Myth and Folklore

Grammar and Usage This page offered insightful quotes from authors about different nuances related to grammar. The split infinitive came up in several quotes, and as I had never heard of this concept, I looked it up. The best example I found was a line from Star Trek that began "to boldly go..." All of the quotes related to this concept seemed to agree that infinitive splitting was absolutely alright despite notions that it is grammatically clumsy and/or incorrect. As Lederer states, it can add just the right "shade of meaning" in some cases. Many of the quotes also seemed to recommend against the use of adjectives, which I found very interesting, as I grew up in a school environment where lavish descriptions were encouraged. I particularly liked Fadiman's quote on the topic: "The adjective is the banana peel of the parts of speech." Give it the First Energy of the Day This snippet of advice offered by Salman Rushdie was wonderful and very relata...

This website is incredible! Before I knew it I had been surfing through the pages for hours. Each time I clicked on one, there would be several other intriguing links on that page that I then wanted to follow up with, and I went in circles connecting ideas and learning about the versatility and breadth of tropes in stories. I've included notes about a few of my favorites below! Killer Rabbit I was immediately drawn to this article, because the title brought to mind the famous scene in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" when the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog rips apart the knights attempting to enter the cave. I love the idea that a creature known for its cuteness and fluffiness can double as a a fierce adversary. In the words of the author, "beware the cute ones." Jizzed In My Pants When I saw this page I couldn't resist clicking on it. I am a huge fan of The Lonely Island, and they have a music video called "Jizz in My Pants." (To my delight,...

This website is absolutely wonderful! It includes lots of fascinating articles that address both very broad and very specific questions about writing. Some of the concepts addressed were ones I would never have thought to seek advice on, but I found to be very helpful. I have included notes on a few of my favorites below! Character Arcs Or Character Development? What’s The Difference? -Character development: how a character changes over the course of a story; linked to plot -Example: Bilbo Baggins; begins his journey in fear and at the end looks at the world with a new sense of wonder -The hero's journey: when a protagonist is reluctant to begin their journey, but by the end has changed to become almost a new person -CD can be positive, negative, or regressive -Can cover for the failings of a story -Character arc: the structure of how a character changes within a story  -Essentially, character arc consists of segments where the character is undergoing distinct chan...

-Create freedom appears liberating -Ironically, we find ourselves paralyzed by "boundless freedom" -Cost, materials, laws of physics: creative constraints  -Apply across professions -Constraints are essential    -This is especially true of scientific experiments, where variables are controlled    -Engineers discover constraints and then find solutions to problems by working around them -Iterative vs. innovative   -Iterative: How can I create a better...   -Innovative: How can I reach my goal when the best solution doesn't work... -"Serendipitous failures" sometimes end up being the solution to the constraints of other problems -Orwellian    -Can mean authoritarian   -BUT this is not the whole story   -Deceptive and manipulative use of language -George Orwell opposed to tyranny  -Believed language shapes our thoughts and opinions -Double speak: words used not to convey meaning, but to underm...

"The past, the present, and the future walked into a bar. It was tense." -It is possible that all languages share a common origin -Whether or not this is true, there were far fewer languages in the beginning of humanity -Tribes would break into separate groups in search of new land to live on -Isolated populations then developed in different ways, including in the department of language -3000 to 8000 languages in the world, depending on who you ask     -Sometimes dialects of the same language are so different that they may be unintelligible to other         speakers of the same language -Hearty welcome vs. cordial reception: very different linguistic connotations -"Hearty" and "welcome" come from Saxon -"Cordial" and "reception" come from French -France ruled England for a period      -The aristocracy spoke French, the commoners spoke Saxon -French and Saxon languages became more intertwined  -We still associate Frenc...