Voice Paint Blog

By Z. Matthias Bruggeman
Posted on 11/22/2024 - 2 minute read

The above lines may not look like a traditional poem, [short pause] but take a minute and read them out loud (if someone else is there, read aloud for that person). Did you? Great! You just performed a spoken word poem I wrote based on a simple yet therapeutic prompt: “Write a list of things you hate.”

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By Camille Beeson
Posted on 10/28/2024 - 2 minute read

Tin platters swirl past me in the dance of the waiters. Each one holding the bountiful harvest of an unlucky cow. Saliva forms at the corners of my greedy smile, my chubby seven-year-old hands reaching toward the glorious slab of rib meat, slathered in honey barbeque.

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By Livia Meinz
Posted on 10/8/2024 - 6 minute read

This blog post offers a glimpse of my writing process. I’ll break it down for you—maybe it will show how the Writing Studio can help you, too!

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By Liana Nguyen, Writing Studio Consultant
Posted on 4/29/2024 - 2 minute read

Imagine the impending due date of your final paper. You settle down comfortably with a promising topic in mind. You are happy, motivated, and ready to get this paper started. Your fingers barely brush the keyboard of your trusty laptop (or pencil) and— 

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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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