Write the letters of the alphabet across the top of your page for quick reference. Draw a dot halfway down the page or so. It will be a signal for you to stop and take a look at what you have done so far. Then begin writing words at the top of the page, one that begins with A, followed by one beginning with B. Then a word that begins with C and so forth. Write the words … [Read more...] about Alphabet Salad
Language
At Least Four Letters
Write whatever you like. Perhaps a story from your life, or one from your imagination. Or simply describe the world around you. As you are writing, skip all the words that are less than 4 letters long. No need to skip them in your thinking, just don't write them down. Pause partway down the page to give your mind a rest. Read over what you have written. Scribble out any … [Read more...] about At Least Four Letters
For Example
Before you start writing, set up your page. Draw a line where the title will go and mark off some space for illustration. Then collect a half-dozen or so good words. A word is a good one when it jumps out at you for some reason. Maybe you think the spelling is odd. Maybe it reminds you of something. Maybe it's a word you don't know how to pronounce. Maybe it names something … [Read more...] about For Example
Your Ground
Before you begin to write, allow your mind to wander over the many different ways the word ground can pop up in everyday conversation. The word ground appears in many expressions. One can break, give, or stand ground. Things can be ground in, ground out, or run into the ground. There are groundswells, ground rules, and shifting grounds. Let your mind relax and repeat the … [Read more...] about Your Ground
Talk on the Wild Side
Some linguists study the histories of words and the histories of languages. Others ask how children learn first or second languages and wonder why that learning seems so different for adults. Some ponder the language capabilities of non-humans. Some study language as it relates to gestures or brain activity, while others ask where language comes from in the first place. Lane … [Read more...] about Talk on the Wild Side