What Is Theme?

When students of literature are asked to identify elements of a novel or short story, they’re pressed to pinpoint what the story is about. They could answer with plot details, something about the actions of the characters. However, they could also go for a behind-the-plot meaning, something less about events and more about significance, perhaps even

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But How Do I Start a Novel?

If you want to learn how to use your imagination in creative writing, the easiest way is through writing exercises. Everybody has imagination. Everyone. If you disagree with this statement – try not to build a picture in your mind of a pink elephant wearing a white hat and cool shades. EXERCISE YOUR IMAGINATION  See More

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Like Verses As If

The root of this “like versus as” controversy is that traditionally like is a preposition and as is a conjunction. Nevertheless, people have been using like as if it were a conjunction (as I did) for at least 100 years, and grammarians have been raging against that use for just as long. In fact, the Harper Dictionary of Contemporary Usage states that “probably no single question

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