12 Present Ideas to Get Armed for Christmas among Friends-Writers

Hey, guys! Bet, you hear ‘Holidays Are Coming’ as well as see Coca-Cola train quite often these days.

Yup, this holiday spirit is amazing until you face the most challenging issue - presents. Breaking my head, mulling over interesting yet useful gifts for mates is a must-have experience just before the holidays; especially, dealing with friends-writers. This time, I decided to break the rule. I have spent days to find out all the hot tools for writers that would turn great Christmas presents. Sure, the price tag is not the last thing you look at so I have included items from different price categories.

Cheap Ideas (under $15)

1. Rory’s Story Cubes ($8)

Who does not like playing games? This is a great opportunity to have fun with friends and to rest mentally. For writers, it is quite difficult to fully get rid of the work question; everyone wants to share their experience as well as make a boast of wins:) For you talk about writing even when having some rest, why not sharpen your creative skills? This game contains cubes that will provide certain pictures, be they characters or situations, and you have to make up a story using all of them. Listen to others, show your own skills, and maybe, you will even note down some ideas for your next writing :)

2. Pencils-Storytellers ($5)

Bet, you have faced the writer’s block, at least, once, right? When you are stuck and have no idea how to start, continue or end the story, these pencils-storytellers will help you out! Each pencil provides a writer with a fragment of a sentence that could help them come up with a great idea and proceed writing.

3. Aqua Notes ($15)

Being a writer is quite a tricky talent. Yeah! You never know when the inspiration is going to come. What should one do if a great idea has come when taking a shower? ‘Easy come, easy go!’ - that is all about creative ideas. If it has come, you have to note it down; otherwise, you risk forgetting it in a matter of seconds. Thus, aqua notes will come in handy. A waterproof paper will help one make notes even in the bath.

Affordable Tools (up to $50)

1. Chalk Tray ($30)

As a great idea can come when you are in the shower, the same way, it can come when you are having breakfast. In such a case, this tray will be of much use! Note down your ideas without leaving your current place. All you need is a piece of chalk :)

2. The Storymatic Classic (Board Game) ($30-45)

Let’s move to board games again. Why not train your imagination? Take a card, read the situation and develop it. Dare you do this in the most creative way?

3. Pencil-Stylus ($30-50)

We are writers, and our best friends are pens and pencils. I guess I use them even more often than a fork. When it comes to writing, some experts can’t even pull themselves together if they do not hold a pencil. For such a case, this stylus will be a great solution. One can work using their tablet but still feeling this must-have tool in a hand.

4. Multi-Device Keyboard ($30)

How annoying it is, when you want to have some rest, put off the writing, and watch your favorite TV show, but you have to leave your bed to take a remote. With this tool, one can control up to three devices not leaving the place they are comfortable in.

5. 100 Essential Novels Scratch-off Chart ($30)

Reading is essential for writers, but at times, we do not have time to even choose something catchy. No problem, this scratch-off chart will definitely recommend you something you will like. Free your mate up from choosing what to read. Moreover, the desire to get to know other suggested books could be a great motivator to complete the quiz.

Costy but Awesome (over $80)

1. Portable Desk ($90)

The place where a writer works plays a huge role! They may lack great ideas sitting at a table, but be full of inspiration and great thoughts when laying in a bed with a laptop. Sure, it is not really cozy to work in your bed, but with the help of this table, you will feel 100% comfortable working from the lovely place.

2. Bed Tent ($130)

You know, there are night and day people. While ones are more likely to be productive at nights, others feel better working during the days. If your mate is the person who likes night shifts, such a tent will be a great Christmas gift. It will help isolate themselves as well as let other people in the room sleep well.

3. Voice Recorder ($80)

It is quite difficult to bare everything in your head. When a catchy idea comes to your mind, and you have no opportunity to write your thoughts down, a voice recorder will be of much use. Just press the button, talk your ideas, and… ta da… you should not worry that you will forget something interesting.

4. Digital Note Taker ($100)

A small pocket notebook is an essential item that should be at hand all the time. Paper notes are not always handy - they are soft, have a lot of pages. All these issues could be resolved with the help of such a digital note taker. Leave notebooks at home! Write down all your ideas, and then, shift them to your lovely kit of ideas when you are at home.

All these gifts are quite simple, but they are must-have items for writers. If you are wondering how to impress you mate with a Santa gift, have a look at this list, and you will surely find something interesting.

Merry Christmas, friends, and Happy New Year! Hope, this list will come in handy these holidays, and you will amaze your pals ;)

How Have You Withstood the Field of Writing for So Many Years?

Most people ask me how it is possible that I have dedicated so many years to writing. The answer is pretty simple - while being a writer, I also work a large number of jobs. But, do not ask how I could combine them all, for I will explain in a while.

Academic writing is too diverse to consider it boring. When you deal with such a great number of orders, you even do not notice how multicultural you become with every single piece of writing. The knowledge I get from my works is enormous. Did you know that J.K. Rowling had several tries before being published? Yes, when I was dealing with a book review on “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”, I used it as a hook to grab the reader’s attention. And you know, it worked!

During my career as a writer, I have met a lot of interesting people. And, it is a huge benefit. No, I do not talk about those who are researchers or scientists. I mean colleagues. Now I know that if I have any questions, they will help me out. Moreover, we created a Facebook conversation, where we discuss cunning issues. My job takes all the spare time, and at times, I even can’t take a snack, so what can be said about the news. To learn all the needed novelties in our industry, I just need to open our conversation on Facebook. I think, one day we can make money, having published it :)

One more benefit I’d like to mention is an experience; not only writing experience. Actually, I am talking about experience in communication. And the greatest impact it has on your daily communication; honestly, it wasn't my strong side to explain anything briefly so that everyone understands the main idea :D

And, the strongest reason for being a writer that I have left for dessert - the experience to enjoy the job and motivate yourself to work harder. Being a writer, you are responsible for your income! Originally, a writer is paid only when they have completed the order. For me, this option has made me more organized as well as it always motivates me to finish the order as soon as possible, be paid, and move to a new assignment. Moreover, when you feel that you are absolutely fed up with permanent writing, you can easily have a break; just finish the order, and you are free! :)

Sure, the profession of a writer is not all that easy, and you should always work hard to earn enough money. Believe me, you will hardly find a job with such a number of benefits but the same amount of ‘minuses’. 

Guys, you should be proud that you are writers!

Guys, How Do You Overcome a Writer’s Block Depression?

Quite often I hear academic writers grumbling at writer’s block telling they need a break. As you can guess, the next problem, they complain about, is a low financial position. So, today I want to share with you some hints on how to subdue such an ‘illness’ without discounting your work.

As for me, the most effective way is to entertain yourself. Watch a film, for example. Each movie is a short story that isn’t taken off the mark. All films are based on people's experience. Consequently, they can come in handy to overcome any troubles.

Here is a list of my suggestions for you.

1. Central Intelligence, 2016


Remember that nothing in this world is impossible! If you like comedy films, you will enjoy this picture for sure. Do you remember your school time? Was there a person you have been scoffing at? Be cagy; they might knock your door right now. To put bluntly, see how a whipping boy has become a stand-up guy.

‘I worked out six hours a day, every day, for last twenty years straight!’ - this was his peg to hang success on, so why not make it your own motto, huh?

2. Dallas Buyers Club, 2013

Some people face problems that are more complicated than a writer’s block. This film isn’t funny, but it will make you muse on other issues to realize that lack of inspiration is not, actually, an issue!

A man was an AIDS sufferer, but he has made the call not to give up and stand up for his life. Having found some medicines for AIDS, he starts surreptitious sale to help other people who suffer from such a malady.

3. War Dogs, 2016

It is always useful to mull over the real-life problems, but at times, we want to watch something relaxing as well as fun. In this case, I recommend you come down to this movie. This picture, based on real life events, shows how two simple mates have reached their dream, having inked a $300-million deal.

The main slogan of the film is “An American dream”, so bear in mind, if you desire, you will hit the target for sure! 

4. Hacksaw Ridge, 2016


If you are a drama fan, you will find this picture quite impressive as well as inspiring. It dwells upon the story of a man who was proclaimed objector during the World War II due to his unwillingness to kill people.

This film will help you realize that nothing should make you give up your views of life as well as your personal goals.

5. The Founder, 2016


Do you like McDonald’s? Sure, yes! At times, we all want to do or eat something we know won’t do any good for our health. Here is a movie that will tell you the full story of such a household name.

The slogan sounds as follows ‘He took someone else's idea and America ate it up!’ Keep in mind that it is not always needed to make up topics that are created from scratch; look through the other’s work and specify their subject to make up your own mustard.

Ray Kroc says that only one thing has helped him – persistence! So, show your perseverance at writing, and craft this all-fired piece!

Most people consider films, books, songs and other kinds of entertainment as tools to relax and abstract themselves from the daily grind. Of course, they help us have some rest, but it is not the only benefit that we can gobble up.

If you dig a bit deeper, you will see that films have many beneficial sides. The only thing I want to add is:

“Stop pitying yourself! Man up and show your best self! In case, you haven't enough motivation, choose a film from this list and let it charge you with motivation!” Enjoy, my dear. Hope to hear about your success soon :)

5 Ways to Capture Readers within First 10 Seconds

It is said that people are met due to their clothes, consequently, it can be said that writers are met by their value. But at times, it happens that even useful writing does not impress the reader. In this case, there are some hints on how to outfox your audience and make them read your paper till the very last word.

The best place to hook a prey is an introduction. If you do not do this here, they won't be motivated to continue reading as there is nothing ‘special’. Get rid of such denials using these simple hints. As a result, you will gain not just tens of followers, but will stand out from others for your mojo.

1. Warning

Nowadays, there are so many factors that influence people’s lives. Searching for the most valuable ways to solve these problems, people would be pleased to hear some additional reasonable advice from you. Are you, actually, afraid of anything? Choose an issue that currently harasses you not to sound workshopped.

Fears are the most effective tools that make people rethink their lives. We always try to do our best to avoid things that may hurt us or our families. Using a warning in the introduction you make people think about a particular issue, perhaps even familiar with them.

As a result, the trick is done, you have hooked the reader, and they will read your work till the end to find some more information as well as ways on how to resolve the problem.

2. Recent News

Modern people are quite busy. They work hard, take care of their families having even no time to meet friends once a week or to read news. So, why not provide these busy bees with some breaking news that would save their time searching the web, or thumbing public prints.

If you mention something hot in your introduction, it will help you involve the readers in your paper. But in this particular place, to hit the target, you have to do a profound research beforehand and study your audience well to dwell upon the news that is on point for these people.

3. Striking Facts

People are very curious creatures, so anything that seems interesting will capture them for sure. Knowing that can help you impress such a great number of readers you have not even dreamt about.

Find something ‘spicy’ for the particular audience and put it into your introduction. Again, you have to study your audience well in order not to bomb out.

4. Personal Experience

Even more than often, people ask their closest friends and relatives for help if they can’t resolve a problem on their own. It’s time to snatch at a chance and creep into your audience’s favor!

If you start your paper telling about the problem that you have recently faced, those people who are fighting the same issue, willing to tackle it ASAP, will be involved in reading the paper till the very end to learn how you have handled the particular issue on your own. Even those who are not in a tight corner would be glad to get armed to prevent the trouble - we always want to be ahead of the curve.

5. Interesting Observations

People like learning something new, but nowadays most of them do not have enough time to surf the web searching for some new inventions. Consequently, it would be a great idea to dwell upon the novelty that you have recently faced. Get up to speed on this item in your introduction and be sure that all the curious readers will be caught.

As you can see there is nothing impossible if you want to capture as many readers as possible. Do your best to present a great introduction involving your audience in the whole text. Use these ideas to create truly impressing pieces that will easily gain you a thousand of readers.

9 Essential Benefits of Taking Part in the NaNoWriMo Contest

Today we are going to talk about the worldwide renowned contest NaNoWriMo. A great number of writers, take part in this event, starting from the newbies in this field to the professional writers, who just want to sharpen their skills and to reach one more goal.

Actually, I also take part in this competition and recommend everyone to join our circle of writers.

If someone does not know, what NaNoWriMo is, I will tell you in brief. It is a writing contest that everyone who wishes can join. The main idea is to write a 50,000 novel in a month. Sounds uneasy? You won’t know exactly if you don’t try.

As I have already told you, such a contest is oriented not only at fiction writers, but academic writers can also give it a shot. Unfortunately, most freelance writers neglect such a chance, and they decide not to waste time dealing with such a kind of writing. But, all those people stumble at this, as they do not understand how much they are going to gain. They don’t get that besides simple novel writing, they earn a great heap of benefits that will help them in any kind of writing. Thus, I’m going to show up all the cards! Here is a list of benefits that you will gain as a bonus to reaching your goals:

1. Discipline

While writing a 50,000-word novel, you have to do your best to meet the deadline and to submit the piece on time. In this case you discipline yourself to overcome this challenge as well as bolster your self-esteem. Consider it as a new goal to be reached.

2. Arranging Time

While schooling yourself to discipline, you also learn to arrange your time properly. Such a skill is really needed for the academic writers, as the amount of money you earn, depends on the amount of orders you complete. Being able to arrange your time the right way will help you to handle more assignments at a time.

3. Less Lame Excuses

When you get down to work, you understand that you are the only person, who is really interested in completing the task as soon as possible to get down to another one. So, not to consider yourself lazy, you will do your best to overcome the challenge.

4. Communicating the Message

Being able to communicate the idea through the piece is a great skill for academic writers. To become a master at it, you have to practice a lot in writing different papers. Such a contest will give you a chance to practice more. As such a writing is a bit different from those that they used to face, it is a greater advantage to practice in it.

5. Logical Line of Thoughts

Rendering the message is very important for writers, but it always has to be supported by logical arrangement. When a person reads a paper, he/she would like to find some answers to the questions he/she has. So, when you communicate the idea to the reader, remember to provide him/her with the information gradually. Make your sentences flow out from the previous ones.

6. Planning

When you have some limitation on time to submit the piece, you have to plan your work. So, here is one more benefit that you will gain. Being able to plan your writing the right way will also help you cover more orders as well as will help you to structure your logical line of thoughts. And it concerns not only arranging time, but planning the structure, the content as well.

7. Command of English

To make people consider you as a master at writing, you have to correspond to such a name. And the most common item that can damage such a name is being unaware of the correct spelling of words, grammar usage and, of course, punctuation. As we know the best way is to practice as much as possible. The NaNoWriMo contest is a great chance to do this.

8. Developing Intelligence

When you write papers on different topics, you are studying at the same time. The information that you use, while dealing with the order, stick in your head, and you even without knowing get more intelligent. Why not broaden your outlook with the help of fiction writing? That is also very interesting.

9. Experience in Novel Writing

Sometimes we do not even know what we will do tomorrow, as well as writers do not know what they are going to write about next day. Such a contest may open up your new talents. If you have never dealt with novel writing, it is a great chance to try yourself in fiction writing. Maybe you will understand that this kind of writing is the best to you. And in some time you will present your full novel, sharing with your readers the way how you have become a writer.

When a person tries something new, it provides him/her with new experience. It’s better to regret your participation than to regret the fact that you have lost such a chance. There are some similar contests that you also can take part in. One of the renowned is AcWriMo, where academic writers show up their writing skills.

As you can see, there is much more that you gain in case of taking part in such a competition. Hope now you are opening the NaNoWriMo page and registering for the participation.

Thus, wish you good luck! :)

The Lily: An Unexpected Journey

Buenos dias, mis amigos! ;)

Nice to meet you again. I really missed you, but now I am back and ready to share with you everything I have seen while being away! :)

Earlier, when I was to handle a paper for my client, I wrote an article on the interesting facts about Norway. This time I covered a new country, I had to write a paper concerning the progressive cities in Spain. The only thing I can say that it was so interesting to find out the information about such a fascinating country that it became my dream to visit Spain someday.

And guess what? When I was dealing with this project, I got a message from my Spanish childhood friend, Beth. She said that they moved with her family to a new house in Spain and she would like to invite me to visit them. It was really surprising and, of course, I said “yes”!

Beth’s daughter is my goddaughter, and it was double good news for me: I would see my godchild as well as visit Spain, as I have been dreaming. Then I realized, the luck was on my side! :)
Honestly, Spain wasn’t as I’d read, it was in many times better and more beautiful! Let me assure you that the information you know about this country may confuse you to draw a wrong conclusion :)

Spanish Is a Lovely Language

In Spain there are 410 million native speakers, so, Spanish is considered to be the second most spoken language all over the world. It is an official language in 21 countries. Indeed, it is quite difficult to hear what one is saying, as they do it very fast, but the language is so melodic that you want to hear it again and again.

The Art in Spain Is Everywhere

The most famous artists of the 20th century, like Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso, were both Spanish. Salvador Dali’s the most expensive picture, Portrait de Paul Eluard, earned $22.4 million. His way of painting became an idol for many followed artists like José Roosevelt.

 

Women Rock in Spain

40% of all the businesses in Spain belong to women. They have proved that female is not a verdict. For instance, Cathriona Hallahan, the managing director of Microsoft, joined the Microsoft team just after school, in 1986, without any qualifications. Having been working for 28 years, she became the managing director in 2013.

Not As Lazy As We Consider Spanish People to Be

Spanish people are considered to be ones of the laziest people. Indeed, it is not totally correct. Spanish people usually have a working day that starts at 9 a.m. and finishes at 8 p.m. As in all other countries, they also have some time for lunch, as they call it “siesta”. Most people think that during this period they are just having fun in bars, but indeed, this time they use for business meetings as well.

The Nation with a Great Sense of Humor

They have a great number of festivals to celebrate and they do it in such a fantastic way that you want to visit them again and again. La Tomatina is one of the most famous holidays in Spain. This day, people meet in town square and start fighting with tomatoes. The whole action lasts for an hour, but after it, the festival keeps going and people find any places to wash themselves. I think it is really funny! :)

These are some facts that I have learned from this trip. Of course, it is not the whole list of them. So, my advice to you: travel as much as possible! It is great and you will never get bored with it! :)

Moreover, I want you to share your stories with me. Which countries have you recently visited? What has spurred you into such an action?

Waiting for your tellings ;)

10 Freelance Academic Writing Fears More Frightening than Stephen King

You know that there are numerous phobias with weird names for almost every fear that a person can have: balonephobia (fear of needles and pins), cometophobia (obvious) or bibliophobia (fear of books; a kind of sacrilege, isn’t it?).

I haven’t found anything related to academic writing specifically but the closest disorder to it is atychiphobia or academic phobia – the fear of failure in learning. Well, I can’t say that I’m obsessed with the idea that I must excel at everything I learn, but I have some fears that have appeared as a result of my occupation. Let’s look into them more closely.

1. I won’t make it until deadline.
2. I will accidentally plagiarize something.
3. My statement proofs are not convincing enough.
4. My writing skills haven’t improved.
5. The client won’t like the paper.
6. I have missed a mistake!
7. I am not qualified enough for that assignment.
8. My language has degraded.
9. I have missed an update in citation rules.
10. All my writing has disappeared from my laptop.

I am sure that some freelance academic writers understand me and my fears. It is natural to be nervous when you are about to complete a serious task because some details may not be taken into account. There is always a risk …

On the one hand, I understand that these fears make me more thorough and diligent. On the other hand, they sometimes stop me from using, for instance, innovative data because it seems almost unreal and I think that the client may not accept that.

Confidence play an important role in academic writing and it certainly needs to be developed but at the same time doubting your decisions can sometimes make your work better.  

5 Interesting Facts about Norway That I Found out During Writing for My Client

Well, you know that working as a freelance academic writers requires a lot of research. Thus, when I complete writing assignments for my clients, I get to know tons of new interesting data that I sometimes want to share with the world. That’s why I have decided to write from time to time posts on interesting facts which I find out during writing for my clients.

And today’s post is dedicated to Norway. I had to write a research essay about this beautiful country and as a result I got much pleasure doing it. Norway is one of the places of my particular interest due to its natural landscapes and winter resorts. Of course, my knowledge of it hasn’t been any deeper than of an average Internet user but I thought I knew enough. It turned out that I was wrong.

Global Peace Index says that Norway is the most peaceful country in the world. Well, when I came across this fact, it seemed to me logical because I have never heard about Norway being engaged in any internal or external conflicts, though I have never thought about this aspect.

London has been getting its Christmas tree from Oslo for the last 15 years. Given the natural constituent of this country, it comes as a no surprise that the capital of England is supplied by the best forests of Europe.

Drunk driving results in 30 days in prison and the loss of license for a year. These consequences may really stop people from driving under influence.

Norway has about 450 000 lakes. I’m sure that this impressive number of lakes makes the nature of the country even more beautiful.

Norway has made parental leave compulsory. There are some countries that have done the same thing but Norway was the first one.

In my view, Norway is an amazing country and when somebody asks me where I would live if I got to choose another place of residence, I always mention Norway.

Editing Techniques for Freelance Academic Writers

As you have seen from my previous post, I started to write a series of articles on after-writing text processing. I strongly believe that writing is only 50% of producing a great piece, the rest is on editing, content editing, copyediting and proofreading. You have to be really attentive with writing because it is much easier to notice someone else’s mistake than yours. So, I’ll try to grasp the details of every stage of this process and I’ll start from editing.

As I’ve mentioned before, editing is the 1^st step you have to take after writing your rough draft. During this stage you check the text for structure mismatches that can spoil the big picture. For instance, you have three paragraphs in your essay but the 1^st one is 300 words and the 2^nd one is two small sentences. Or you see that the sentences are very big and the reader will lose the thread after reading it all. And there can be even minor gaps like full points that should or shouldn’t be at the end of your subheading or something like that.  Of course, it looks inappropriate and that’s what editing is for. But I won’t tell you long lists of 25+ editing techniques that you can find all over the Internet, I’ll just mention three that work best for me:

1)      edit 5 hours after the text has been written;
(after you have just finished the piece, it will seem perfect to you because you’ve worked so hard on it and have had several genius ideas. I don’t want to upset you but it’s surely not perfect and you will see it after some time passes.)

2)      read out loud or use some text-to-speech software;
(while listening to your own words, you’ll perceive them from a different perspective and you may notice not only perfunctory issues but touch upon other text processing stages like content-editing or copyediting.)

3)      change the font of the text.
(if you switch from Times New Roman to Comic Sans, your brain will think that it’s not the same text anymore, that it’s someone else’s. That’s why the possibility that you’ll notice more issues is much higher.)

These are my favorite means of editing and they always work very well. They seem very simple but that shouldn’t worry you: as the 1^st stage in text processing, editing with these strategies will be effective enough for the after-writing text processing. So, my dear colleagues, use these techniques and polish your texts with pleasure!

Stay Away from These Words in Academic Writing

Academic writing is a separate sphere that has its rules and peculiarities. The style is very plain and clear, so, any vagueness must be avoided. There are words that should be dodged if you want to look professional enough for your clients. And that’s what I’m going to talk about.

There is no place in academic writing for words like:

-          I/My

There mustn’t be anything personal in a paper you are writing. Your main goal is not to express your opinion (unless the requirement clearly states it) but to prove some point with solid facts or numbers.

-          Thing

Frankly speaking, it’s my junk word that I sometimes use too much. I always try to keep it in check but when editing, I always delete one or two astray “things”. I even have a small note as you can see. Hope it’ll help.

-          Kind of

It’s one more junk word (fortunately not mine) that appears very often in not really appropriate places. You can replace it with more academic equivalents like “within the parameters of” or “in the category of”.

-          Of course

This word doesn’t show you from the best side. When you are to write a paper, you obviously need to research because you don’t know everything. But the use of this word presupposes that you’ve taken the topic and covered it in 30 min. You and I know that it’s not true. So, avoid it.

-          And so on

Your much better options are to enumerate everything till the end or to use “etc.” This is the word that characterizes informal language but not the academic style that is expected of you.

This list is not full. There are loads of restrictions in terms of academic style but I’m not going to mention them all. These words are highlighted because they are taken from my own experience and mistakes. Of course, I use them: that’s why I have this blog, to blow off the steam so to say. So, dear writers: watch your writing and run your blogs; they really help tame the urge to use junk words.

The Most Confusing Words for Me

Well, my 30 day challenge is finished and I’m back with my freelance academic writing tips. I want to say that my already rooted (don’t know how deeply yet) habit of writing every day is still with me and I’m not going to quit it.

Today’s post is written rather for my sake but I hope that it will help many of you because it’s a common problem for the English language. And it doesn’t matter whether you are a native or non-native speaker.

So, the most confusing words according Lily Wilson:

1.       Proceed vs Precede

I’ve started with the most problematic ones. No matter how many times I look them up in the dictionary, I’ll mix them when writing. So, “to proceed” means “to continue”; to go on while “to precede” is to come or happen before something. Pretty simple … for now, when I see these definitions on the screen.

2.       Discreet vs Discrete

I love English but such kind of words I sometimes want to call “the most awful” not “the most confusing”. “Discreet” stands for modest and “discrete” for “separate” or “clear-cut”. They just don’t stick to these definitions in my head no matter how I train them.

3.       Site vs Sight

Well, these ones are easier. I confuse them rarely but from time to time my hand can flinch and type not the right word. “Sight” implies “a view of something”;  “site” denotes “a place”. But, still, “sightseeing” often makes me give it a second thought because it associates with visiting places.

4.       Alternately vs Alternatively

Sometimes I mix up these words. It seldom happens but the fact that it does makes me feel insecure. “Alternately” means “in turns” while “alternatively” stand for “as another option”. Talking about other confusing words, I remember the difference due to the different pronunciation. But these two sound quite similar and I think that is the reason I have problems with them.

All in all, these are the most bugging words for me when I want to apply them in my writing. I always have some kind of consult-a-dictionary indicator which pops up in my mind every time I see these words.  So, dear friends, when you doubt something, it’s 100% better to check it up than to correct the mistake someone else has pointed at.

Stay cool!

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. Think Critically

Everybody says that critical thinking is an essential part of academic writing. But not all of you know what critical thinking is and how it helps to make your papers become better. So, let’s dig deeper here to eventually get to the point. Critical thinking is the ability to thoroughly analyze the information, evaluate it and draw conclusions. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Well, it truly isn’t that difficult to doubt theories and hypotheses, check the facts and form the judgements from the given material. It’s not that you discover new lands. However, your conclusions must be sound and consistent and not like “If the global banks climb down, then African grey bird species will migrate to the North”.

Now, let’s see what critical thinking does to your academic writing and how it instantly upgrade your papers.

Advantages of critical thinking:

•         Distinct Difference between Opinions, Hypotheses and Facts

You will not only be able to distinguish between solid truth and unconfirmed theories. Your papers will be full of proficient information and the reader will know that he/she doesn’t have to doubt your writing.

•         Deeply Analyzed Material

Due to this fact your paper will consist of statements and arguments that will not need further revision and discussion.

•          Various Approaches

Critical thinking presupposes examining an issue from different angles. That’s why when you write a paper on a certain topic you check if there are different approaches to analyzing it. This way you’ll have the full picture.

•          Your Own Opinion on the Issue

When you try to draw conclusions from the given facts you form you own attitude towards the issue. Consequently, your world outlook widens and you can use these arguments/conclusions in other papers.

•          Skill to Prove the Point

While supporting some evidence with arguments you learn how to prove the point. It means that when you state the point, people will listen to you and consider your opinion and that is a very useful skill.

As you can see, critical thinking provides great upgrades to your academic papers. So, next time you need a consistent and proficient writing, don’t hesitate to use critical thinking while researching and analyzing information.

The Book Fangirling Blog Award

I have been nominated by A J Colher to take part in a very interesting cross-blog thing. I am pretty excited because it's all about books and you know that I'm a true reading geek and will always be one! So, let's see what it's got.

According to the rules of this blog award I must:
- create a post to accept my award (and I'm doing it right now. It's always cool to accept awards, especially just for loving books!);
- add the blog award button into my post and put it on the side of my blog as a widget (you see the button, as for the widget I'll try to realize it. I'll try hard:);
- answer the questions by A J Colher (the part with the most fun);
- nominee 5-10 book bloggers who also deserve this award;
- make up 5 questions for my nominees;
- notify my nominees that they must link me to their posts for me to see their answers.

Sounds exciting, doesn't it?

Here go the questions:

1. What book would you love to see made into a movie?

Actually, there are more than one story that I'd like to watch on the screen. I am a sci-fi fan and like all the supernatural things but recently I've bumped into a new author, Wilbur Smith. He writes realistic (a bit romanticized) novels about Africa and Egypt and they are so exciting that I just can't pull myself from them (totally worth reading). They are full of bright pictures and I would love to see them in the movie. When you read the books, you'll get what I'm talking about.

2. If you could rewrite the ending of any book, which and why?

"Christine" by Stephen King. I adore this writer and love all of his books. And this one, in particular, attracts me with its extraordinary plot and creative idea. But from the very beginning I could predict the ending and the death of the main character. It was too obvious, so I would modify it by adding a bit of unexpected twists. This way, it would make the book even more interesting.

3. Which fictional character would you love to date?

Khal Drogo from "Game of Thrones". He is gorgeous both in the book and in the TV show. Of course, I would prefer a more contemporary version of him but, you know, if I had an opportunity to date even a tribe man Khal Drogo, I would definitely give it a shot.

4. What is your best memory of early childhood reading/ the book that has had most impact on the rest of your life?

Undoubtedly, "Harry Potter" by J.K. Rowling. The best memories of dreaming about Hogwarts and flying broom.

5. Do you have any pet peeves when it comes to reading?

Of course, "50 Shades of Grey". I won't join the club of its haters. I've read all the books and they are written unquestionably good. Interesting plot, popular types of characters and sex, everything that makes this book successful. But I just can't stand all the fuss that has grown around this book and film. All the people rambling about how fantastic it is or how stupid Anastasia Still is irritate me very much. So, I'll just stop here before I haven't started to expand on it.

My questions:

1. Do you think there are some film adaptations that are actually better than books?
2. Name the book that you used to like in the childhood but now it is not so appealing to you anymore. Give your opinion on why it happens.
3. Which books make you laugh?
4. Does reading help you writing? If yes, then how?
5. Which book do you think your children must definitely read?

My nominees:

1. Nick from Nick's Book Blog
2. Natalie from Book Lover's Life
3. Brittanie from A Book Lover 
4. Kayleigh from A Book Lovers Playlist
5. Becky from Becky's Book Reviews

Hope that my questions are interesting for you!
I am eagerly waiting for your responses.