Voice Paint Blog

By Dylan Arant, Writing Studio Consultant
Posted on 10/27/2023 - 3 minute read

Seeing as this is the season of ghouls, goblins, and ghosts, I have been thinking about the use of fear in creative writing and literature.

Speaking biologically, fear is our emotional response to a detected threat, to the end that we might find safety. Because of our intense instinct for self-preservation, we are afraid of that which may pose a danger to our health. This is what I shall dub “selfish fear”: the base survival instinct experienced by even the lowest forms of animal life.

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By Ella Hachee, Writing Studio Consultant
Posted on 10/2/2023 - 3 minute read

Even if you don’t plan to become a professional writer, learning to write well sets you apart as a communicator across all professions. Small tweaks elevate good writing into great writing, especially when you’re given limited space to convey your ideas: 250 characters, 5 pages, or just an easily distracted reader.

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By Johanna Saleska Lange, Online Writing Lab consultant
Posted on 8/30/2023 - 5 minute read

A writing buddy is exactly what it sounds like—a person with whom you share writing ideas and goals, exchange drafts and feedback, commiserate about writing frustrations, and celebrate writing successes. A good writing buddy is like this incredible hybrid of colleague and best friend: they hold you accountable to your writing goals, but they’re also there to encourage you over a cup of coffee when you fail.

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By Johanna Saleska Lange, Online Writing Lab consultant
Posted on 2/20/2023 - 6 minute read

Remember when writing was fun? What ever happened to those creative writing assignments, to writing stories and poems on construction paper with crayons? There was no “wrong” way to invent a character or silly scenario—back then, writing was pure joy!

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By Leonard Memon, Writing Studio Consultant
Posted on 2/9/2023 - 3 minute read

The common neo-Aristotelean method of rhetorical criticism examines three aspects of rhetoric: Logos (appeal to logic), ethos (appeal to credibility), and pathos (appeal to emotion). Aristotle found ethos to be the most important of the three. To promote ethos, authors should cite credible sources. It is crucial to cite reliable sources to strengthen your credibility as an author and to avoid plagiarism. To cite credible sources in a research paper, you should…

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By Ella Hachee, Writing Studio Consultant
Posted on 1/19/2023 - 4 minute read

Are you staring at a blank screen, unsure how to start your paper? Outlining is here to help! The key to efficiently writing a first draft is preparation beforehand. For me, it is much easier to figure out how I will say my ideas once I have figured out what those ideas will be. Here is my outlining routine for essay success with habits to build into your writing process.

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Posted on 10/31/2022 - 3 minute read

Rain and wind slapped against the side of my friend’s house. It was an old, creaky house in the northeast, and thunder shook the walls. My friend and I didn’t mind, though. Nestled on a worn couch in the small den, we relished in the solace of that poorly lit, cramped space—a comfort amidst the storm understood only by people who have lived in cold, rainy places. A shared sense of victory, too, enflamed our spirits. Finals week was almost over. I had only had one task remaining—to pen the last paragraph of my final essay. Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating rain drops creeping down the window. Thunder crashed, shaking the lonely house. Little did I know, my victory dance was about to turn into a macabre tango of terror. 

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Posted on 10/10/2022 - 2 minute read

The first words of an essay can be torture to write. With no clear idea as to the direction of the paper, a frustrated writer will struggle, either writing a short, vague introduction or a long, rambling one. Neither of these outcomes is desirable. An introduction needs to be robust, both an engaging hook to get the audience invested as well as a successful preview of the essay's main points and thesis. However, it is often difficult to write a successful introduction until you know exactly what your body paragraphs will cover. This problem may be frustrating for those who write linearly (that is, straight from beginning to end). Breaking the habit of writing linearly may be the first step in writing a better paper. A natural way to accomplish this is to use placeholders.

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By Kellie B. Moore, OWL Consultant
Posted on 6/13/2022 - 6 minute read

Think of the perfect chocolate chip cookie. The top is golden-brown. The cookie is soft, but not underbaked. The chocolate chips are distributed throughout, giving you a hint of chocolatey goodness in every bite and blending beautifully with the dough.

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By Livia Swan, Writing Studio Consultant
Posted on 4/19/2022 - 5 minute read

Well, I’m going to write the way I talk for this blog post. The decision to write the way you talk, or your choice of tone, depends on the context and purpose of the piece you are writing. Right here and now, my purpose is to reflect on the wide mysteries of our secret motives and natural instincts involved in expressing ourselves through writing. That means that you, the reader, are experiencing my thoughts as they surface in my head, without a whole lot of filtering. This isn’t normal for most academic writing, though. More on this in a little bit. Now I’m going to give you the “thesis” of sorts for this post: Your audience combined with your purpose determines the most appropriate tone for your writing.

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