Writing Or Grammar Resource

The Writing Hurts Like Hell summer workshop series starts tonight

It's a tall task but Biff Mitchell is on his game. In just four evenings, he promises to make you a better writer, and his students say he's up to the challenge.

"Let's face it, writing hurts," says Mitchell.

He should know. The creator of the Writing Hurts Like Hell (WHLH) workshop says that writing has cost him.

"I basically had to give up a whole series of relationships," says Mitchell. "They just took too much away from my writing.

"Writers spend so much time on their writing that other people take a secondary place in their lives; they go in search of someone who will spend more time with them."

Despite this, he persists, spending upwards of two hours a day writing, often at the Second Cup, in Kings Place, where he's written four novels.

Being a writer and a teacher are two different things, but Mitchell excels at both, working on them after his day job, which is technical writing.

He's busy: A member of the Black Top Motorcycle Gang that rolls into a part of the city in "a raid" and reads - out loud - for anyone who wants to hear; he runs; and he's now teaching himself photography; and, he's taught writing workshops at UNB's College of Extended Learning and for the Maritime Writers' Workshops.

What happens in the WHLH workshops, you may be wondering?

"What happens is that I get a bunch of people together and we have an exciting adventure," says Mitchell. "We explore creativity - and we enhance creativity - what we do is break down all those barriers that the structured world we live in creates."

He takes his students out on the town to experience the world around them - to malls, parks, private restaurants and bars - where they write, and then read to the group what they've written.

Rick Green, a retired broadcaster, teacher, and now writer - hugged a tree in the workshop. He just finished the latest in the series of Writing Hurts Like Hell Sizzling Summer Workshops and is writing up a storm, launching his new writing website. And he said if Mitchell comes up with a new workshop, he'll take that, too.

"I think Biff is a little bit off the wall," says Green. "But I'm a little bit off the wall.

"I learned a lot by that experience of hugging the tree. I don't know if I'll ever do it again in my life, but I got what he was getting at. Use all your senses when you write. That's what appealed to me about his unorthodox approach.

10 Resources to Improve Your Writing

Writing is not always easy to master and requires dedicated practice and knowledge. The upside is that good writing skills will be a massive advantage in almost any business model, and can even open up exciting new possibilities for you.

So, where does one go to learn the skills and rules that will make anyone a good writer? The Internet has a treasure trove of writing resources. Here are 10 resources that will improve your writing…

Punctuation and Grammar Tools

The most difficult, but also most important skill that should be improved by most writers no matter their English proficiency level is Grammar and punctuation. The Internet provides many really helpful resources, and here are just two:

1.    How to use English punctuation correctly – This is a short concise crash course in punctuation that is quick enough to master, allowing the learner to be almost completely proficient in most punctuation.

2.    Jack Lynch’s Grammar and Style Guide – A comprehensive website containing information about various grammar rules and writing styles that will help any writer increase their skills.

Common English Errors and Mistakes

Often the best way to learn what to do is to learn what not to do, and again there are many sites that show examples of common mistakes that should be avoided.

3.    Common English Errors This is a fantastic detailed report of hundreds of common spelling, grammar and punctuation errors that are made every day.

Writing Skills

Once the basics of spelling, punctuation and grammar are learned, it is easy to think that you now have become a great writer. Unfortunately, that was the easy bit, and writing is and always will be an art form which needs to be learned. Here are two great resources to help anyone become a better writer:

4.    Writers digest This huge online compilation of various resources that can be accessed by anyone wanting to become a better writer; this includes a blog, forum and other resources.

5.    Infoplease: General Writing Skills a list of various articles which attempts, in an interestingly and easy way, to help people become better writers.

Copywriting Blogs and Resources

Copywriting is a writing skill that can be very lucrative, and is a must have in any sales or advertising environment. There are great copywriting Blogs online where the best in the industry give insight into their talents.

Grammar and context, an advanced resource book

The Grammar Teacher's Activity-a-Day: 180 Ready-to-Use Lessons to Teach Grammar and Usage

Tools, Not Rules Teaching Grammar in the Writing Classroom

Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

Beyond the grammar wars, a resource for teachers and students on developing language knowledge in the English/literacy classroom