eduify | write faster

Creating a fictional character can be a very simplistic task. However, creating a realistic fictional character requires a little more effort on your, the writer’s, part. It is more than just a matter of giving a character a name and description of his or her looks. It is a matter of giving a character personality, and working to make that personality come through the paper, so your readers can easily visualize the fictional person you have created. A well-developed character can either be liked or hated by your readers, depending on the characteristics and attributes given. If you can evoke strong emotions from your readers about your character, you have done a good job.

#1 Create a History

Every person has a past, so it is important to create a past for your character – even if you do not share the entire contents of that past. People evolve over the years because of their experiences and surroundings throughout their lives, and your fictional character is no different, so you need to develop a fictional past for him or her. When you are initially developing a new character, you are getting to know that character, just as your readers will get to know that character when they read your story. It is important to understand why your character will react or make decisions the way that he or she does, so it is important to have a back story that goes along with the personality that has been created for that character over the years.

#2 Show (don’t tell) His or Her Emotions

If you have not heard the phrase now, you will a lot throughout most of your English related courses: show, don’t tell. Simply saying that your character is feeling sad is not a proper description of a realistic character. People don’t feel the same emotions in the same way. Some people cry when they are sad, while others scream or go completely silent. You need to show how your characters are feeling, rather than just say how they are feeling.

Bad Example: Nora became angry after reading the letter. She just couldn’t stand it anymore.

Good Example: Nora’s face became hot after reading the letter. She viciously began to tear                       apart the envelope when she couldn’t look at its content any more.

Showing a character’s emotions through actions lets your readers get a better idea of what kind of personality someone like Nora has.

#3 Give Your Character Habits or Quirks

People are remembered for the little things they do that are different from anyone else, and everyone has something peculiar them that seems unique. Giving an interesting habit or strange quirk lends personality to your character. It can be as small as eating M&Ms all the time, but refusing to eat any other kind of chocolate. Or as big as having your character insist on eating at the exact same restaurant every day, and is thrown off if something disturbs this regimen. Whatever habit or quirk you give your character will allow your readers to get to know him or her better. Sometimes you can give an explanation for the behavior, but you don’t always have to. Either way, your readers will have another reason to think, “Hey, this character is interesting.”

#4 Show Relationships

We can learn a lot about individuals by the way they interact with others. If your character is very sociable, then you should show the character interacting with a lot of random people at work, talking on the phone, and even chatting with strangers on the street. But, if the character is more of a recluse and only has one or two friends, show the bond between those few characters, and maybe even show the uncomfortable feeling that character gets when dealing with new individuals.

#5 Reveal Character’s Hopes, Dreams, Aspirations

People live their lives with a particular purpose. They don’t just go through the motions of school or work without having some reason to do so. If you are going to show that your character is unhappy with his or her job, then be sure to explain why that character continues to keep that job – what is his or her motivation? Is she saving up for a car? Is he trying to pay off a loan? These are the kinds of questions that readers ask about characters who are interesting. And, if you are answering those questions, then your readers are going to enjoy your character and your style of writing that much more.

Internships are a great way to earn some money and/or school credit while you, the student, earn some experience in a field that may lead to your future career. If you make a good impression with your internship, it is possible that a permanent position could be earned in a higher level, and at the very least, you could earn some very strong references for your resume. However, the full potential of a good internship can only be attained if you are a good at your internship. Here are some tips and tricks to becoming the perfect intern that your co-workers and managers cannot help but recommending.

#1 Be On Time

Although it sounds simple enough, too many people have the habit of showing up five or ten minutes late to work every day. This does not give a good impression with the people you work with. Being a few minutes late means that you are probably running into work out of breath, which does not look professional. Even if you are just strolling in late, then your managers are likely to begin to view you as a slacker or someone who only does the bare minimum at the job. The bare minimum is not going to impress anyone. It is a much better idea to show up about five or ten minutes early to your job instead. The extra few minutes you have will let you get settled just before you start working. And, if your manager and coworkers notice that you are showing up early, they are more likely to look at you as a dependable intern or future employee.

#2 Dress Professionally

It may just be an internship to you, but to everyone else working there, it is their job they take seriously. Therefore it is important that you show the same respect by dressing appropriately to work. Coming into work wearing jeans and a t-shirt is not a statement that anyone should take you seriously. Coming into work with slacks and a button-up shirt shows that you are prepared to work in a serious manner. Although people are not supposed to judge each other by their looks, it is still an unavoidable trait in most individuals. In my own experience, I have noticed that when I dress more professionally at work, I receive more respect from the teachers and students who talk to me in class.

#3 Take Initiative

Interns who do the bare minimum do not get noticed by their managers and co-workers. Interns who take initiative and keep themselves busy at work will get noticed for their diligence. I have known interns who do their work, and then sit around looking bored for an hour. The interns who stand out to me are the ones who are constantly looking for work to do. If they finish their work, they look for more by asking their superiors what else they can do to be helpful. I have even known some interns who take it upon themselves to tidy up the work area as a way of keeping busy. These are the interns who are not lazy, who want to do a good job, and who will definitely be noticed and admired by the managers.

#4 Show Interest

Asking your supervisor questions and trying to learn more about the work that is entailed with your internship is a great way to show your managers that you are interested in your work, which means that you care about your work, and that indicates you want to do a good job. Managers appreciate having workers that try to learn more about their job because an interested intern is a better worker than ones who stands around looking bored all day because they could care less about their job.

#5 Be a Friendly Worker

Getting along with your co-workers can be tricky sometimes, but if you are able to be friendly with the people you work with, they are more likely going to say good things about you, which can be transferred into finding a better position for you with them in their company, or earning yourself a strong recommendation as a worker who is easy to get along with in other jobs.

It is one of the scariest things a writer has to face – writer’s block. You stare at the white sheet of paper, tapping your pen, and spacing out as you try to think of what to write. Looking at the blank page only reminds you that your mind is blank with ideas, too. The problem with writer’s block is that once a person feels stumped, they have a hard time forcing themselves to write anything at all. Quite often, some people even say they have writer’s block just to have an excuse not to write. Writing takes work, concentration, and creativity. Whatever your reason is for feeling that you have come down with writer’s block, here are some simple steps to help overcome your own block.

Step #1 Prewrite

Yes, you hear your instructors tell you all the time to prewrite, but do you ever listen to them? Prewriting (which is listed in another blog) is not just a way to organize your thoughts and get down ideas, it is another way to look at your writing project and force yourself to write. Getting past your writer’s block is often just a matter of looking at your task from a different perspective (or looking around your writer’s block, if you will). If you can brainstorm or outline some ideas for your writing, then you have a better chance at feeling confident and putting your pen to the paper to start writing. With all of the different methods of prewriting, there really isn’t any reason not to use at least one of them when you’re stumped.

Step #2 Write Backwards

Even after the prewriting is finished, you may still feel uncertain how you want to word your thoughts exactly. If that’s the case, jot down your ideas out of order – write the end first and the beginning last if you must. Sometimes your ideas may be scattered, which is why you are having trouble focusing on just one idea. Maybe your mind is blank with your introduction, but you know what you want to write for your body paragraphs. If that is the case, then just skip ahead. Write down whatever good ideas you think you have and reorganize them later.

Step #3 Take Your Opposing Side

If you are really uncomfortable with your topic and feel you have absolutely nothing to write about, then you may want to take yourself out of your own head and put it into someone else’s. This has nothing to do with cheating. You are supposed to write the opposite of what you really feel. Or, think of what other people would say about your subject. It may be easier putting down what you think other people feel or believe than what you actually believe. Your confidence in your own ideas may be what stops your writing. Do not use this technique all of the time though. There are some assignments where you need to give your honest opinion, and this method of breaking writer’s block may not always be suitable.

Step #4 Just Write!

It may sound harsh, but sometimes you just have to force your pen to move on the paper or to have your fingers move across the keyboard. Often people refuse to write anything because they don’t think their ideas or words are good enough. Well, when you’re struggling, writing something is better than writing nothing. Put down whatever comes to mind whether or not you think it sounds good. You can always fix it later, which is how we come to Step 5 in breaking the writer’s block.

Step #5 Walk Away… and Come Back

Sometimes students are just not in the right state-of-mind to write. If there are a bunch of things running through your head, you may need to just set up your writing assignment as best as you can and walk away from it for a while. When you come back to whatever writing you have put down, you may feel more inclined to fix your ideas and even add more ideas down on paper. Depending on how much time you have for your writing, walking away from your assignment for an hour or a full day may be just what you need to come back to your writing and look at your project with a clear head. When you come back to your writing, look it over with a critical eye, as if it were someone else’s paper, and see what you do and do not like about it. And then, take your writing from there. Unless you are taking an in-class essay, this method can be a great way to clear your mind. Otherwise, you’ll have to rely on a different method of break down that writer’s wall.

Study, study, study… it’s what students do almost every day of their life. And, if they aren’t studying, then they are worried about when they have to start studying again after their short break. Unfortunately, that is just the way of the student. There are good and bad ways to study though. If you are a student who wants to improve your grades, then there are simple tricks and tips to keep in mind that will not only improve your grades, but possibly make your own studying habits a little simpler on yourself.

Overall, it comes down to planning. Think ahead a little bit and try out these 7 things to help improve your study skills and, ultimately, your grades.

#1 Get Rest

Although this has been gone over many times, it is never said enough – Get enough rest before you go to school. Showing up to school tired means that you are not focused on the material that your teacher is lecturing or on what you are reading. If you are having trouble focusing in class while you yawn every ten minutes or more, chances are that you are not getting enough sleep during the night. If you are still skeptical on the importance of getting sleep, there is an entire blog on Eduify that is dedicated to the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation.

#2 Eat Before an Exam, (but don’t drink much)

Food is fuel. When people do not eat properly they become tired, weak, and grumpy. None of those symptoms of hunger are conducive to proper concentration while you try to study or attend class. If you are in class and you stomach is grumbling because you skipped breakfast again, you are going to end up daydreaming about food rather than listen to the lecture. Do yourself a favor and eat something that will tide you over while attending class. However, you may not want to drink anything in excess. The feeling of a full bladder and needing to run to the bathroom in the middle of class can be just as distracting as an empty stomach.

#3 Arrive to Class Early

When students are showing up to class late they are often out of breath or are interrupting the instructor’s lesson. A late entrance not only distracts the students, but it distracts the teacher, which is no way to get on a teacher’s good side. Being late also means that you have missed some material that was first given in the beginning of class, which may leave you a bit frazzled and possibly missing even more information as you ask a fellow student, “What did I miss?” I recommend showing up five or ten minutes early to class, so you have time to take your seat and set up your books without disturbing anyone with your backpack’s zipper or adjustments of your chair. An early student is prepared and in a ready state-of-mind to be taught.

#4 Make Flash Cards

Many students make flash cards when they are preparing for a test. I suggest making flash cards even before your test. Make early preparations for your test. If there is some information that you feel will be difficult to remember, you should put it on a flash card, that way when it is time to take your test, most of your flashcards will already be set for you, which should make you more relaxed than having to prepare cards last minute for your test.

#5 Record Lectures

If you happen to have a teacher who goes over material quickly or does not seem to stay on a topic long enough for you in class, ask the instructor if he or she would mind that you record the lecture. With a copy of the lecture in your pocket, you can later rewind and listen to any important parts that you may have missed jotting down in your notes. Most teachers do allow students to bring a recorder in to class, as long as they are warned ahead of time. It is not ethical to record a person talking who is not aware of it, so be sure to ask your teacher for permission before doing so.

#6 Read the Material after the Lecture

It may seem simple, but there are far too many students who only listen to the teacher lecture over a subject, but never actually read the material in the book. After the lecture, make time to read over the same material your instructor went over. Going over a lesson twice will help solidify the information in your memory better.

#7 Discuss Material with Friends

Although most students do not want to talk about their homework, having a discussion about the material you are studying is a great way to help remember information. If you are reading something confusing or interesting, relay that exact information to a friend or family member. When you force yourself to repeat the material and think about the topics in a conversation, you help yourself remember the information better. Since I had trouble remembering dates in history, I used to spout off facts to my brother with, “Did you know…?” He would usually roll his eyes or ignore me because he didn’t want a history lesson, but I just continued talking at him and it was a lot of help for me to remember the facts easier.

By Julia H. Jackson

Maybe you are familiar with the writing major’s curse: once the semester ends, and there are no looming deadlines or in-class essays, your motivation to write suddenly shrinks. It’s a bit of a paradox, really, because there are few students who long for homework assignments, and yet the regularity of a school schedule does insure productivity. But what happens when classes end, and you sit down to a blank page or a glaring computer screen, only to realize that you have no idea what to write? Today we suggest 5 Ways to Write Outside of Class, ideas that hopefully will rev your creative engine, and, who knows, beef up your resume while you’re at it.

5. Journalism and Media Internships

Whether you are a diehard poet or a regular blogger, your interest in writing already makes you stand out as a potential journalist. Although many say that the era of print journalism is dying out, some skills, such as pitching stories, interviewing subjects, and working under deadline, are universal in any medium. Regardless if you live in a bustling metropolitan hub or a small college town, there is always a reliable news source nearby. Some independent corporations offer internships in specialized fields, such as The Kaiser Family Foundation’s Media Internships in Health Reporting , while most newspaper chains such as The Washington Post have regular, term-length internship programs.

Even if a paper or organization doesn’t advertise an internship program, it never hurts to ask. Many small news organizations and publications rely on a small staff, and might offer to train you if volunteer your services.

4. Volunteer at Your Local Theater

This is a great opportunity for future Tony Kushners and Suzan-Lori Parkses . Sometimes the best way to become a better writer is to expose yourself to as much as possible: drama, comedy, one-acts, solo performances, dance, music, and community theater. Many theaters host rotating theatrical seasons, or might feature celebrated playwrights or artists-in-residence. Prominent theaters, such as the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky, offer internships in everything from dramaturgy to education to acting.  If you’re not certain yet what kind of theater interests you the most, you can always volunteer as an usher, which, as I’ve been told, is a great way to get free theater tickets.

3. Become a Tutor

For many people, the best way to learn is to teach, because it reinforces what they already know. Many elementary and middle schools may need counselors for after-school activities, or might offer tutoring workshops for kids in specialized areas. Some university programs, such as the College of Creative Studies at UC Santa Barbara, offer arts programs for local kids, and rely on a young staff to help teach fun classes such as poetry, photography, and painting. Smaller schools might also offer opportunities to work as a teaching assistant, which is a valuable experience for potential teachers.

2. Check out Your Local Radio Station

Many college radio stations reserve time slots for beginner deejays and novice news producers. If you are interested in digital media or the music industry, radio is a great place to start. Prominent National Public Radio member stations, such as KQED in San Francisco, WNYC in New York, and WBEZ in Chicago, often accept interns and volunteers on a rolling basis. Smaller stations, such as San Francisco’s KALW, produce local news programs and often train volunteers how to report, as well as how to engineer audio.  If anything, the opportunity to weave writing skills into serving your community always looks good on your resume.

1. Join a Writing Workshop

I know what you’re thinking—another class? Writing workshops aren’t exactly equivalent to classes, although they can be if you want them to. Many communities host writing classes and clubs through social organizations, and some site-specific courses, such as San Francisco’s Writing Salon or New York City’s Gotham Writing Workshop,  are popular. Or, you can start your own group—why not? Gather a group of friends, set up a writing schedule, and make time to swap stories and offer feedback.

Writing, unlike, say, medicine, isn’t a craft that must be studied chronologically in order to be understood. Therein lies the inherent dilemma: how can one seemingly absorb all the skills necessary to be a successful writer while maintaining an original style and personality? We hope that our 5 Ways to Write Outside Class have offered some insight into the world of writing beyond school.

What gets you to write? Share your tips with us!