Writing Assistance, Writing Tips and Writing Guide

La-la-la-la… singing a tune but can’t make out its lyrics? What about seeing a person in the mall and swear that you know him but you just can’t remember his name? Then I can make an inductive guess that you’re a global learner. On the other hand, if you are more likely to remember lyrics and people’s names then you must be an analytic learner.

These are examples of learning styles. A learning style is how a person grasps information. It is important for a person to be familiar with his learning style. Knowing this will help him understand how he stores newly absorbed and difficult information and to recalling it as well. As a result, this lets the reader easily comprehend why and how his opinions are formulated. Also this will aid him in speeding up his learning process. Read more…

During the 20th century black people faced enormous amounts of discrimination from the whites and found it very difficult to achieve civil rights, but two great men set out to change this. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X (formerly known as Malcolm Little) grew up in different environments but essentially shared the same aims. King was raised in a comfortable, middle-class family where education and religion were stressed. On the other hand, Malcolm X came from an underprivileged home, where he and his 7 brothers and sisters struggled to survive. These two different environments helped each leader form a unique approach to resolve the oppression of black people and their struggle for civil rights.

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. both shared the same broad aim of improving the lifestyle and civil rights of the African American people, however, their aims differed in vital areas. Malcolm X rejected the idea of integration and the central aim of the Civil Rights Movement, and, as a Black Muslim, aimed to create a separate African American state. His followers boasted Black Nationalism and revived the spirit of earlier leaders like Marcus Garvey. Malcolm’s main goal was unity amongst people of African descent throughout the world. However, Martin Luther King embraced the aims of the Civil Rights Movement, and sought unity amongst all Americans, black and white. King’s followers wanted an integrated society, and believed that integration was the most crucial step towards gaining civil rights. Unlike Malcolm X though, King had trouble appealing to all of the nation’s African American people. The Blacks in the ghettos and the slums saw him as someone from the black elite, as he was a southerner, and a Baptist Minister. Malcolm X, on the other hand, could identify with many northern black people due to his background and past criminal history. Read more…

All of us, at one time or another, have had a restless night sleep. We have tossed and turned and woke up the next morning feeling tired and restless. You may ask yourself if this means that you have a sleeping disorder? What kinds of sleeping disorders exist and what causes them? I went on vacation this summer and my friend mentioned that she was an insomniac. She told us that she had been involved in a sleep study in Oakland, California, at California Center for Sleep Disorders. She was in a drug trial for a sleeping pill for people who suffer from insomnia. The pill allowed her to sleep for up to 4 hours and when she woke up she felt refreshed and alert. The good thing was the pill worked on her, but because it had not been approved, she could not be prescribed the pill. I was fascinated by her story and it made me wonder what happens with people who have sleep disorders. Some of us have heard terms like, insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, nightmares, and night terror, but how do these sleep disorders effect an individual? Read more…

It is hard to comprehend the fathomless terror of being psychotic, we who live in a world that has its road maps, recognizable to us all. We reach out for a glass and it is where we expect it to be. We do not hear voices telling us to kill ourselves. We do not believe that television is broadcasting our most secret thoughts. We look at our children, and their faces do not distort into that of wickedness. We do not believe that everyone in the world is plotting against us.

A mental illness such as schizophrenia cannot be seen or easily identified. Society’s response to the victims of this tragic disease can often be hurtful. It is essential that society can identify with these people and respond in an accepting manner. I would like you to consider placing the text Tell Me I’m Here written by Anne Deveson on the recommended text list as an expository text. An expository text is defined as writing that is intended primarily to inform, instruct or explain. Tell Me I’m Here is an intensely emotional, compelling story of Jonathon, a charming teenager who turns into a fearful and tormented young man. He suffers the mental illness known as schizophrenia. Tell Me I’m Here has many purposes; Deveson writes for the millions of others with schizophrenia, who daily walk a tightrope, courageously trying to balance between their world and ours. She writes for the families that struggle to hold on to hope when often they are scourged by despair, and who suffer from ignorance and neglect. Most importantly, Deveson writes to portray the unknown horrors of this frightening disease to society. Read more…

The Declaration of Independence, the establishment of our nation and the foundation of the United States, was written on hemp paper derived from the Cannabis plant, [that sows the seed of marijuana] this phrase is ambiguous; I suggest you delete it cuz it makes your sentence choppy and confusing. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, the forefathers of our nation grew hemp. [you need a thesis statement to clarify what you are trying to argue. The thesis statement should be to the point, and arguable. It should be your opinion]

For many years, the United States government has prohibited marijuana from being sold in [the blackmarket of] delete; things on the blackmarket is already prohibited for sale. our nation (you can expand the growing and distribution of marijuana also). Yet, even with the prohibition, marijuana use has only decreased minimally. Because of its illegality, only the bad aspects of marijuana use have been made known to the public. (Marijuana’s illegality has made marijuana notorious for its bad aspects to the public) However, there are many positive aspects of marijuana legalization benefiting individuals, as well as increasing the nation’s resources and economy. Give examples of good and bad aspects of marijuana usage. Read more…

I found the novel ‘Of Mice and Men‘ by John Steinbeck an inspirational read as it has made me aware of the importance of dreams. It is also a story of defeated hope, which illustrates the idea that dreams can be beneficial, but unrealistic dreams just lead to disappointment and grief.

The story concerns two migrant workers who go to work on a ranch. They have aspirations of acquiring their own piece of land on which to make a living but sadly their failure is almost destined.

Steinbeck creates the idea that the characters in this story live difficult lives and need dreams to give them something to look forward to during times of depression.

The story is set in the 1930’s when America was suffering an economic depression. Unemployment and poverty were very high with jobs scarce. Unskilled agricultural workers bore the brunt of it with machinery being used more and more as identified by George. ‘I seen thrashin’ machines on the way down. That means we’ll be bucking grain bags.’ George and Lennie were going between jobs aimlessly and their dream provided the drive to keep going. The dream also gave them something to look forward to during dismal times. ‘I wish’t we’d get the rabbits pretty soon.’ This shows Lennie’s optimism about the dream and his full belief in its happening. I felt sympathy for these men because they work really hard at their jobs but don’t seem to get anywhere. Read more…

Nathaniel Hawthorne was an author during the Romantic Period and also the Industrial Revolution in the 1850s. Love stories were popular in the Romantic Period. Man had begun to explore science, which brought forth the Industrial Revolution. In the Industrial Revolution, technology started to overtake the need for man. Hawthorne firmly believed science corrupted nature and man should not have allowed technology to take over. Hawthorne thought trying to change things in the world would only lead to consequences. He expressed his opinions in novels and short stories. The Scarlet Letter was considered Hawthorne’s greatest masterpiece and became the first symbolic novel to be published in the United States. “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter” were well known short stories wrote by Hawthorne. In each of these stories, a distinguished mark caused lovers to be doomed due to an unpardonable sin.

Hawthorne demonstrated his belief how science would corrupt nature when he gave one character a distinguished mark. Hester Prynne, one of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter, committed the crime of adultery and was cut off from society when she had to wear to letter ‘A’ upon her bosom. Society felt she was different so they did not talk or acknowledge her. In “The Birthmark”, Georgiana was given a birthmark. The birthmark looked like a tiny hand and was located on her left cheek. Georgiana was extremely beautiful so this imperfection in nature was very noticeable. Females made fun of Georgiana and called her birthmark a “bloody hand”. Beatrice had poison breath and touch in “Rappaccini’s Daughter“. Read more…

Childhood obesity is a serious health and societal issue. Rising at extreme rates, one may call it an epidemic. Childhood obesity increases incidences of mortality later in life, causes asthma and type II diabetes, which was only found in adults. With these ill effects, childhood obesity is an issue that should not be taken lightly. Over the last fifteen years, obesity in children has increased fifty percent. While the cause of this is equivocal, and heredity may play a role, there are some contributing factors. The media, parents/caregivers, and schools are major influences which are, to some extent, responsible for this astounding inclination of obesity among children.

Though parents should not allow the television to become their babysitter, some often do. Children, who are the most profitable sector in the media, are dragged into the unmerciful pull of the media. There are countless television programs and stations for children of all ages. With this wide variety, children are able to spend hours watching television which requires no physical activity, so children rarely, if ever participate in any physical activities outside of the school setting. This leads to inactivity which consequently, may lead to obesity. The media also contributes to obesity in children because of their junk food advertisements. During these programs, many food ads entice the children causing impulse eating. With the inactivity and impulse eating, children are more susceptible to become obese. To counteract the affects of the media, children need guidance from their parents. Read more…

Salvador Dali was one of the few artists to become famous whilst still living. He is mostly known for his surrealist style paintings, the most infamous piece being an oil painting named ‘The Persistence of Memory’, which was painted in 1931 and now lives at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Dali was born in 1904 in Catalunyna, Spain. He began painting at a young age and had his first public exhibition in a group show when he was 15 years old.

Dali went through many phases with his art, after Cubism, Futurism and Metaphysical painting; he joined the Surrealist movement in 1929. These Surrealists believed that the world of the subconscious mind has a reality superior to the natural world we live in.

He developed a method he named ‘paranoiac critical’, where he would induce hallucinatory states in his mind, to bring up images from his subconscious. It was this method that made his painting style mature rapidly and made him the world’s most famous surrealist artist. Read more…

The search for justice causes one to act blindly through anger, rather than through reason. Everyday we are confronted with a problem that requires us to make a decision. In most cases, the decisions are made without much thought, and therefore result to catastrophic consequences. In the play, Hamlet, William Shakespeare creates an elegant hero, which our modern society can relate to the individual as a deterioration of human character. Disillusionment, depression, and despair are the burning emotions churning in Hamlet’s soul as he attempts to come to terms with his father’s death and his mother’s incestuous marriage. Unquestionably, there are many elements that compile a tragedy, which consist of everything from the murderous villain to the fallen hero. However, for a play to encompass a tragic hero, there must be a few essential components within the hero. Most importantly, the main character must be of noble birth, acquire heroic attributes, and possess a moral flaw, which leads to his own demise. Furthermore, the hero must be placed in a position beyond his control but have the ability to choose his own destiny by acting pertinently. Therefore, it is evident that Hamlet demonstrates characteristics of a tragic hero when confronting his dilemma to gain revenge upon his father’s death, however, it ultimately leads to his own demise. Read more…