Bryan Collins's Blog, page 66

What are the Most Common Homonyms? Explained

The English language is full of homonyms, homophones, and homographs. This article explains common homonyms.

A homonym is two or more words with different meanings, even though they sound and are spelled the same.

The root word, “onym,” means “name.” If you connect the prefix “homo” and root word “onym,” you get “same name.”

A homonym is one word that has:

Two different meaningsThe same pronunciation

Don’t confuse common homonyms with homophones. The latter describes words that sh...

How to Improve Your Writing Skills: 16 Proven Strategies

Learning how to improve your writing skills is a tough job. Anyone can become a good writer with a little practice.

You can easily learn about topics like grammar, sentence structure and word choice from an English teacher.

But it takes a lifetime to become a great writer. That's because you've got to master the art of storytelling and giving readers what they want.

With all that said, here are several strategies you can use to improve your writing skills faster.

1. Spend Five M...

Need Help Revising Sentences? Try These 10 Top Exercises

Do you want to learn master the art of revising sentences? We offer 10 top exercises anyone can try.

No matter how long you have been writing, you can always take the next step to improve your writing a little.

Whether you are writing fiction or other creative writing types, trying to start a business writing for online audiences, or just looking to practice writing to improve your skills overall, fear not.

Here are some exercises to improve your english writing skills.

1. Swap T...

10 Top Exercises to Improve Writing Skills

Get those creative juices flowing with these helpful exercises to improve writing skills.

No matter how long you have been writing, you can always take the next step to improve your writing just a little. Exercises to improve writing skills could be exactly what you need to take your writing to the next level.

Whether you are writing fiction or other creative writing types, trying to start a business writing for online audiences, or just looking to practice writing to improve your skills o...

Salman Rushdie Masterclass Review: Can He Teach You About Storytelling?

Want to improve your short story writing skills? This Salman Rushdie Masterclass review explains what you’ll learn and if it’s worth it.

I’ve always wanted to learn writing from someone who’s received a knighthood. So you can bet I was excited when Masterclass released Salman Rushdie’s video lessons. He didn’t disappoint. 

I took this class to learn about storytelling, but walked away with so much more. I like that he tells us about his life experiences, mistakes he made, and exercises he ...

Salman Rushdie Masterclass Review: Does He Teach Everything You Need To Know About Storytelling?

Want to improve your short story writing skills? This Salman Rushdie Masterclass review explains what you’ll learn and if it’s worth it.

I’ve always wanted to learn writing from someone who’s received a knighthood. So you can bet I was excited when Masterclass released Salman Rushdie’s video lessons. He didn’t disappoint. 

I took this class to learn about storytelling, but walked away with so much more. I like that he tells us about his life experiences, mistakes he made, and exercises he ...

Steve Martin Masterclass Review: Is It Worth It?

In this Steve Martin Masterclass review, I'll explain who it's for, what you can learn and what to expect from it.

Steve Martin's Masterclass is one of the more popular writing online courses available today, in part due to Steve's fame as a comic, film star and Oscar host.

I spent several weeks taking this course and putting some of his lessons into practice to improve my ability to write humor. 

I also took the Steve Martin Masterclass because I've always admired his comedy shows and ...

Judy Blume Masterclass Review: Teaches Creative Writing

Want to improve your short story writing skills? This Judy Blume Masterclass review explains what you’ll learn and if it’s worth it.

As a non-fiction writer, I’ve always admired my fictional peers. There’s something about creating a plot, characters, and story that commands respect. So I spent the last few weeks watching Judy Blume’s Masterclass and reading through her workbook.

Not only does she make everything easy to understand, but she dives deep into little details that’s crucial as a...

What is The Grammatical Expletive? 6 Reasons For Avoiding It

Understanding the grammatical expletive will help you write clearly and accurately. Our guide explains what it is and how to avoid this mistake.

“There’s a snake crawling toward us!” This sentence is an example of a grammatical expletive.

Although a person might argue any serpent slithering toward someone might cause swear words to come flying out of the person’s mouth, nothing profane is written in the sentence.

Unbeknownst to many writers, expletive sentence constructions exist that h...

Get Inspired With These 13 Great Creative Sayings

Reading great creative sayings before embarking on a creative project can make us feel good, whether writing, music, fine arts, or something on stage.

Creative thinking helps us in everyday life, from our learning process to making sense of the small things. Research tells us about the therapeutic benefits of creative activity when we are struggling, stressed, or processing the ups and downs of everyday life.

However, creative work is nothing without a little inspiration. Some deep t...