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Tucked away in dozens of archived folders on my computer are literally thousands of works of art or horror stories – all in the form of academic papers. I have been blessed to teach some of the most extraordinary researchers and writers on the planet. I have also had that fingernails-on-the-chalkboard experience of reading some really bad stuff. I thought I would go off the reservation a little today to share with you what I have learned from the best of the best and the worst of the worst.
Regardless of whether you are just starting to college or about to graduate with an advanced degree, you will not succeed in online education (or classroom either, for that matter) beyond your ability to write effectively. Moreover, there is a massive difference between speaking English and writing it in a formal setting. If a professor ever tells you that you write like you talk, they aren’t giving you a compliment. Academic writing is a formal setting. (This post is not.) I make my living doing both. If I spoke the same way I write in formal settings, I’d be stuffy and boring. If I wrote the same way I talk conversationally or when I preach, I would butcher the King’s English and my paper would be filled with colloquialisms, contractions, sweeping statements that had little or no support, and at times poor grammar.
Here are some specific suggestions for writing success with any academic writing that uses the APA style manual (no, “APA” does not stand for “American Psycho Association,” though sometimes you may wonder). You may need to adjust this for different formats (or different teachers with different hot buttons). [click to continue…]
For several years, as the blogging world emerged and developed, I had an unfair and inaccurate image of what blogging was. I imagined it to be a “running narrative of the life of my cat,” or a load of political/social rants. I passed.
Then I actually read one – Seth Godin’s, to be precise – and I was hooked. I discovered a whole new world of rich ideas, excellent writers, passionate people, and yes, LifeVestors. Some people blog for money, and that’s great. Others offer up for free ideas and expressions as an investment in the world and in their future.
As the year ended, I thought I’d collect my favorite pieces into one post of my own. I thought it would be easy to narrow it down to 10. Ha! I could easily have given you my American Top 40, or my AP Top 25. Nevertheless, here are ten of my favorite posts, from ten different writers it would pay you to read:
10. Think Like a Millionaire
Brian Tracy is something of an icon in the personal development world. He has spent most of his adult life researching the differences between successful and unsuccessful people. This post, while focusing specifically on financial success, reveals one of the most important distinctions in any successful life. AND it helps make the point for why I wrote a book and have a site called LifeVesting.
9. The Posture of a Communicator
The burden of communication is on the communicator, Seth says. Wow. Imagine that. People who talk and write and market, who actually assume responsibility for whether or not you get the message. Want more? Check this out. [click to continue…]
Tucked away in dozens of archived folders on my computer are literally thousands of works of art or horror stories – all in the form of academic papers. I have been blessed to teach some of the most extraordinary researchers and writers on the planet. I have also had that fingernails-on-the-chalkboard experience of reading some really bad stuff. I thought I would go off the reservation a little today to share with you what I have learned from the best of the best and the worst of the worst.
