Entries by Bethany

How to Avoid the Passive Voice

I found this on the Aerogramme Studio site. To test a sentence to see whether or not it is cast in passive voice, try adding “by zombies.” If it can be added, then you know it’s passive. The sentence was written on the whiteboard … by zombies. The post was added that evening … by […]

Great First Lines

Last night while being a supportive mom, hanging out at Barnes & Noble with one of my daughters while she did math (I was no actual help, mind you), I decided to read first paragraphs of several novels. This was my favorite: “To take an interest in the affairs of others is entirely natural; so […]

March

Spring is just around the corner, and spring break. The trees are not green yet, but I can see the buds on the trees in my yard and they give me hope. I open my collection of Rumi’s poems, and I find this line: “What you seek is seeking you.”

You’re Alive for a Reason

One of my nieces posted this picture on Facebook this morning, and I’m pretty sure it showed up because I needed to hear it. In my literature class this quarter, we’re reading monster books — Frankenstein, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. It’s a learning community combining English 101 (college composition) with an introduction to […]