academic | Purposeful Prose

When Their Hand Around a Locket Speaks With More Conviction Than the Movement of Their Lips

It's no one's place to say what constitutes as "bad" writing for anyone other than themselves. There are pieces of writing that can...

It's All a Matter of Perspective

In writing, there are always options. While writing often needs to be evaluated to a standard, a style guide, a syllabus, a list of...

Show and Tell

Recently, I've had to focus the majority of my criticisms on writers' openings. It's not a secret that the way in which a writer performs...

The Part Where They Explain What Went Wrong

Intuitively, we understand that perfection isn't reality, and we still expect black and white answers. While that's a very common...

But I'm a Beginner's Guide

Sometimes, experts in specific niches don't always make the best teachers. Usually, it's not because they don't have enough passion for...

Meddling with Writing as Simulation

As an editor, when I see "in fact," I usually get rid of it. I'm not opposed to passive voice and I'm very lenient with a lot of...

An Interview With a Science Fiction [Ghost]writer - Part 3

In the final part of my interview with Gabriël Oosthuizen, we delve a little deeper into his experience as a ghostwriter, writing...

An Interview With a Science Fiction [Ghost]writer - Part 2

The following is a continuation of my interview with my friend and colleague, Gabriël Oosthuizen. In this part of our interview,...

Shaped by Expectation - Part 4

"Good" writers are not made. They must choose to make themselves, to practice, to learn, and to develop their skills using the most...

Writers and Their Contexts: Another "Personality Test"

Anxiety in writers is natural and common. Most writers, regardless of their standing, have experienced writing anxiety at some point in...

Writing and the Social Sciences

Disclaimer: In this essay, the author uses the term, "social scientism," but I do not believe that he is using the term critically...