Tag Archives: Writing

Creative Writing Teaching Tips

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Creative writing is subjective.  Teaching creative writing is also subjective.  When you do teach a class in writing, it’s important that its knowledge you’re trying to impart, not your own subjective sense, choices or taste.

Here are some simple tips that will help you keep that balance as you are teaching something you truly enjoy.

Your students should be in the same age or life experience situation. Students in junior high obviously have different experiences than a college student.  The comprehension level will be different.  The skill levels will vary broadly.  This similarity between students will allow you to create appropriate challenges that will meet the needs of most of your students.

Never assume a skill level. Check with your students so you know how strong their grammar and other language skills are.  If you need a quick catch up session, it’s best done at the beginning of the course, not after students have labored over papers, only to find that their grammar skills are lacking.

Giving someone a specific assignment should be reserved for chemistry class.  In writing, you want the students to have fun and explore a variety of ideas.  Assigning work on a student’s “best summer vacation” may be too structured.  The scope is limited.  On the other hand, writing about the “silliest thing you remember about your grandmother” may offer more opportunities.

Teach in steps. Success in teaching a skill means you don’t necessarily start at the top.  For example, if you’re teaching skiing, you first teach someone how to turn and stop, then you start adding challenges along the way, one at a time, as your student goes higher and higher up the mountain.  For writing, start with paragraphs and then work you way through short stories.  Building on smaller successes is the best way for a student to develop.

Take the time to read students’ works out loud.  Be patient with someone reading their own work in front of a group for the first time.  If they’re shy, have someone else read the piece.  Always allow someone to opt out of the reading exercise.

Question by xdestroyxthexguillotinex: what are good tips for writing short stories?
When i enter college I would like to become an Aurthur, and yes I do know that only a hand full actually make money purely off there books! But still what are some good ideas to get me thinking and to get me out of a writers block when I am in one?

And if there are any aspects to consider when writing can you please tell me? I think this is the cheapest car insurance, what do you think?

Best answer:

Answer by Terwilliger
well you should learn to spell and use the right words first

Author*
handful*
their*

on the subject, I only have one tip… and it’s about the ending
DO NOT end it with “and then I woke up and it was all a dream”

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Hope Smiles Back
Short Hand Writing

Image by DimitraTzanos
Hope Dies Last is a is a collection of short stories documenting the lousy love life of Eleni Zoe. It’s a ‘from blog to book’ story and before the launch some memorable lines are being offered as gift cards. SR22 insurance Iowa

Buy the cards at Some Stuff

The font is a custom script based on the author’s hand-writing.

The Simple Secrets to Writing In Calligraphy

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Calligraphic writing is uniform in style and has proportionately constructed letters and accurately spaced letters and words. The name derives from the Greek kailos meaning beauty, and graphein to write.

Fine penmanship has been distinguished from functional writing since ancient times. In ancient Greece professional scribes copied important civil, literary, and religious texts in elegant scripts. In many Oriental countries, particularly China and Japan, calligraphy is regarded as the greatest of the visual arts and considered an art form that is superior to painting.

In Europe during the 4th and 5th centuries books were written in square capitals (‘majuscules’) derived from classical Roman inscriptions (Trajan‘s Column in Rome is the outstanding example). The rustic capitals of the same period were written more freely, the pen being held at a severe angle so that the scribe was less frequently inclined to change the angle for special flourishes. Uncial capitals, more rounded, were used from the 4th to the 8th centuries. During this period the cursive hand was also developing, and the interplay of this with the formal hands, coupled with the need for speedier writing, led to the small letter forms (‘minuscules’).

During the 7th century the half-uncial was developed with ascending and descending strokes and was adopted by all countries under Roman rule. The cursive forms developed differently in different countries. In Italy the italic script was evolved and became the model for italic typefaces. Printing and the typewriter reduced the need for calligraphy in the West.

During the Middle Ages calligraphy was a highly specialized technique practiced by monks and professional scribes. Medieval calligraphers developed a complicated Gothic, or black letter, script. This heavy, angular writing, although it was imprecise and difficult to read, became the accepted book hand throughout Europe and was copied by the first printers. There are outstanding examples of Gothic script in medieval illuminated manuscripts.

The profession of calligraphy reached its peak in Renaissance Italy. Renaissance scholars, however, found the intricacies of Gothic script inappropriate for the transcription of classical texts. They devised a less complicated style based on the earlier Caroline script developed during Charlemagne’s reign. The Renaissance script, known as neo-Caroline, or humanistic, was the forerunner of modern handwriting.

With the invention of the printing press and the increase in literacy in the 15th century, formal literary calligraphy declined. A more casual, flowing script was developed for use in business correspondence and in daily life. In 1522, Lodovico Arrighi wrote the first writing manual for non-professional scribes.

By the 17th century, calligraphy as a fine art and profession had virtually disappeared.

In 19th-century England, William Morris and Owen Jones tried unsuccessfully to revive interest in fine handwriting.

The modern interest in calligraphy is mainly the result of the work of Edward Johnston (1872-1944), a teacher at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London, who wrote the outstanding modern text on calligraphy, Writing and Illuminating and Lettering (1906), which became the foundation of modern calligraphy. Johnston there showed that the best medieval alphabets could be reproduced through the correct use of traditional tools, especially the edged pen, and adapted for modern purposes.

The present letter forms have gradually evolved from originals shaped by the tools used to make them — the flat brush on paper, the chisel on stone, the stylus on wax and clay, and the reed and quill on papyrus and skin.

Techniques of applying burnished gold were revived largely through the experiments of Graily Hewitt (1864-1952). In 1921, a group of Johnston’s and Hewitt’s pupils founded the Society of Scribes and Illuminators (SSI). The continuing influence of the SSI, with its professional and ‘lay’ members, has spread from England to the Continent and the United States.

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Question by ghetifal: What kind of paper should I use for writing calligraphy?
I’m just getting into calligraphy and want to write something for a special occasion. What kind of paper should I use? Any brands of parchment or anything in particular? Also, I’m using an old Sheaffer Calligraphy Pen that came in a kit. Any suggestions for a new fountain pen or calligraphy pen or something? Any brands in particular? I don’t want to spend too much money on it though (no more than $ 50 for a pen for me). Thanks.

Best answer:

Answer by CHEZ
You do not need s special brand pen. What you need to make sure is that the ink is not going to smudge or smear. Higgins is a good ink but there are other. There is also colored ink for caligraphy pens. Parchemnt paper is all you need no particular brand so long as you dont buy it at a dollar store.

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The History of Writing Pens And Hand Writing

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There is a great variety of writing pens nowadays. There are rollerball pens, fountain pens, reed pens, quill pens, ballpoint pen, dip pens, gel pens, antler ballpoint pens, etc. Among the most prominent pens manufacturers are Parker Pens, Mont Blanc Pens, Waterman Pens, Bic Pens, Cross Pens and many others. This remarkable writing instrument, with the help of which you can leave an ink trace on a paper surface, is an indispensable part of our life. In fact, it is an indispensable part of human culture.

The history of writing pens begins from the ancient times, approximately from year 3000 B.C. They were cut out from stalks of reed. The English word “pen” (a writing feather) came from latin “penna” meaning “feather of a bird”. It happened because of the great popularity of goose feathers, which were turned at the root. Since VI century B.C. bird feathers have been widely used by many civilizations. The best samples were made of big feathers of swans, turkey-cocks and geese. Archeological finds in ruins Pompeii include bronze variants of writing pens, however they have received wide distribution only by the end of XVIII century. After a century pens with a capillary system, or simply fountain pens, were invented by L.E. Waterman, a New York seller of writing goods. Laszlo Biro, taking into account the last methods of manufacturing of ball-bearings for machines and weapons, added the ball mechanism to capillaries and presented the ballpoint pen to the world in 1944. The Tokyo stationery firm Pentel became the first to present the felt-tip pen to the world in 1960.

The timeroad of writing pens history is about 6000 years long. Here are the main milestones on it:

About 3000-4000 years B.C. The ancient man scratched a damp clay plate with a bronze or bone stick.

About 3000 years B.C. Egyptians started to use images in their compositions. Thin reed brushes or feathers were used to make inscriptions on rolls of papyrus.

1300 B.C. Romans used metal pens to write on thin sheets of wax put on wooden bars. Writings were erased by the other end of the pen.

Middle Ages. Anglo-Saxons began to use bars filled with wax apart from parchment. They wrote with metal or bone pens, one end of which was sharpened and the other was used for deleting.

600-1800 A.D. Europeans found out that the use of sharpened pens changed the style of writing (handwriting). First they used only capital letters, but later on they began to use small letters to increase speed of writing. Quill pen (goose feather) that for the first time appeared in Seville, Spain, was used as a writing instrument from 600 to 1800 A.D.

1790ies. Independently the slate pencil was invented in France and Australia.

1800-1850ies. The metal fountain pen was patented in 1803, but the patent was not used in commercial purposes. Steel pens were widely adopted in 1830ies. In 19th century metal pens completely replaced pens from goose feathers. In 1850 the use of quill pens appreciably decreased, as quality of steel pens got higher: their tips were made of heavy alloys with addition of iridium, rhodium, and osmium.

Lewis Edson Waterman, an insurance agent, invented the first fountain pen in 1844.

1888-1916

Invention the ballpoint pen is officially dated to the end of the 19-th century. In 1888 John Loud took out a patent, in 1916 – Van Vechten Reisberg. Unlike other patents these were used in commercial purposes.

Invention of the modern ball pen is attributed to Laszlo Biro and George Biro. In summer 1943 the first industrial copies were manufactured. Patent rights were bought by the British Parliament. Ballpoint pens were used by militarians during the second world war as they were more convenient and reliable than quill pens.

In 1940ies ballpoint pens appeared on the market of the USA. They were sold as the first pens which wrote underwater. Ballpoints were a tremendous success. In one of the large store departments in New York more than 10,000 ballpoint pens were sold during a lunch on October, 29 1945.

In 1953 the first inexpensive ball pens appeared, when French baron Bich of BIC Co, engaged in manufacturing of ballpoint pens, managed to improve the technological process and lowered considerably manufacturing expenses. Bic pens were very cheap and soon became extremely popular.

In 1960 the felt-tip pen was invented in Japan. Soon felt-tip pens appeared on the American market and grasped it.

Rollerball pens appeared in the beginning of 1980ies. They had a moving ball and could use liquid ink that allowed to write smoother line on paper. Technological progress of the end of 1980ies – the beginnings of 1990ies considerably improved rollerballs in all parameters.

In 1990ies pens with a rubberized surface that reduced pressing on the pen came into use and were widely adopted.

In 1997 mass production of RingPens was started. These pens were developed to write without pressing three fingers on it while writing.

Technological progress doesn’t stand still. And who knows what kind of pens we will write with in a decade, a century, a millennium…

Hey guys this is a really great collectible and really fun to mess around with as well! I would definitely recommend it!

Question by Koala: How can I make a Harry Potter writing quill?
I’d like an actual quill. Not a feather with a pen shoved in it.

What kinda tips would I need, what kind of feather, and where can I get it?

Yes I’m serious, I’m a fan of Harry Potter and I want a quill, no b/s answers please, as they do not help me….

Best answer:

Answer by september_sky64
Um, you can just take a regular feather and cut the tip with scissors to make a quill. Or you can order one online. They definitely sell real ones, a friend of mine just got one at a shop in the UK.

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Learn How To Create Beautiful Arabic Calligraphy Writing

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Arabic calligraphy are a reflection of the cultural values of the muslim world. The primacy of the word in islam is reflected in the virtually universal application of calligraphy. Writing is given pride of place on all kinds of objects, arabic lettering has achieved a high level of sophistication, this screen saver takes you there, where you find mystery, art, and elegance, carefully mixed with magic of the arabic calligraphy, it is totally free, no nagging screen no gimmicks, it is free. This software also supports the following language version:english,albanian,ara.
Arabic writing are different, but similar, the urdu alphabet has more characters than arabic. Eg arabic = alif, bay, tay, say, geem, hai, kay etc wheras the urdu alphabet goes like = alif bai, pay,tay, tai, sai, etc, the writing looks simiar but yet an urdu person wouldn’t be able to read arabic and vice versa.
The origin of arabic calligraphy and its history are still not definite. Researchers, however, have realized that the arabs, in old times, were not knowledgeable of calligraphy until they interacted with urbanities who considered calligraphy of social necessity. This happened as arabs resided the remote areas surrounding the arab peninsula. When the roman empire got weaker arabs’ position improved, as they settled in the south of hegaz (saudi arabia) and aqaba gulf. They had geographical and political entity, the most important among that was a kingdom known as alnabat in jordan. Arabs, then, derived one of aramic calligraphies using it but keeping their own arabic language. So, it became clear that arabic calligraphy has undergone three phases: first, aramic calligraphy which tends to squaring. Second, napty calligraphy, and then came the stage of maturity with the presence of arabic letters which tend to take circular shapes. Arabic calligraphy developing did not stop at this limit, but it was further enhanced. At the very outset, letters had no dots but during abbasside era, dots and punctuation marks were developed, as arabic calligraphy was spread when islam prevailed simply because it became the main instrument of the islamic religion.

arabiconlinecourse.net

Question by The Murkey Monster: What sites can i go to for calligraphy writing but i can choose what the writing says?
i am doing a wedding invitation for my mum and she wants calligraphy writing but i cant find a site where i can write what i want then it comes out in calligraphy writing?
please help
Thanks

Best answer:

Answer by peninhand2004
Well, ‘calligraphy’ is writing… If is not done by hand, it is not calligraphy. Anything that you do online or on a computer is ‘typing’…not writing. The most you can hope for is finding a fancy typeface to print out.

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The Old Ways Of Hand Writing That We Have Forgotten

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For a couple of years now I have used a computer for everything from writing articles, to communicate, to playing games and to printing addresses onto envelopes. My laptop is never far away, it is usually by my side or on my knees, and the furthest it ever gets from my side is when I am on the toilet or in the swimming pool. Recently though I had to write a personal letter to my mother, just to say hello sort of thing and I thought that a printed letter would not be quite the right thing for the occasion.

Upon making the decision to write I assumed that it would be a relatively simple task to accomplish but all was not as easy as I first thought! Finding paper and pen proved quite a hurdle to climb over. The only paper I could find in the house was reams of unlined printer paper and some flowery toilet paper, my old and once-trusted fountain pen had more ink on the outside than in and the pen with a naked lady body just seemed so wrong to use!

I toddled off to the stationary shop to get the necessary and two hours later I repaired to the task in hand. I had my pens, I had my paper and I had a lovely cup of hot coffee to sip whilst jotting down my thoughts and life for my mother to read in due course!

Five minutes later I gave up! My hand was sore; it ached all the way up to the elbow and felt like I had just started to use it after six weeks in a cast!

My five minute foray into using a pen gave to me a lot to think about, apart from a sore hand that is. It brought fond memories flooding back of when I used to sit on planes, trains and buses with a notepad perched on my knees! I used to jot down notes about interesting things happening on my journeys; I used to let my thoughts wander whilst in motion and to later use these inane thought to make an article. I remembered how I used to build up ideas for future essays or articles by spending hours scribbling and dawdling, pondering and playing till hours, nay days later a finished product would surface out of the mess.

I remembered how I used to be a very relaxed person! I was often found curled up in front of the television or in a hammock in the garden, snuggled up under the covers or lying on the grass! I recalled how I used to turn my thoughts slowly and artfully into a product that I was happy with. And then two years ago that stopped like a bullet in the brain! My hobby turned, with a simple purchase of a laptop computer, into an automatic rush to develop and to produce without proper regard or actual knowledge that the finished product made any sense what-so-ever. Articles were started and finished quickly, without any searches for alternative discussion, pause or reflection and published without fanfare or enjoyment that I had once known. But I was so busy becoming a machine, just like the one that I had bought, that I did not realize and had no warning of what was going on. It was only this recent handwriting exercise that brought all that I had lost back to me like the flood from a damn broken!

Writing by hand has unfortunately become a lost art form that may never resurface! The computer and the keyboard, phones and mobile PDF devices have taken over from basic handwriting for anything longer than one sentence. For many the simple ability to correct mistakes, to alter and to expand documents with ease, the fact that most written notes have to be entered into a machine anyway and the fact that it is fashionable puts handwriting into the annals of history without second thought or hindrance! But what computers do is to take away the enjoyment, the fun and the relaxation that is synonymous with a pen and paper. Computers are machines that are so useful yet have taken the fun out of writing in one fell swoop.

I still put out the same number of articles, essays, pieces, etc. as I did before. Nobody has suggested since my laptop initiation that the quality of my works have diminished and certainly I now spend more time on other tasks or chores than I did pre-laptop times, but the pleasure has been removed.

I am now pondering a return to happier times. To write more by hand so that I may re-experience the leisure that was so much part of it all. But first I must strengthen up my right hand as five minutes is just not long enough!

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Question by hakunamatata: What is the relationship between hand writing and intellect?
When you have good hand writing / bad hand writing, does it reflect good/bad on the intellect? does bad writing mean highly intellectual and vice versa?

Best answer:

Answer by God
Of course hand writing has no relationship to intelligence. Look at people like Einstein who had terrible hand writing. Now look at Thomas Jefferson’s, it’s almost print perfect. Issac Newton’s handwriting was also brilliant.

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North hand writes entire Holy Bible
Freddie North of Clarkesville just completed writing the entire Bible, by hand, in pencil. His quest to hand write the Bible began May 7, 2007, and wrapped up Dec. 14, 2010.
Read more on The Northeast Georgian

My Simple Tips That Anyone Can Use For Calligraphy Writing

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Calligraphy is not just a mere simple writing but it is more of a stylized writing. In calligraphy, you artfully write letters, rather than just write your letters. Calligraphy requires adherence to styles and artistic skills and form in writing. The artist must thoroughly study the shape of each letter and think of them as pictures, not letters; or a collection of pictures, not collection of letters. Now, some helpful tips will be discussed in writing calligraphy.

1. First and foremost, you will need a calligraphy paper and pen. Choosing the right calligraphy paper depends on the project you are doing. If you are still a beginner and practicing, use a less expensive piece of paper. For most projects, thicker papers are used. They reduce rippling and spreading of the ink. You may also give a textured paper a look. But make sure you can still make straight strokes out of it.

2. To have an excellent calligraphy, you also need to have an excellent calligraphy pen. You need to learn how to use calligraphy to have a wonderful calligraphy. Importance to the angles of the pen should be given to have a free and smooth move in writing.

3. In calligraphy ink, a lot of things should be considered to achieve excellent calligraphy. There is wide range of colors for use. Choose the color that best fits on the project. Ink you choose should have maximum versatility and permanence.

4. If you want to calligraphy write and plan to do it in a longer time, metal nib pens are preferable. Metal nib pens come in all sizes, from the thinnest to the thickest according to use and the style of the lettering. Though using this can be a problem for beginners since it causes blots on paper. But sooner or later after a religious practice, blots problems will wear off and you will learn how to maintain a smooth and consistent flow of ink. You should also know how to sharpen your nibs. The flow of ink never really stops on a metal nib; the ink on the nib can dry or thicken when the pen is not in use. This results in a clogged writing tip that does not transfer ink smoothly. Rub your fingers at the tip of the nib to remove the clogged ink. Then with warm water in a cup, soak the nib. Then replace the warm water every 15 minutes until the ink no longer appears in the water. Soak the nib with a paper towel placed at the bottom of the cup; the nib facing downward. Leave the pen until the moisture dries out and be absorbed by the towel.

5. You already have the nicest calligraphy pen and papers to use in your project. So, set up your easel. There are different kinds of easel, but most of them basically have a clamp or a lever above where the canvas or the paper is placed. It’s up to you if you sit or stand while doing calligraphy. Just make sure you are comfortable with the position. Place your canvas on the tray of the easel, and make sure it is securely placed that it won’t be moved. Check the sides of your artist easel for additional levers that allow you to control the angle of the tilt your canvas. Lastly, you should know how to fold flat your easels during storage and transportation. Now, you may enjoy doing calligraphy.

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Question by JuJu C: Calligraphy Writing?
I love writing with calligraphy pens and have done invitations for a few people. Does anyone know if there are any kind of jobs I can get into with my talent? If I do wedding invitations, I would probably need a website, and I’m clueless on how to get one started.

Best answer:

Answer by cwstufff
Before the invention of the Internet, I was a professional Calligrapher for years. I agree that you would do best to have a website if you are going to enter into any kind of freelance business. I am not a good person to help you with that piece.
I can, however, tell you a few important things about being a professional calligrapher:
1) if calligraphy is currently your hobby – taking it on as a career will leave you with no hobby.
2) One font will not suffice. Study! You must be proficient in several (at least) practical fonts: Olde English, Chancery, Uncial etc.
3) Writing that must be perfect in every way puts great stress on your hand, wrist, neck, eyes.
Good luck. I’m so glad people are still writing beautifully. My calligraphic style is still attractive, but my handwriting is a mess. They are NOT the same – though people always think that one who has beautiful calligraphy must also have nice handwriting. It just isn’t so.

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Calligraphy
Calligraphy Writing

Image by SunToad
One of the temple monks writing the temple’s name and the date in Japanese calligraphy at Kiyomizu-dera.