposes. These are constructed personalities that marketers use to better understand their target customers. The more your book can cater to this hypothetical reader, the easier it will be to sell!

Maybe you’re writing a true-crime account for zealous true crime readers. Such readers will have pored over countless criminal cases before, so you need to include unique details to make your case stand out, and craft an extra-compelling narrative to engage them.

6. Set a schedule with achievable goals

Let’s move on to practical ways that you can improve your writing habits. Word count goals play a huge part in creating an effective writing process, especially if you’re trying to finish your book in a certain amount of time.

You should create word count goals for both your individual sessions and per week — or per month, if that’s how you prefer to think about your writing output. For relatively novice writers, we’d recommend the following word count goals:

  • 500-750 words per day
  • 1,500-2,500 words per week
  • 6,000-10,000 words per month

These goals are based on a pattern of 3-4 sessions per week, which is reasonable for a beginner, but still enough to make commendable progress. Even if you only follow our minimum recommendations — 500 words per session at 3 sessions per week — you can still easily finish your book in less than a year!

Speeding up the writing process

If you’re looking for how to write a book as fast as possible, your word count goals should look a little more like this:

  • 1,500-2,000 words per session
  • 9,000-15,000 words per week
  • 35,000-50,000 words per month

The figures above adhere roughly to NaNoWriMo, the event in which participants write an average of 1,667 words/day to complete a 50,000-word book in one month. It’s hard work, but it’s definitely possible to write a book that quickly; hundreds of thousands of people do so every year!

But as any author who’s done NaNo can attest, it’s also a pretty grueling experience. Most authors find it exhausting to write such great quantities for so many days in a row — and they still have to edit copiously once they’re done.

If this is your first book, make sure you take your time, set manageable word goals, and gradually build to bigger goals.

Use writing sessions to establish a schedule

Having a healthy writing routine is the only way you’ll actually hit those word count goals — not to mention it fosters a better relationship with writing overall! To establish a healthy routine, ask yourself these baseline questions first:

  • When do I have the most free time in the day/week?
  • What time of the day do I tend to be most productive?
  • How can I space out my writing sessions effectively?
  • Will I realistically be able to balance my writing goals with other responsibilities?

The best way to set up your routine is to take advantage of your pre-existing schedule and natural patterns. So for example, if you already go to the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays, perhaps the best time to write would be on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Or if you find yourself most creative late at night (many of us do!), you can plan late-night sessions over the weekend/before your day off, so you can sleep in the next day.

Ultimately, you just want a well-balanced writing routine that facilitates productivity, yet keeps you from burning out. If you find that writing for several days in a row is too much for you, space out your sessions more or try to shake things up by moving to a new writing space. If you can’t keep up with your goals, it’s okay to reduce them a little.

Yes, writing a lot is important, but it’s not more important than your mental health! Remember that writing a book is a marathon, not a sprint, and that a consistent, healthy approach is absolutely vital. Here are some tips for making the most of your writing routine.

Don’t skip more than one session in a row

Life happens, and sometimes you won’t be able to make a planned writing session. However, unless it’s a serious emergency, you should try to get back in the saddle for your next session. Otherwise, you’ll lose too much progress and feel discouraged, which typically leads to skipping even more writing sessions, and eventually giving up.

Use a site blocker to stay focused

Distraction is the enemy of routine, and the biggest distraction in our modern world is the Internet. To that end, download a site-and-app blocker to use during your writing sessions so you won’t be enticed by social media or adorable cat memes. We’d recommend Freedom, as you can schedule block sessions in advance and even keep track of your productivity within the app.

7. Find a good writing space

Another major component of how to write a book is where you write, hence why it gets a separate section. If you want to complete an entire book, you absolutely must find a calm, focused space for your writing.

This may be in your house, a coffee shop, a library, a co-working space — wherever you can work productively and without interruptions. It should also be a place that you can access easily and go often. Working from home is the most convenient option in this sense, but it may be difficult if you have family around, or if you don’t have a designated “room of one’s own” (i.e. an actual office, or at least a desk).

What does a good writing space look like?

Try out different locations to see what works for you. Indeed, you may find that you like to rotate writing spaces because it keeps you energetic and your writing fresh! But wherever you go, do your best to make the space:

  • Quiet (noise-canceling headphones can be very helpful)
  • Clean (no clutter, especially if you do chores to procrastinate)
  • Non-distracting (nothing too fun around to tempt you away from writing; turn off your phone so other people won’t bother you)
  • Your own (cultivate a nice atmosphere in your home office with posters and plants, or simply take the same seat at your local café every time — truly carve out a “dedicated writing space”)

8. Pick a “distraction-free” writing software

We’ve already talked about a few different pieces of software to help you with writing a book. But if you haven’t found the right app or program yet, never fear — there’s plenty more where those came from!

Book writing software is a topic we’ve actually written an entire post about, but it’s worth touching on a few of our favorite writing tools here:

Scrivener 🖋️

Scrivener is the downloadable writing software of choice for many writers, and for good reason: it has an exceptional interface and tons of useful features. You can outline chapters with its drag-and-drop system, create labels for elements you want to track, and use various templates to plan AND format your book. If you want to feel like a true professional, you can’t go wrong with Scrivener — and it’s even free to try for 30 days.

Milanote 💭

Or if you’re not much for outlines because your thoughts are all over the place, Milanote can help. The super-flexible interface allows you to “mind map” just as you would longhand, and rearrange different sections as you please. When writing, you can see all your notes at once, so you don’t have to stress about forgetting things. It’s a very refreshing, intuitive way approach that’s worth a try for all disorganized authors.

FocusWriter ✍️

Speaking of intuitive, what’s more intuitive than simply writing on a piece of paper, no distractions — just like the old days? Meet FocusWriter, which allows you to do exactly that. The full-screen default interface is a sheet of paper on a wooden desk: no bells, no whistles, no distractions whatsoever. Seriously, this one will get you in the zone.

The Reedsy Book Editor 📖

We couldn’t leave out one of the coolest word processing, editing, and formatting tools on the market! All jokes aside, the RBE lets you cleanly format your book as you go, so you can watch it take shape in real-time. You can also add sections for front matter and back matter and invite collaborators to edit your text. Plus you can toggle on goal reminders to make sure that you’re on track with your writing schedule. Once you finish writing, you can export the files of your book. But don’t take our word for it: you can try the RBE for free right here.

9. Finish your draft

Getting into the groove of writing a book can be difficult. When there are a million different things to distract and discourage you, how can you keep going with your writing routine and finish your book?

Based on ours and other writers’ experience, here are a few motivational strategies for you to try:

  • Make a list of reasons why you want to write a book. Having a tangible reminder of your true purpose is one of the best ways to motivate yourself, so think hard: Do you want to send an important message? Reach a certain group of people? Or do you simply yearn to tell this particular story? Write down all your reasons and keep them as an ace in the hole for when your motivation dwindles.
  • Find someone else to write with you. Getting a writing buddy is another great way to stay motivated! For one thing, you get some camaraderie during this process; for another, it means you can’t slack off too much. So ask your writer friends if they’d like to meet up regularly, or join an online writing community. With the latter, just make sure you exchange progress updates and proof that you’re actually writing!
  • Reward yourself at important milestones. Sometimes the best motivation is the prospect of treating yourself. If you respond well to this kind of motivation, set a goal, a deadline, and a reward for meeting it: “If I can write 10,000 more words by the end of the month, I’ll go out for an amazing, fancy dinner with all my friends.” This kind of goal is also helpful because you can tell your friends about it, and that very act will hold you accountable.

Don’t give up

Remember how we said you’d inevitably get stuck? Well, that’s what this step is all about: what to do when you hit a wall. Whether it’s a tricky plot hole, an onslaught of insecurity, or a simple lack of desire to write, all writers experience setbacks from time to time.

There are countless ways to overcome writer’s block, from freewriting to working on your characters to taking a shower (yes, that’s a legitimate tip!). However, here are some of the most effective techniques we’ve found:

  • Revisit your outline. This will jog your memory as to planned story elements you’ve forgotten — which may help you find the missing piece.
  • Try writing exercises. It’s possible you just need to get the words flowing, and then you can jump get right back into your book. Luckily for you, we have a whole host of great writing exercises right here!
  • Share your experience with friends. This is another great role for your writing buddy to fill, but you can easily talk about writer’s block with your non-writing friends, too. If you’re struggling, it always helps to vent and bounce ideas off other people.
  • Take a short break to do something else. Yes, sometimes you need to step away from the keyboard and clear your head. But don’t take more than a day or so, or else you’ll lose momentum and motivation.

Most of all, remember to take setbacks in stride and not let them get you down. As platitudinous as that might sound, it’s true: the only thing that can stop you from writing a book is if you, well, stop writing. So keep calm and carry on — every day brings new opportunities and you’ll get through this.

Your aim at this point is not to emerge with an instant masterpiece. The quality almost always emerges in the edit.

10. Edit the manuscript

You can write all day, all night, to your heart’s content… but if no one else likes what you’ve written, you might end up heartbroken instead. That’s why it’s crucial to request feedback on your book, starting early and from as many sources as possible.

Begin by asking your friends and fellow writers to read just a few chapters at a time. However, apply their suggestions not only to those chapters, but wherever relevant. For example, if one of your friends says, “[Character A] is acting weird in this scene,” pay extra attention to that character to ensure you haven’t misrepresented them anywhere else.

Once your book is finished, you’re ready for some more intensive feedback. Consider getting a beta reader to review your entire book and provide their thoughts. You may want to hire an editor to give you professional feedback as well. (Find out about the different types of editing, and which type your book might need, in this post.)

Finally, it might sound obvious, but we’ll say it anyway for all you stubborn writers out there: feedback is useless if you don’t actually listen to it. Separate yourself from your ego and don’t take anything personally, because no one wants to offend you — they’re just trying to help.

11. Publish your book for readers to buy

You’ve persevered to the end at last: brainstormed, outlined, and written a draft that you’ve edited extensively (based on feedback, of course). Your book has taken its final form, and you couldn’t be prouder. So what comes next?

Well, if you’ve taken our advice about catering to your target readers, you may as well give publishing a shot! We have a full guide to publishing right here — and if you’re thinking about traditional publishing, read this article to decide which is right for you.

Get help from publishing professionals

Publishing is another rigorous process, of course. But if you’ve come this far to find out how to write a book, you can pretty much do anything! Invest in stellar cover design, study up on marketing, or start writing an irresistible query letter that will get you an offer.

Whichever route you take, one thing will remain true: you’ve written a book, and that’s an incredible achievement. Welcome to the 0.1% — and may the next book you write be even greater than the first

 

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A (Very) Simple Way to Improve Your Writing

A (Very) Simple Way to Improve Your Writing

Original Article Link: Harvard Business Review
Written By: Mark Rennella

 

Summary.   

The “one idea” rule is a simple concept that can help you sharpen your writing, persuade others by presenting your argument in a clear, concise, and engaging way. What exactly does the rule say?

  • Every component of a successful piece of writing should express only one idea.
  • In persuasive writing, your “one idea” is often the argument or belief you are presenting to the reader. Once you identify what that argument is, the “one-idea rule” can help you develop, revise, and connect the various components of your writing.
  • For instance, let’s say you’re writing an essay. There are three components you will be working with throughout your piece: the title, the paragraphs, and the sentences.
  • Each of these parts should be dedicated to just one idea. The ideas are not identical, of course, but they’re all related. If done correctly, the smaller ideas (in sentences) all build (in paragraphs) to support the main point (suggested in the title)

Most advice about writing looks like a long laundry list of “do’s and don’ts.” These lists can be helpful from time to time, but they’re hard to remember … and, therefore, hard to depend on when you’re having trouble putting your thoughts to paper. During my time in academia, teaching composition at the undergraduate and graduate levels, I saw many people struggle with this.

Often, students would begin with strong ideas, but have trouble focusing their thoughts when it came time to translating those ideas into words  — resulting in essays with loose, distracted, and ultimately, confusing arguments. It’s not that their ideas weren’t valuable. There were just too many of them to digest at once.

Luckily, there is a (memorable) strategy that can help any level of writer greatly improve their work. I call it the one-idea rule: Every component of a successful piece of writing should express only one idea.

You may be familiar with some of the variations of this rule, like the Pyramid Principle or Purdue’s rules of thumb for paragraphs. After all, every great essay, article, or written work is grounded by a foundational idea — one that equally inspires the author and their audience.

In persuasive writing, which we will focus on here, your one idea is often the argument or belief you are presenting to the reader. Once you identify what that argument is, the “one-idea rule” can help you develop, revise, and connect the various components of your writing in a clear and convincing way.

For instance, let’s say you’re writing an essay. There are three components you’ll be working with throughout your piece: the title, the paragraphs, and the sentences. Each of these parts should be dedicated to just one idea. The ideas are not identical, of course, but they’re all related. If done correctly, the smaller ideas (in sentences) all build (in paragraphs) to support the main point (suggested in the title).

Why should you follow this rule?

There are many advantages to using the one-idea rule, but I’ll point out three that are particularly important:

You will sharpen your focus. Many written pieces fail to be persuasive because they include too many ideas rather than too few. Having a clear end goal will keep you disciplined.

You will make more discoveries (and have more fun). Focus gives you freedom. When you have one specific idea you’re trying to portray, you can then experiment more broadly throughout your piece or even take a little detour without losing sight of your main point. You can dig more deeply into certain details, as long as they are related to the title, or your main idea.

You will become more confident. Knowing that you’re following a rule that describes all good writing gives you a chance to assess the quality of your own work, as well as the work of others — including your peers, your colleagues, and even well-known authors. Great writing is a skill, and once you understand how to structure papers in a compelling way, you’ll gain the confidence to decide what makes a piece truly interesting and persuasive.

How to Get Started

This rule may sound simple, but it takes practice to master.

So, what should you do the next time you begin an assignment, and you face the terrifying abyss of a blank page and a blinking cursor? How can you identify what your big “idea” is?

These three steps can help sharpen your focus.

1) Find an angle.

Maybe you’re writing on a topic that was assigned to you by an editor or a professor. Maybe you’re brainstorming a piece to pitch to a media outlet. Or maybe there is a subject you want to tackle but your focus feels too broad. Whatever the case, you have to come up with an angle — a clear and refreshing perspective on the topic at hand that presents a specific, unique, and well-supported argument or “idea.”

If you don’t know what argument you want to make, then you’re in trouble. To figure it out, ask yourself questions about the topic that tease out details related to it:

  • What do I know about this topic?
  • What do I not know about this topic but want to learn?
  • What inspires me about this topic?
  • Would others also find these issues interesting?

As you answer these questions, useful insights, questions, and unknowns will arise. For instance, perhaps you are interested in writing about “Mental Health on College Campuses.” Answering the questions listed above, may lead you down a path of discovery:

  • What do I know about this topic?
    • “I’ve seen on the news that many college students are depressed or dropping out.”
  • What do I not know about this topic but want to learn?
    • “I don’t know many details about mental health issues on college campuses specific to this pandemic.”
  • What inspires me about this topic?
    • “It would be great to discover new solutions to the problem or find the best existing solutions, and explain them clearly to readers.”
  • Would others also find these issues interesting?
    • Students themselves, and institutions trying to support them, may be interested.

From here, you might start out with the goal of writing about “solutions to mental health problems faced by college students.” That’s a good start, but it’s still too vague, and may be challenging for you (someone just beginning to study the issue) to tackle effectively.

The good news is that you can narrow down your idea. Coming up with a headline is a great way to do this. For example, you might title your paper, “3 Ways Colleges Can Address Mental Health Issues Among Students.” Notice how your focus immediately narrows. This will help you stay on track and investigate a clearer solution to the problem you have identified.

2) Find evidence.

Now that you have chosen a single idea or issue to discuss, assemble facts, evidence, or data that may be useful or surprising to others, and that also support the point you want to make. Sticking with our original example, research a few ideas about “mental health in college” to draw a reader’s attention:

  • Stats about college enrollment and dropout rates in the last two years
  • Percentage of students feeling isolated
  • Greatest mental health challenges students are facing
  • What universities are currently doing to help
  • What universities are not doing to help
  • Preventive measures for mental health problems
  • Stigmas around discussing mental health
  • Impacts of virtual class vs. in-person class

As you research, a few of these ideas may jump out to you as directly supportive of your argument. Be sure to record them. Likewise, take note of any evidence you come across that counters your argument. If you are able to call out and address counterpoints before the reader discovers them, you will strengthen your main idea.

While you’re brainstorming details to include in your essay, be careful to exclude examples that aren’t obviously related to that main idea (e.g., cafeteria food on campus), unless that information provides some pertinent information or context (e.g., bad food depresses students).

3) Outline.

Organize the pertinent evidence or examples you have discovered to create an outline for your piece. If all of your examples are obviously related to the main topic, then it will be relatively easy to order them into a story with a beginning, middle, and end. The main elements of the outline are marked in bold:

  1. Main Idea / Title: 3 Ways Colleges Can Address Mental Health Issues Among Students
  2. Explore Related / Supporting Issues
    • Problems and paradoxes
      • Statistics about enrollment and drop-out rates in the last two years
      • Students feeling isolated despite being grouped in dorms
      • Stigma around talking openly about mental health
      • How should instructors help and reach out to students?
    • Responses and resolutions
      • Preventive measures for mental health problems at school
      • Creating psychologically safe spaces on campus
      • Using Zoom to help people wherever they are
      • Finding novel ways to gather
  3. Conclusion: Colleges can do more to create safe spaces for students to vocalize their mental health needs. The more students who seek help, the more lives will be improved. Those students will walk away with skills that can help them now, and in the future.

You can gut check your idea by sharing your outline with an audience, like your trusted peers, family members, or friends. Pay attention to their reactions. Ask them questions about what they liked or didn’t; what they didn’t understand; what they want to know more about. These are exactly the kinds of question about an essay’s main idea that you should ask yourself each time you work on a paper. Then, adjust your outline (including the title when appropriate) based on what you learned from your discussions.

This should be enough to get you off to a strong start. If you continue to practice, you can turn this exercise into a productive habit. It can be particularly useful when you face an assignment that seems either uninteresting or too difficult. Find just one foundational idea that interests you about any subject, and you will be able to summon the motivation, energy, and direction required to finish the task, and do it well.

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15 Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills Dramatically

15 Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills Dramatically

Original Article Link: Grammarly
Written By: Karen Hertzberg

Learning a variety of tricks to improve writing skills isn’t as difficult as you may think. We’ve put together a list of steps to help you make dramatic improvements to the quality of your writing in short order.

Becoming a better writer takes practice, and you’re already practicing. No, seriously—you write a lot. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a writer, you put thoughts into text more often than you realize. At the very least, you write emails—a lot of emails—post on social media, make updates to your résumé and LinkedIn profile, and message your friends. If your job requires it, you also create things like reports, presentations, newsletters . . . it’s a long list.

So, you’re already writing. Now, to improve writing is just a matter of becoming conscious of the things you can do to give your text more structure and make your copy crisp and readable with a conversational style.

Give your writing structure

It’s fine to rattle off a stream of consciousness when you’re writing in your journal, but if you actually want to communicate with others you’ll need to bring some order to those rambling thoughts. Here are some tips.

1 Make sure you’re clear on the concepts you’re writing about.

Albert Einstein said, “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.” Before you start writing, take a moment to mentally explain the concept to the six-year-old who lives inside your head. (We all have one, don’t we?) If your writing goal is to achieve a specific result, ask yourself what that result should be. Before you dive into writing, have a clear purpose. Then stick to it.

2 If the message is complex, outline it.

It doesn’t take much thought-organizing to compose the average text message, but if you’re writing something more complex, with multiple angles, questions, or requests, get all that stuff sorted before you sit down to write. Making an outline, or even just some quick notes about the topics you want to cover, can save you time answering clarifying questions later. 

3 Anticipate your readers’ questions.

Improving writing involves putting yourself in your readers’ shoes (you could call it empathy). Do they have enough context to understand what you’ve written for them? If not, fill in the blanks. But . . .

4 Don’t over-explain.

If you’ve taken the time to organize your thoughts in advance, you should be able to keep things simple. The idea is to give readers just enough to understand what you’re communicating without overwhelming them with trivial details. If you find yourself getting in the weeds with more details than you need, look at each piece of information and ask whether it’s essential to help your reader understand your message. If not, get rid of it.

Tighten your writing

We sometimes write like we talk, and that can be a good thing. It keeps our writing conversational (more on that in a moment.) But rambling, wordy writing makes your text hard to read, and it can make you sound as though you lack conviction. Start practicing these tips to improve your writing skills.

5 Go easy on the prepositional phrases

When I was a neophyte writer, someone showed me how prepositional phrases made my writing unnecessarily wordy and complex. It was an epiphany!

Prepositions aren’t difficult to understand, but the concept does require some explanation. Get smart about prepositions here, and then try to simplify them whenever it makes sense. Your writing will get a much-needed clarity boost.

6 Eliminate the filler words and phrases

Some words show up in our writing all the time, and yet they don’t contribute much of anything. Although these filler words and phrases sometimes add color or even meaning, most of the time they contribute nothing but clutter. Here are thirty-one of them you can eliminate right now.

7 Don’t pad weak words with adverbs.

Adverbs—those words that often end in -ly—modify verbs and sometimes adjectives. They’re okay once in a while, but when you find yourself using them all the time, you’re probably making weak word choices. Instead of “ran really fast” write “sprinted.” Was something “extremely funny”? Nah, it was “hilarious.” The scenery may have been “very beautiful,” but your writing’s going to shine if you refer to it as “gorgeous,” “lush,” “verdant,” or “bucolic.”

Make your writing more conversational

8 Stick with simple words.

Bestselling author John Grisham said, “There are three types of words: (1) words we know; (2) words we should know; (3) words nobody knows. Forget those in the third category and use restraint with those in the second.” There’s a difference between having a rich vocabulary and dropping million-dollar words into your writing just to show off. Unless it’s your intent to be poetic, keep your language simple and direct.

I’m certain sure you are able to can deliver the quality of work we’re looking for. Let’s discuss talk about it in our meeting next week.

9 Use contractions.

English speakers use contractions—you’re, I’m, we’re, they’re, can’t, didn’t. Your writing will sound stiff and formal without them. For example:

I am sure you are able to deliver the quality of work we are looking for. Let us discuss it in our meeting next week.

Now, let’s add some contractions. Doesn’t this sound less stuffy?

I’m sure you can deliver the quality of work we’re looking for. Let’s talk about it in our meeting next week.

10 Try transcribing yourself.

Record yourself talking. You can learn a lot about conversational writing using this one weird trick! (Sorry, Buzzfeed, we tease because we care.)

Try transcribing a conversation you’ve recorded (with the other person’s permission, of course). Transcribe a couple of minutes of the conversation word-for-word. Then, fix or remove any false starts and remove filler (um, uh, like, you know)—et voila!—you’ve got yourself some conversational writing. The process of transcribing and editing will help you learn what to do and what not to.

11 Throw away the grammar rule book . . . within reason.

We, the Grammarly team, give you permission to start sentences with conjunctions. And (see what we did there?) unless you’re writing something formal, we’re perfectly okay with you ending some sentences with prepositions. 

12 Keep your sentences simple.

Literary greats can write long, complex sentences with flair. Why not you? Well, for starters you’re probably not trying to write like Tolstoy, Nabokov, or Faulkner. Short, less complicated sentences are easier to read. Keep it simple, silly! But do vary your sentence length so your writing has a nice flow.

13 Read it out loud.

Speaking of flow, reading your writing aloud can help you determine whether it flows smoothly. If it sounds choppy and clipped, add a few longer sentences to break up that steady, monotonous beat. If you find yourself stumbling over parts, you’ve probably found an overly complex sentence that needs rewriting. 

14 Infuse your personality into your writing

Letting your personality shine through is the best way to develop a writing style. Use the phrases and slang that you would normally use (within reason). When it’s appropriate, throw in a relevant personal anecdote. In all but the most formal or professional writing settings, be yourself when you write.

15 Practice, practice, practice!

The ultimate way to improving writing is to learn what weakens it in the first place, and then set your mind to fixing (and eventually preventing) the glitches. The more you write, edit, and proofread, the better you get at it.

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8 Tips for Improving Your Writing Style

8 Tips for Improving Your Writing Style

Original Article Link: Masterclass

 

There are many types of writing styles, though many of them incorporate simple words, short sentences, and direct language that engage readers. While you should preserve your unique authorial tone, you can also improve your writing style with deliberate choices about structure and usage.

What Does Writing Style Mean?

Writing style is the voice and tone a writer uses to convey a story or express an idea. Every writer has their own personal writing style based on how they use words, their level of formality, their sentence structure, and their overall approach to the art of writing. A good writer uses different styles of writing depending on the purpose of their text. For example, blogging has a more casual tone while business writing requires more formal language.

4 Types of Writing Styles

There are four general stylistic categories that writing falls into. These different types of writing styles are differentiated by their purpose. Writers will use one of these general styles while also incorporating their own personal style into their piece:

  1. 1. Expository writing: An expository writing style is used for delivering facts and information rather than storytelling. Examples of expository writing include nonfiction books, scientific writing, technical writing, and news articles.
  2. 2. Descriptive writing: A descriptive style uses figurative language and sensory details to paint a picture in a reader’s mind. Poets use this type of writing style in their work.
  3. 3. Narrative writing: Narrative style has a plot, characters, and setting and is used in creative writing. It is the style writers use to craft a novel, novella, or screenplay. Examples of narrative writing style include Ernest Hemingway’s short story “The Old Man and the Sea” and The Shining by Stephen King.
  4. 4. Persuasive writing: A persuasive writing style tries to influence readers to adopt the writer’s point of view. Examples of persuasive writing include letters of recommendation, academic writing, and cover letters.

8 Tips for Improving Your Writing Style

To be a better writer, you need to know how to be direct and clear, while also putting your own stamp on your writing. Follow these eight writing tips for improving your style:

  1. Be direct in your writing. Good writing is clear and concise. Lose filler words, like unnecessary adverbs and prepositional phrases, simply take up space and weigh a sentence down. Say exactly what you mean in the most direct way.
  2. Choose your words wisely. There are many ways to write a sentence, and there are different words you can choose to convey the same idea. Always choose the simpler of two words. Use familiar vocabulary instead of lofty words from the English language. Simple words are more direct and easier for all readers to understand. Use a thesaurus if you need a little help finding a replacement or an easier way to say something.
  3. Short sentences are more powerful than long sentences. A story loses steam with wordiness. Short sentences are easier to comprehend, something that readers appreciate. Avoid trying to pack too much into a line. Every sentence should contain one thought or idea.
  4. Write short paragraphs. Keep your paragraphs short and manageable. Each one should consist of sentences that support the same idea. Short paragraphs are easier to digest. They also create a more visually appealing layout on the page. Academic writing often consists of lengthier paragraphs, as they need more information to support each theme. In less formal writing, shorter paragraphs are the norm.
  5. Always use the active voice. Use the active voice and adhere to subject-verb-object sentence structure. It’s the most direct path to making your point. With the active voice, the subject is doing something, which is more exciting than the passive voice, in which something is being done to the subject. The passive voice might be grammatically correct, but it creates long, complex sentences and is a weaker way of presenting information.
  6. Review and edit your work. Proofreading your first draft should be the first step in your editing process before you hand your story over to a professional editor. Tighten your writing, check your word choice and sentence structure, and hone your voice to improve your style.
  7. Use a natural, conversational tone. Your writing style relies on your own, unique voice. Communicate in your comfort zone. In other words, write like you converse. Shape ideas with your original thoughts and voice, and do your best to avoid clichés. Your writing style should reflect your personality.
  8. Read famous authors. Pick up any book by Mark Twain, and you’ll know it’s his writing simply by the tone of the story and the words he uses. Great writers put a stamp on their writing with a signature style. Along with works of fiction, read Strunk and White’s famous style guide The Elements of Style. Learning how other writers create their style. Then do the same with your own writing.
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Sorry, But Speed Reading Won’t Help You Read More

People are as likely to read thousands of words per minute as they are to run faster than the speed of light

Original Article Link: Wired
Written By: Mark Seidenberg

 

THE LATE NORA Ephron famously felt badly about her neck, but that’s minor compared to how people feel about their reading. We think everyone else reads faster than we do, that we should be able to speed up, and that it would be a huge advantage if we could. You could read as much as a book critic for the New York Times. You could finish* Infinite Jest*. You could read all of Wikipedia. So, how fast can people read?

Reading speed is obviously going to depend on factors such as readers’ skills and goals and whether they are reading Richard Feynman’s lectures on physics or TMZ.com. But let’s just do some cold, hard calculations based on facts about the properties of eyes and texts.

  • About 7 to 8 letters are read clearly on each fixation.
  • Fixation durations average around 200 to 250 milliseconds (4 to 5 per second).
  • Words in most texts are about five letters long on average. 4 fixations per second = 240 fixations per minute
  • 240 fixations × 7 letters per fixation = 1,680 letters per minute
  • 1,680 letters/6 (five letters per word plus a space) = 280 words per minute

The exact number of words per minute is far less important than the fact that this value cannot be greatly increased without seriously compromising comprehension. Some people claim to know the secret to becoming a superreader and are happy to share it—for a modest fee.

 

Reader: save your money. The gap between what is promised and what can be attained is huge, so huge as to have attracted the periodic attention of consumer protection agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission. What is claimed cannot be true given basic facts about eyes and texts. Unless we redefine reading as rapid page turning, deleting the bit about comprehension, people are as likely to read thousands of words per minute as they are to run faster than the speed of light.

There is one simple, guaranteed way to increase reading speed: skimming. There is a trivial sense in which these texts are being read rapidly, but very little is being comprehended. We should call this Quote-Unquote Reading or Sorta Reading rather than speed reading.

The holy grail is increasing reading speed without sacrificing comprehension. As Woody Allen put it in a joke, “I took a speed reading course and read ‘War and Peace’ in twenty minutes. It involves Russia.” To avoid the negative connotations that came to be attached to the “speed reading” label, the schemes are marketed as “power reading,” “breakthrough rapid reading,” “mega-reading,” and “reading dynamics for speed, comprehension, and retention.” These systems recycle the same methods, changing the wrapping. Newer methods use screen-based technologies (computers, pads, smartphones) to change how the text is presented.

The Myth of the Speed Reader

The come-on is that the only barrier to reading at warp speed is bad habits. It’s a variant of the trope that people only use n percent of their brains: we only use a fraction of our reading capacity. Speed-reading programs focus on modifying readers’ behavior in three ways. Remarkably, all of them were laid out in an obscure 1958 book, Reading Skills, by Evelyn Wood and Marjorie Barrows. Speed is not emphasized, and the term “speed reading” does not appear. But the methods that Wood and Barrows recommended for helping poor readers became the foundation for speed reading.

 

Method 1: Take in More Information at a Time
Readers are supposed to learn to taken in bigger chunks of text by training their eyes to process information in the periphery and using specialized techniques for scanning the page. There’s the strategy of using a finger to guide the eyes across the page in a zigzag pattern; another method is to move your finger down the center of the page in order to read down, a line at a time, rather than from left to right. The problem with such methods should also be obvious: they flagrantly defy constraints imposed by the visual system. The injunction to take in whole lines, paragraphs, or pages cannot be achieved by the human visual system, short of growing additional cells on one’s retina. We cannot will ourselves to recognize more letters in the periphery any more than we can will ourselves to hear sounds in the dog-whistle frequency range.

Method 2: Eliminate Subvocalization
Most people have the sense that they are saying words to themselves (or hearing them) as they read. Speed-reading programs appeal to the intuition that this habit slows reading. Speed-reading programs exhort people to suppress subvocalization, providing exercises to promote the practice.

 

The sensation that you use information related to the pronunciations of words while you read is not an illusion. However, skilled readers do something different: they mentally activate the phonological code that allows one to hear the differences between PERmit and perMIT in the mind’s ear. The fallacy in the argument against subvocalization is in equating phonology with speech. Using the phonological code doesn’t limit the reader to the rate at which speech can be produced because there’s no speaking involved.

What if the inability to use phonological information efficiently is one of the main characteristics of reading impairments? What if skilled readers cannot prevent themselves from activating phonological information because it is so deeply integrated with spelling and meaning in writing systems and in the neural circuits that support reading?

These what-ifs are indeed the case, as established by several decades of research. Speed-reading schemes would improve reading by eliminating one of the main sources of reading skill.

Method 3: Eliminate Regressive Eye Movements
Read it right the first time. But, like phonology, regressive eye movements serve a useful function, and eliminating them makes it harder to read, not easier. They don’t only occur because a text has been misread; they also allow readers to enhance their understanding beyond what could be obtained on the first pass. Some looking back is also inevitable because of the nature of language. Sentences unfold in a linear sequence, but the messages they convey often do not. The efficient coping strategy—the one that skilled readers discover—incorporates intermittent regressions as one component. We have ways to eliminate them, but they won’t make you a more efficient reader. Just annoyed.

Functional Form

Reading speeds might increase if there were a way to deliver information to the visual system more efficiently than conventional formats. The ancient Greeks experimented with a method called boustrophedon (literally, ox turning, referring to the ox’s reversal of direction at the end of plowing one row to start the next one). Texts were written bidirectionally, left to right on one line, then right to left on the next. This method would seem to allow reading to proceed continuously, uninterrupted by line sweeps. Try it.

Here we have a nice normal first line.
.siht ekil nettirw eb dluoc enil txen ehT
Wow that is pretty deeply unpleasant.
?bad Not. ?method this about What
No way! These “fixes” make reading harder, not easier!

 

Bidirectional reading was one of those little experiments during the development of writing that didn’t work out. However, modern screen-based technologies afford other possibilities.

A method called rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) seems more promising. A text is presented at a single location on a screen, one word (or sometimes a few) at a time. It was developed for research purposes in the 1960s. When personal computers became common, it was sold as a reading improvement tool; now there are apps. A YouTube video presents Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” in this format. The text is delivered at a spot on the screen, like a series of flash cards. Readers are liberated from having to decide how much time to spend on each word because that is set in advance, and saccades, regressive eye movements, line sweeps, and page turning have been eliminated.

Was the “Raven” video encouraging? The text is presented at about 278 words per minute, within the skilled reading range, yet requires extra effort to understand. Every word, whether door or morrow, is displayed for the same amount of time. The reader loses control over the rate of transmission and, with it, the ability to allocate reading time intelligently. The experience feels like stalking the text rather than reading it.

In laboratory studies, college students could read with RSVP at up to 700 words per minute with good comprehension, about triple their normal speeds. Alas, the experiments also found that subjects could only sustain reading at high speeds with good comprehension for short bursts. With longer texts, the RSVP reading experience is monotonous and exhausting.

The Shortest Answer is Doing the Thing
If reading at megaspeeds is not feasible, does that mean reading can’t be improved? Not at all.
The serious way to improve reading—how well we comprehend a text and, yes, speed and efficiency—is this (apologies, Michael Pollan):

Read. Reading skill depends on knowledge acquired from reading. Skilled readers know more about language, including many words and structures that occur in print but not in speech. They also have greater “background knowledge,” familiarity with the structure and content of what is being read. We acquire this information in the act of reading itself—not by training our eyes to rotate in opposite directions, playing brain exercise games, or breathing diaphragmatically. Just reading.

As much as possible. Every time we read we update our knowledge of language. At a conscious level we read a text for its content: because it is a story or a textbook or a joke. At a subconscious level our brains automatically register information about the structure of language; the next chapter is all about this. Developing this elaborate linguistic network requires exposure to a large sample of texts.

Mostly new stuff. Knowledge of language expands through exposure to structures we do not already know. That may mean encountering unfamiliar words or familiar words used in novel ways. It may mean reading P. D. James, E. L. James, and Henry James because their use of language is so varied. A large sample of texts in varied styles and genres will work, including some time spent just outside one’s textual comfort zone.

 

Reading expands one’s knowledge of language and the world in ways that increase reading skill, making it easier and more enjoyable to read. Increases in reading skill make it easier to consume the texts that feed this learning machinery. It is not the eyes but what we know about language, print, and the world— knowledge that is easy to increase by reading—that determines reading skill. Where this expertise leads, the eyes will follow.

Excerpted from Language at the Speed of Sight: How We Read, Why So Many Can’t, and What Can Be Done About It by Mark Seidenberg. Copyright © 2017. Available from Basic Books, an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

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Why Graphic Design Is Important in Digital Marketing

Why Graphic Design Is Important in Digital Marketing

Introduction

We are all aware of precisely what Graphic Design is and how it augments, shapes and extends the Digital Marketing strategies for organisations to be competitive online. But have we deeply understood the means with which how vital it is to Digital Marketing, and why it is such a necessity? Will this perfect digital ‘marriage’ continue or are adjustments required to maintain and sustain their effectiveness and value? This article will explain why Graphic Design is essential in Digital Marketing, and what new trends might be worth considering in the not too distant digital future.

Establishing that initial ‘perfect digital connection’

In our energetic, fast-paced world, consumers will only provide you with a short attention span with which to seize. A clear visual (either static or dynamic) with a strong corresponding content piece is the key to grabbing that brief attention duration and converting it to a visit to your website. There, the potential consumer can review your products and services in more detail. This is called the ‘perfect digital connection’, and it can be confirmation that your digital marketing strategies (which will be delivered by graphic design) are actually working. As per the old saying – ‘First impressions do count’.

Graphic Design, Digital Marketing and Brand Strategy

Graphic designers will build and deliver your unique style, identity and business tone – think about those famous logos where the companies are instantly recognisable and initiate pleasant or unforgettable internal emotions towards that brand.

However, it is essential to realise that graphic design is not just a combination of images and colours. It signifies a deep connection with the history and business philosophy that constitutes an organisation. It should not only amaze people on what an incredible visual design it is, but it should also reflect the company’s organic identity, how they conduct themselves in the corporate world, and importantly how they treat their customers.

Competitor Differentiation

Competitor differentiation can present itself in a variety of options. Digital differentiation is one strategy that companies use to market their goods and services in a fashion that sets them apart.

  • A company can be easily identified, who are not readily known, because of its graphic design. Creating and delivering your unique style is the way you can provide exceptional visibility; unique logo, business cards, websites and social media channels all provide striking contrasts compared to your competitors,
  • A professional designer creates stunning, eye-catching layouts that will impress consumers and further initiate visitor traffic to your website. Once a potential lead views a company’s impressive advertisements, they are likely to inquire further about the product too,
  • Quality graphic designs add value to your company – You are also establishing your credibility and professional image. Quality visual imaging is not just pleasing to the consumer’s eye – the genuine publicity will be your key to gaining the consumer’s trust, enabling them more comfortable to do business with you,
  • Displaying quality graphic designs establishes a business’s credibility and professional image.

The Internet channel has become saturated with digital advertising and marketing, and companies find it challenging to differentiate messaging from their competitors when everyone shares the same online message. But customer experience is proven to be the perfect tool to gain that competitive advantage over your rivals and help you stand out from your competitors.

Customer Experience and Digital Marketing

Here are some key statistics regarding Graphic Design in Digital Marketing:

  • The likes and shared on Infographics social media occur three times as much than any other information type,
  • Global mobile advertising expenditure reached an excess of $300 billion in 2020,
  • A video is ‘shared’ 1,200% more times than sharing a text or URL link,
  • Unique content, coupled with appealing and alluring graphics, can increase website traffic by up to 2,000%.

There is a direct relationship between customer experience and customer loyalty. Those businesses that understand, sustain, and nurture this connection will not only retain those customers, but see them recommend their products or services to a friend, colleague, or acquaintance. 

Studies have shown that a compelling relationship

exists between a customer’s positive experience and their willingness to

purchase again from the same company. And the essential tool companies use to maintain that positive customer experience is Digital Marketing. Newsletters, emails, personalised tweets and other social media channels target and foster that positive relationship between customers and their organisation’s product and services.

Digital consistency matters to the consumer

Great graphic design and digital marketing summarise a business’s ideas in a way that’s pleasing to the consumer’s eye. Potential buyers may not be willing to read a complicated or technical document trying to persuade them to purchase a product, but they will be amenable to study an image or view a short video, that will serve the same purpose. Additionally, a business’s graphic design needs to be consistent. Your brand’s representations should be either visually identical, or similar, to build trust and ensure that your brand is recognisable. Exceptional graphic design gives your business this much-needed consistency.

Conclusion

People, especially consumers, love to see positive and appealing images because it helps increase their recollection chances. The art of Graphic design, coupled with key marketing messaging via Digital Marketing, is essential in attracting potential customers’ attention towards a business’s goods and services. A Digital Marketing strategy, and corresponding plan, has become a necessity for companies to grow competitive in the digital world, and the ones that succeed will see the positive result on their financial bottom line.

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Creating Your Perfect Home Office

Creating Your Perfect Home Office

Now is a critical time within our careers to have a convenient location to work away from the normal office. In addition, the continuing COVID-19 pandemic has made it imperative that workers work remotely, which normally means from home. However, to sustain the same effectiveness and productivity levels at home as we would be in the office environment requires a more than sufficient home office setting.

 

What Space will I Need to Designate for my Home Office?

Your home office can be as large or as small as you necessitate it to be. The space you will need will depend, to an extent, on the type of work one does. A writer, for example, may only require a corner space to fit a desk and chair, with a laptop and a writing pad nearby. However, if you are a draftsman, you will need extensive space to fit viewing large blueprints on, and possibly walk around it as well.

 

A home office is not just simply a temporary environment where you can ably work, yet it does not need to be a permanent setting that you cannot roam from when one sees fit. As a side thought, there are companies such as Spring, who offer a free home valuation service – it might be prudent to check them out and see if they can make the home office transition both simple and easy for you.

 

How do I Create that Healthy Office Set-up?

The focus when creating a healthy home work environment is not on comfort – even though we previously spent considerable time at work, we probably were oblivious to how we can make this time healthier.

 

A few minor changes and possibly furniture upgrades can modify your physical and mental health while working from home, boosting your productivity and overall satisfaction.

 

By making a few adjustments to your working set-up, you can significantly reduce the ergonomic risks and ensure your home office set-up is so much better:

  • Make sure that the computer screen is situated at eye level and situated on a specific monitor stand,
  • Regularly place your shoulders towards the back of your chair,
  • Put your feet flat on the floor, with no crossing of your feet.

 

How much will I be out of Pocket for a Home Office Set-up?

A home office set-up can be as expensive (or cheap) as you desire. Basically, all that is required is a suitable work desk to place your laptop on and a sturdy chair. But, of course, this strategy is not the optimal approach to work effectively from home.

 

  • Work desks can be purchased quite reasonably, and the costs will vary depending on what material it is made from, and how many ‘extras’ it has. An adjustable stand-up work desk can cost anywhere from £400 to £800, while a standard wooden desk will set you back approximately £100 to £200.
  • Office chairs will significantly differ in value – and it might be the best investment you will make when furnishing your personal home office. Depending on how technical they are, chairs that are large, comfortable and supportive will cost approximately £150 to £200.
  • Shelves and storage units add décor and style to your home office, and the cheaper units from those DIY stores will only cost around £50 apiece. Such a small investment will make working from home that much more pleasant and satisfying.

 

Can My Employer Help with any of these Costs?

Within the current working climate, your employer should be supportive when establishing a home office – even more so if it is based on their needs and interests. Each business will provide information about what they can and cannot provide you as a home worker – especially if you have been given no choice as to whether you can work from home or not.

If you have been ‘shoved’ into a home working situation with no other practical alternatives, you can claim some tax assistance with specific bills – like your home gas and electricity. Your accountant can give you more specific advice regarding those annual tax deductions.

 

And if you are looking to sell your dwelling quickly, then there are a few clever renovation tasks that you can apply to either your study or office quarters that will definitely increase the value of your residence.

 

Summing It All Up

Throughout these unsettled times, introducing a home office environment has never been more important to you and your career. You will not require considerable space or a substantial budget; what you do need is a workable desk and a peaceful and ambient environment. There is a definite attraction to creating an office workspace that is not only practical, but one you can call your own.

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RAID Storage Systems and how RAID is changing with SSD

RAID Storage Systems and how RAID is changing with SSD

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a method of storing the same data in different locations on multiple hard disk drives (HDD) or solid-state drives (SSD) to protect data in the event of a drive failure. This method increases the speed of storing and accessing data while preventing data loss and unplanned downtimes – as data is shared over multiple disks, this increases the mean time between failures (MTBF). Storing data redundantly also increases fault tolerance. RAID data recovery utilizes the practices of disk mirroring or disk striping. Mirroring will copy identical data onto more than one drive, dependant on the RAID level chosen.

 

RAID works by allowing input/ output (I/O) operations to overlap in a balanced fashion, therefore improving subsequent application performance. There are different RAID levels that can be utilized (RAID level: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 + combinations), but not all RAID levels intend to provide redundancy.

 

No matter what RAID level is adopted, the RAID array will appear to the underlying operating system (OS) as a single logical drive. RAID, by tradition, was primarily designed for use in servers, but its implementation is seen in storage-intensive computers and applications that need a high level of data security and high transfer speeds.

 

How using SSD RAID arrays can lead to further performance gains over HDD

 

Let me be quite frank – SSDs are considerably more appealing as a storage component due to their high performance and minimal power consumption when compared with HDDs. SSDs tend to be far more reliable than HDDs because they do not have any moving parts that can malfunction over time with continual usage. That is not to say that SSDs are not prone to failure – they do, and can, fail for various reasons.

 

It is for these key reasons that SSD RAID arrays, and server data recovery, can be highly advantageous when used with business applications where data security and data protection is more than merely a requirement, but a vital component that needs to be satisfied by Information Technology providers. Add to this the fact that SSD RAID arrays can provide further performance gains than what HDD RAID arrays can deliver, it is clear that two facts become apparent:

 

  • HDDs are more susceptible to failure than SSDs,
  • HDDs offer lower performance than SSDs.

 

This distinction is crucial with our comparison objectives because a RAID array can either help you achieve improved performance or superior protection against disk failure, or both.

 

It is important to note that organizations that are utilizing SSDs are likely to have infrastructure workloads with specific and demanding storage requirements regarding performance. Single SSDs might struggle to provide the necessary performance service level agreements, and it’s when dealing with these circumstances that an SSD RAID array may offer the essential performance boost required. RAID arrays are likely to be the sensible storage solution to remediate performance challenges in organizations with SSD infrastructure already present and operational.

 

How RAID storage has changed with the migration from HDD to SSD

 

RAID’s positioning in the infrastructure enterprise storage world has evolved over time due to the following grounds:

  • SSDs are far more reliable devices compared with legacy HDDs. The provides the confidence that a drive failure occurrence in a RAID array much less likely to occur,
  • Firmware defined storage options that operate differently from RAID, and thus do not require the procurement of expensive RAID controllers with associated backup power requirements, but still provide protection against data loss in the event of hardware failure,
  • Server-based computing is evolving to present quicker and more straightforward options for IT consumers; potential complications with storage infrastructure systems – such as the introduction of further RAID controllers – not only increase capital expenditure but also introduces another possible failure point for CIOs to be concerned about.

 

These points are not meant to portray RAID as a stagnant technology that is merely watching the world pass it by – far from it. There is the concept of Differential RAID (or Diff-RAID), a new RAID variant that distributes uniformity unevenly across SSDs to create age disparities within RAID arrays. This strategy has been devised with SSDs in RAID formation to track each drive’s age within a RAID set. The controller knows how old each drive within the RAID array is, and it smartly distributes more activity to the newer drives, and less activity towards the older drives. The objective is to ensure that all drives will not experience simultaneous unrecoverable data errors. Diff-RAID provides much greater reliability for SSDs than RAID-4 and RAID-5 for the same space overhead and offers a trade-off curve between throughput and reliability.


The key technical considerations to be aware of when boosting SSD Performance with RAID

 

As previously mentioned, there are considerable technical differences between HDDs and SSDs, and these differences will drive the decision as to what RAID array implementation will be required to cater to both of them. Simply put, some RAID implementations are great for HDDs are not for SSDs, and vice-versa. So, the primary question that requires an answer is: which RAID level should be utilized when using an SSD RAID array?

 

SSD Raid 1 (Stripe): 

RAID 1 can provide complete redundancy, but only simple performance gains, and therefore should be considered if performance requirements are not a vital requirement for application delivery.

 

SSD RAID 5 or 6: 

A popular alternative that provides redundancy is RAID 5 (uses data striping with parity bits and requires a minimum of three disks) and RAID 6 (uses striping and double parity with a minimum of four disks). 

 

SSD RAID 10: 

A superior alternative to RAID 5 or 6 would be the adoption of SSD RAID configuration level 10. RAID 10 uses RAID stripe and mirroring to provide fault tolerance with a minimum of four SSDs. An additional advantage of RAID 10 is that it can offer a high level of performance, but with a decrease in storage efficiency. The key benefit is that any two disks can fail without losing data, and both of these RAID configurations provide increased performance. The challenges with RAID 5 and 6 are that both implementations require a large number of disk write operations to cater to the parity bit information requirement.

 

 

(Note: for data protection purposes, RAID 0 was disregarded as it uses a RAID stripe pattern written to two disks to increase performance but offers no data redundancy).

 


Conclusion

More extensive consumer storage requirements drive the necessity for IT providers and suppliers to deliver reliable, effective, and performance-oriented storage infrastructure solutions that are cost-effective and profitable. SSD RAID provides the essential tools, processes, and storage delivery mechanisms that can deliver these consumer requirements – more so than what HDD RAID can. SSDs are an order or two magnitude faster than traditional media, and their capacities more than rival what HDDs have controlled and provided all along.

SSDs do exhibit wear and tear over time; however, their lifespan is significantly longer than legacy disk drives, making their in-service dates much more predictable and maintenance activities far more efficient and reliable.